CIS Benchmarks provide prescriptive guidance for securing operating systems, cloud platforms, applications, and network devices.
What CIS Benchmarks cover
- Operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS).
- Cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle).
- Web servers (Apache, Nginx, IIS).
- Containers (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Network devices (Cisco, Palo Alto).
Benchmark levels
- Level 1: Essential security settings with minimal impact on functionality.
- Level 2: Defense-in-depth settings that may reduce functionality.
- STIG: More stringent, often required for government systems.
How to use CIS Benchmarks
- Download relevant benchmark from cisecurity.org.
- Assess current configuration against recommendations.
- Implement applicable controls based on risk tolerance.
- Use CIS-CAT or cloud-native tools to automate assessment.
- Document exceptions with business justification.
Cloud-native implementation
- AWS Security Hub includes CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark.
- Azure Policy has CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark.
- GCP Security Command Center supports CIS Google Cloud Benchmark.
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