About CIS

The CIS (Center for Internet Security) security standard provides organizations with a prioritized set of best practices to defend against the most common cyber attacks. These consensus-developed guidelines are organized into implementation groups and critical security controls that help entities establish robust cybersecurity measures regardless of their size or industry.

CIS controls are divided into basic, foundational, and organizational categories that address various aspects of cybersecurity from inventory management to penetration testing. The standard is regularly updated based on evolving threats and is widely recognized by security professionals, compliance frameworks, and regulatory bodies as an effective approach to reducing cybersecurity risk.

CIS compliance steps

Understand the CIS Controls framework, which provides prioritized security best practices that mitigate common attacks against systems and networks. Start by identifying which of the 18 control categories apply to your organization.

Conduct a comprehensive inventory of all hardware assets to establish a baseline for what needs to be protected. Implement automated tools to discover and track devices connected to your network.

Create and maintain an inventory of authorized software across all systems. Implement application whitelisting technology to prevent unauthorized programs from executing.

Establish a secure configuration for all hardware and software. Deploy configuration management tools to automate system hardening according to CIS Benchmarks.

Implement a continuous vulnerability assessment and remediation process. Regularly scan systems for vulnerabilities and establish a risk-based approach to patch management.

Control the use of administrative privileges by limiting access and implementing multi-factor authentication. Create dedicated admin accounts and audit their usage regularly.

Deploy and maintain email and web browser protections to prevent common attack vectors. Configure filters and security settings to block malicious content.

Implement malware defenses across all endpoints and servers. Use centrally managed antivirus solutions and keep definitions updated automatically.

Secure network devices by implementing proper configurations, regularly updating firmware, and disabling unnecessary services and ports.

Establish a data recovery capability with regularly tested backups. Store backup data offline or in segregated networks to protect from ransomware.

Secure network configurations for devices such as firewalls and routers. Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement of attackers.

Establish boundary defenses with DMZs, proxies, and network-based IDS/IPS systems. Monitor and filter traffic at network boundaries.

Implement a security awareness and training program for all staff. Conduct regular phishing simulations and provide role-specific security training.

Monitor audit logs and establish a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. Create and test incident response procedures.

Implement application security principles including secure coding practices and regular security testing. Validate input and sanitize output in all applications.

Conduct regular penetration testing and red team exercises to validate security controls. Document findings and remediate identified weaknesses promptly.

Organizations often struggle to implement CIS standards due to the comprehensive and technical nature of the requirements. The inventory management of hardware and software assets alone can be overwhelming for large enterprises with diverse technology ecosystems spanning multiple locations. Many organizations lack the specialized security personnel needed to properly interpret and apply these standards, while budget constraints frequently limit the deployment of necessary tools and technologies for automated compliance monitoring.

The configuration management aspects of CIS standards pose significant challenges, as organizations must balance security hardening with operational functionality. Legacy systems that cannot be easily updated or reconfigured create persistent compliance gaps, while the continuous vulnerability assessment process demands resources many organizations cannot sustainably allocate. Administrative privilege control often faces resistance from staff accustomed to elevated access, creating cultural friction during implementation.

Data recovery capabilities require significant investment in infrastructure and regular testing processes that can disrupt production environments. Network segmentation projects can be particularly disruptive, requiring architectural changes that impact established business processes. Many organizations find themselves implementing these controls reactively rather than proactively, often struggling with competing priorities between security and business objectives.

The consequences of failing to implement CIS standards can be severe. Organizations face increased vulnerability to common attack vectors, potentially leading to data breaches that result in significant financial losses, regulatory penalties, and reputational damage. Without proper inventory management and configuration controls, security teams operate without visibility into their attack surface, creating blind spots exploited by sophisticated threat actors. Inadequate administrative privilege controls often lead to credential-based attacks that grant attackers extensive network access.

Beyond immediate security incidents, non-compliance with these standards may violate regulatory requirements in many industries, triggering audits, fines, and mandatory disclosure of security failures. Insurance providers increasingly require adherence to frameworks like CIS for cyber insurance coverage, meaning non-compliant organizations face higher premiums or denial of coverage. Most critically, the absence of these controls creates cascading security weaknesses that amplify the impact of security incidents when they inevitably occur, transforming manageable security events into organizational crises.

Simplifying CIS benchmark enforcement with an Enterprise Browser

CIS benchmarks are a series of best practices that ensure information security and privacy hygiene when using browsers among other things. With the Island Enterprise Browser, businesses can simply use CIS benchmarks when creating policy to maintain best practices — directly through the browser.

By enforcing CIS benchmarks, Island ensures users, browsers, and applications use mature best practices reducing information security and privacy risks.