CIS Compliance: What It Is, Benchmarks & How to Comply

What is CIS Compliance?

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CIS Compliance refers to aligning with the security configuration guidelines set by the Center for Internet Security (CIS). Known as "CIS Benchmarks," these standards aim to enhance the security of various IT systems by providing clear, universal rules for secure setup. CIS compliance helps businesses establish a foundational level of protection that aligns with industry standards and best practices, reducing risk to online threats and strengthening their overall security posture. For SaaS platforms, aligning with SaaS compliance standards can further enhance security, as it complements CIS requirements specific to cloud applications.

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Why is CIS Compliance Important?

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CIS Compliance provides a structured security framework that helps companies protect their IT systems from cyber threats. By following CIS Benchmarks, businesses can proactively address security risks while meeting industry and regulatory standards, reducing the risk of data breaches, operational disruptions, and compliance penalties. CIS Compliance keeps private information safe, while it also earns the trust of partners and customers by showing commitment towards high security standards.

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What are CIS Benchmarks?

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CIS Benchmarks are security guidelines developed by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to provide best-practice recommendations for configuring IT systems securely. Created by a global community of cybersecurity experts, these consensus-driven standards cover a wide range of systems, including operating systems, cloud environments, and network devices. By following these benchmarks and enhancing SaaS security measures, businesses can build secure configurations that help prevent cyber threats and meet industry requirements, maintaining a foundational level of security across their IT infrastructure.

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How are CIS Benchmarks Developed?

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CIS Benchmarks are created through a collaborative, expert-driven process designed to address emerging cybersecurity needs. Here’s an outline of the steps involved in developing these trusted guidelines:

Community-Driven Initiative: CIS Benchmarks are developed through a collaborative process involving cybersecurity experts worldwide, ensuring the benchmarks address the latest threats and challenges.
Identifying Security Needs: The CIS community identifies security gaps or areas requiring specific guidelines, typically based on emerging threats or feedback from organizations.
Defining Scope and Requirements: Experts establish the benchmark's scope, targeting specific configurations and security measures relevant to the needs of diverse IT environments.
Draft Creation and Discussion: Volunteers draft initial recommendations, which undergo rigorous review and testing within the CIS WorkBench platform by cybersecurity experts.
Consensus Building: The community collaborates to reach a consensus on each recommendation, ensuring they represent best practices and are feasible across different systems.
Public Review and Feedback: The draft is shared with a broader community for additional feedback, allowing for refinements and ensuring the guidelines are comprehensive and applicable.
Continuous Updates: The CIS team regularly revisits and updates benchmarks to keep pace with technology changes, incorporating community feedback and new security standards.

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CIS Benchmarks Profile Levels

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CIS Benchmarks offer various profile levels to suit different security needs and organizational requirements. These profiles provide structured recommendations to balance security impact, ease of implementation, and the specific use cases for each level. Here’s an overview of the main CIS Benchmark profile levels:

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Profile Level	Description	Security Impact	Use Case	Implementation Complexity
Level 1 Profile	Basic security recommendations focused on fundamental security needs and minimal disruption to functionality.	Low to Moderate	General IT environments need essential security setups.	Low: Minimal expertise required
Level 2 Profile	Advanced security settings that address higher-risk areas are often required for sensitive data protection.	High	Environments handling sensitive or regulated data where security is a priority.	Moderate to High: Requires experienced professionals
STIG Profile	U.S. government-standard security baseline developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).	Very High	Systems within government or defense sectors need compliance with STIGs.	High: Requires specialized compliance expertise

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CIS Benchmark Categories

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CIS Benchmarks cover various categories, each designed to secure specific technology systems. By following these tailored guidelines, organizations can enhance the security of critical assets across their IT infrastructure.

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Operating Systems

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CIS establishes security standards for Windows, Linux, macOS, and other major operating systems. These rules cover important settings like group policies, access controls, and patch management, ensuring operating systems are set up safely to protect against online threats.

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Server Software

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Server software benchmarks offer configuration baselines for web servers, database servers, and other applications. The recommendations help secure server settings, manage admin controls, and protect stored data, reducing vulnerabilities in server environments.

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Cloud Provider

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Cloud benchmarks focus on securely configuring popular cloud services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. These benchmarks are some of the best practices for network settings, identity and access management (IAM), and compliance controls to protect cloud infrastructures.

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Mobile Device

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Guidelines for mobile devices secure operating systems like Android and iOS, covering configurations for application permissions, browser settings, and privacy settings. These benchmarks contribute to protecting mobile data and secure mobile device access to corporate networks.

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Network Device

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Network device benchmarks include security settings for network hardware such as firewalls, routers, and switches. These recommendations address both vendor-neutral and vendor-specific configurations, ensuring robust network security across all connected devices.

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Desktop Software

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For desktop software, CIS Benchmarks provide security configurations for commonly used applications, including productivity software and browsers. These guidelines help manage access privileges, user accounts, and third-party applications on desktops.

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Multi-Function Print Device

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Security guidelines for multi-function devices, like printers and scanners, include best practices for configuring file-sharing settings, access restrictions, and firmware updates. This helps secure network-connected peripherals from unauthorized access.

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DevSecOps Tools

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CIS Benchmarks for DevSecOps tools help secure the software supply chain, offering guidance for secure development practices, continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and code security checks. This category supports building secure applications from the ground up.

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Benefits of CIS Benchmarks

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CIS Benchmarks provide several advantages that enable organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks:

Industry-Recognized Standards: CIS Benchmarks are widely accepted as a standard in cybersecurity, trusted by businesses, governments, and institutions globally. Following these standards helps organizations align with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
Regularly Updated Guidance: CIS Benchmarks are continuously updated to address new cyber threats and advancements in technology. This ensures that companies remain protected against evolving security risks with the latest recommended configurations.
Support for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC): CIS Benchmarks provide a robust framework that helps organizations meet governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) objectives.
Customization: CIS Benchmarks offer flexible configurations that organizations can tailor to meet specific security requirements or operational needs.
Flexibility: Organizations can implement different levels of CIS Benchmarks based on their security requirements, from basic to advanced protections.
Ease of Deployment: The straightforward, step-by-step nature of CIS Benchmark guidelines simplifies the process of setting up and managing secure configurations across various IT environments.

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Steps to Implement CIS Benchmarks

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Implementing CIS Benchmarks can be streamlined by following a series of structured steps that ensure alignment with CIS recommendations and improve overall cybersecurity. Here are the essential steps:

Assess Current Security Posture: Begin by evaluating your existing security configurations to identify areas that may require updates to meet CIS Benchmark standards.
Select Relevant CIS Benchmarks: Choose the specific CIS Benchmarks that apply to your organization’s systems, such as operating systems, network devices, or cloud services.
Establish a Baseline: Use CIS Benchmarks as a baseline for secure configurations, documenting any existing deviations and noting where adjustments are needed.
Apply Configurations: Implement the CIS-recommended security settings across your IT environment, configuring each system according to the guidelines provided.
Use Automated Tools: Leverage CIS-certified tools and scanning solutions to automate the process of monitoring compliance and flagging non-conformities.
Monitor and Audit Compliance Regularly: Conduct ongoing audits to ensure systems remain aligned with CIS standards, making adjustments as new benchmarks are released.
Document and Report: Keep thorough records of compliance measures, configuration changes, and audit results to maintain a clear audit trail for internal assessments or regulatory reporting.

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CIS Compliance vs Other Security Standards

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When exploring the landscape of cybersecurity frameworks, it’s helpful to understand how CIS Compliance compares with other widely used standards like ISO 27001, NIST, and PCI DSS. Each standard has a distinct focus, but together, they form a comprehensive foundation for IT security and regulatory compliance.

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Standard	Focus Area	Primary Goal	Industry Application	Compliance Requirements
CIS Compliance	Security configurations and benchmarks for IT systems	Provide secure configuration guidelines to prevent cyber threats	Broad industry applications, including cloud, OS, and network devices	Voluntary but widely adopted as a baseline for secure configurations
ISO 27001	Information Security Management System (ISMS)	Establish and maintain an ISMS to protect sensitive data	Widely used across industries that require comprehensive data security	Certification required for formal compliance
NIST Framework	Cybersecurity framework for critical infrastructure	Guide organizations to manage and reduce cybersecurity risk	U.S. government agencies, healthcare, and finance	Voluntary, though often required by U.S. federal contracts
PCI DSS Standards	Payment card industry data security standards	Protect cardholder data and prevent fraud	Organizations handling payment card transactions	Mandatory for businesses to process, store, or transmit cardholder data

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How to Achieve CIS Compliance with Reco

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Reco's integration with CIS Benchmarks offers organizations a streamlined approach to achieving and maintaining compliance. Here’s how Reco supports CIS compliance for secure and resilient SaaS environments:

Automated Compliance Monitoring: Reco continuously assesses SaaS applications against CIS Benchmarks, identifying deviations from recommended configurations to ensure continuous compliance.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Reco enables proactive risk management by highlighting non-compliant areas, helping organizations reduce exposure to potential cyber threats.
Streamlined Compliance Reporting: Reco generates comprehensive reports on compliance status, simplifying audits and ensuring that organizations can comply with CIS Benchmarks effectively. With Reco, organizations can streamline CIS Compliance by embedding SaaS security best practices into their compliance processes, ensuring their SaaS environments are secured according to both CIS and SaaS-specific guidelines.

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Conclusion

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CIS Compliance is a key component in today’s cybersecurity landscape, providing organizations with actionable guidelines to protect their IT systems from evolving cyber threats. By complying with CIS Benchmarks, businesses not only secure their digital assets but also build a robust foundation for meeting industry regulations and showing their commitment to high-security standards.

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