What is CIS Benchmark?

CIS Benchmarks are security configuration guidelines for hardening various systems, software, and network configurations. These benchmarks help organizations securely configure their systems to reduce vulnerabilities and ensure that they follow security best practices.

CIS Benchmarks cover a wide range of technologies, including:

• Operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• Network devices (e.g., firewalls, routers)
• Applications (e.g., web servers, databases)

Why is CIS Benchmark important?

Unlike CIS controls which are very generic, CIS Benchmarks are very specific recommendations for secure system configurations. CIS Benchmarks are a critical step for implementing CIS Controls because each CIS Benchmark recommendation refers to one or more of the CIS Controls.

For example, CIS Control 3 suggests secure hardware and software configurations for computer systems. CIS Benchmarks provide vendor-neutral and vendor-specific guidance along with detailed instructions that admins can follow to implement CIS Control

Overall they provide a globally recognized set of security best practices and configuration guidelines, developed by cybersecurity experts, which helps organizations establish a strong security posture by minimizing vulnerabilities and mitigating cyber threats across their IT systems, ensuring compliance with industry regulations, and promoting a structured approach to system hardening without the need for trial-and-error configuration decisions.

‍