“Cyber risk is business risk,” as one Fortune 500 CISO put it. With over half of breaches tied to human-driven gaps and the average incident carrying a multi-million-dollar price tag, the stakes are unmistakable. Boards demand measurable resilience; teams need a practical, prioritized playbook. That’s why the CIS Controls matter now more than ever. They translate broad cybersecurity goals into specific, testable safeguards you can implement in phases, starting with quick wins and scaling to enterprise depth. In the blog ahead, we’ll clarify what the Controls are, why they work, and how to apply them so you reduce risk faster and prove it.

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What is CIS Control?

The CIS Critical Security Controls are a prioritized, prescriptive set of 18 best-practice safeguards maintained by the Center for Internet Security to help organizations defend against the most common attacks. The current release, v8.1, refines asset classes and safeguard descriptions and adds a “Govern” security function aligned to NIST CSF 2.0. CIS also provides Implementation Groups (IG1, IG2, IG3) to tailor adoption by resources and risk. IG1 is referred to as “essential cyber hygiene” and is the recommended starting point for every enterprise. IG2 builds on IG1 for greater complexity, while IG3 includes all Controls and Safeguards for organizations with heightened risk.

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Why CIS Controls are Essential for Cybersecurity

CIS Controls provide a practical and prioritized framework for minimizing risk, enhancing compliance, and accelerating response time when an incident occurs. These controls help organizations of all sizes to tackle common cyber threats and protect their data and systems.

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Here are some key reasons why CIS Controls are essential for all organizations:

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Reduces Risk

CIS Controls tackle common cyber threats and minimizes the chances of attacks. For example, using multi-factor authentication (MFA) as stated in CIS Control 6 significantly lowers the chances of unauthorized access.

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Improves Compliance

Many regulations, including GDPR and HIPAA, now refer to CIS Controls. Therefore, implementing CIS Controls helps businesses meet compliance standards and avoid legal issues.

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Enhances Incident Response

CIS Controls provide steps on how to detect, respond and recover from a security breach incident. This allows organizations to prevent attacks and also handle them effectively when they happen.

CIS Controls List

Here is a list of 18 CIS Controls. These were earlier known as SANS Critical Security Controls (SANS Top 20). Now they are officially called the CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls).

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1. Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets: Keep track of all your devices to ensure they are secure.
2. Inventory and Control of Software Assets: Manage all the software your company uses to avoid security risks.
3. Data Protection: Safeguard important data to prevent unauthorized access or breaches.
4. Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software: Set up devices and software securely to reduce risks.
5. Account Management: Control and monitor user accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
6. Access Control Management: Limit who can access sensitive systems and data.
7. Continuous Vulnerability Management: Regularly check for and fix security gaps.
8. Audit Log Management: Keep logs of activities to detect and investigate issues.
9. Email and Web Browser Protections: Secure email and web browsers to block threats.
10. Malware Defenses: Use antivirus tools to prevent harmful software from entering your systems.
11. Data Recovery: Ensure you can recover data in case of a cyberattack or failure.
12. Network Infrastructure Management: Manage network devices to keep systems safe and running smoothly.
13. Network Monitoring and Defense: Constantly monitor your network to detect and stop threats.
14. Security Awareness and Skills Training: Teach employees about cybersecurity to reduce human errors.
15. Service Provider Management: Make sure external vendors follow your security policies.
16. Application Software Security: Protect apps from vulnerabilities and cyberattacks.
17. Incident Response Management: Have a plan to handle security incidents quickly and effectively.
18. Penetration Testing: Regularly test your security by simulating attacks to find weaknesses.

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Five Critical Tenets of Effective Cyber Defense

Effective cyber defense is vital to safeguarding businesses from threats. Here are five critical principles that form the foundation of a strong cybersecurity strategy:

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1. ‍Inventory and control of hardware assets: Tacking all hardware ensures only authorized devices and persons have access to the network. 
2. ‍Continuous vulnerability assessment and remediation: Regular scans and patches will identify and fix security gaps. 
3. ‍Controlled use of administrative privileges: Limiting admin access to only a few authorized people will make sure users have only the necessary permissions. 
4. ‍Secure configuration for hardware and software on mobile devices: Mobile devices if properly configured will prevent vulnerabilities and protect data. 
5. ‍Data protection: Data encryption together with access control will protect data from breaches.

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How to Implement CIS Controls v8.1

A successful CIS Controls v8.1 implementation starts with clear governance, an updated asset inventory that reflects the new asset classes, and a plan that maps controls to NIST CSF 2.0 and other frameworks. Use the steps below as your CIS Controls v8.1 guide and working CIS v8.1 checklist.

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Step 1) Establish security governance

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• Stand up a security steering group with a defined charter.
• Assign control owners, asset owners, and a program RACI.
• Set policy baselines that reference CIS Controls v8.1.
• Define success metrics: coverage, mean time to detect, patch cadence, training completion.
• Document an exception process and a quarterly review cadence.

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Step 2) Update your asset inventory for the new asset classes

These are the types of assets to be accounted for when building or updating your inventory each, should include details like ownership, location, and business criticality.

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• Devices: endpoints, servers, mobiles, IoT. Use automated discovery and MDM/EDR exports.
• Software: applications, services, versions, licenses. Normalize names and map to CVEs.
• Data: systems of record, sensitivity, retention, and encryption status.
• Documentation: policies, diagrams, runbooks, vendor contracts. Store in a versioned repo.
• Users: employees, contractors, service accounts, privileges, and lifecycle status.
• Network: subnets, VLANs, cloud VPCs, ingress and egress points.

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Step 3) Assess and prioritize safeguards

• Run a gap assessment against each applicable CIS safeguard.
• Classified by Implementation Group (IG1, IG2, IG3) and business risk.
• Build a risk-based backlog that sequences high-impact, low-effort items first.
• Identify tooling overlaps to reduce cost and complexity.

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Step 4) Build the CIS v8.1 implementation plan

Once you’ve assessed your current security posture and prioritized controls, the next step is execution. This is where you begin building your CIS Controls v8.1 implementation plan, a structured roadmap to turn strategy into measurable action.

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• Define milestones, owners, budget, and dependencies for each control.
• Specify required tools and integrations, plus acceptance criteria.
• Include change management, communications, and training plans.
• Align timelines with audit or certification windows.

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Step 5) Execute, train, and harden

• Roll out controls in small, testable waves.
• Provide role-based training for admins and awareness training for all users.
• Update documentation and diagrams as you deploy.
• Track metrics weekly and remove roadblocks quickly.

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Step 6) Monitor and improve continuously

• Enable continuous control monitoring where possible.
• Review alerts, KPIs, and exceptions monthly.
• Reassess risk quarterly and re-prioritize your backlog.
• Run post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned.

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Step 7) Align CIS Controls with NIST CSF 2.0 and other frameworks

• Start with governance: map your program charter, policies, roles, and metrics to NIST CSF 2.0 “Govern” (GV).
• Create a crosswalk: link each CIS safeguard to CSF Functions and Categories
  
  • Examples: access control and identity safeguards to Protect (PR.AC, PR.AA), vulnerability management to Identify/Protect (ID.RA, PR.MA), logging and monitoring to Detect (DE.MON), incident response to Respond (RS.MA, RS.PO), backups and recovery testing to Recover (RC.RP).
• Extend to other frameworks: reuse the same crosswalk approach for ISO 27001, SOC 2, or NIST 800-53.
• Prove coverage: show percentage of CIS safeguards implemented and the corresponding CSF Categories satisfied.

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Implementation Groups (IG1, IG2, IG3): Tailoring CIS Controls to Your Organization

CIS Implementation Groups align the CIS Controls to your resources and risk profile. Use them to decide what to implement first and to drive CIS implementation prioritization by organization size.

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Which controls to prioritize by organization size

Small organizations (lean teams, limited budget) → implement CIS Controls IG1 first

Baseline safeguards to implement: inventory of devices and software, secure configuration, vulnerability scanning and patching, MFA for all users, least privilege, data backups, basic logging and alerting, anti-malware, awareness training.

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Outcome: fast risk reduction with low tooling overhead.

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Mid-size organizations (growing complexity) → implement IG1, then layer CIS IG2

Additions to implement: centralized logging, EDR coverage, configuration management with change control, secure network architecture and segmentation, email and web security controls, privileged access workflows, formal incident response and tabletop exercises, phishing simulations, continuous asset discovery.

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Outcome: broader coverage for distributed teams and hybrid cloud.

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Large or high-risk organizations (regulated or high target value) → implement IG1 + IG2, then advance to CIS IG3

Additions to implement: SIEM with correlation and UEBA, threat intelligence ingestion, threat hunting, application allowlisting, strong key management and secrets rotation, DLP, zero-trust segmentation, red teaming and purple teaming, third-party risk management, recovery testing at scale.

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Outcome: depth and resilience against sophisticated threats.

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How to implement progressively based on resources and risk

Phase 1: Implement the IG1 baseline

1. Classify critical business services and data.
2. Implement high-impact gaps first: MFA, patching SLAs, backups with restore tests, endpoint protection, minimum logging.
3. Measure coverage: percent of assets inventoried, MFA adoption, patch compliance, backup success.

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Phase 2: Implement IG2 where risk or complexity requires it

1. Use risk triggers to move up: increasing audit scope, sensitive data growth, new regulations, multi-cloud sprawl, M&A.
2. Centralize telemetry and response: EDR + SIEM, alert runbooks, on-call rotations, IR plan with RTO/RPO targets.
3. Strengthen hygiene: hardened configs as code, change approvals, network segmentation, privileged access workflows.

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Phase 3: Implement IG3 for advanced or regulated environments

1. Add proactive capabilities: threat intel mapping, threat hunting, adversary emulation, continuous control monitoring.
2. Protect data in motion and at rest with strong key management and periodic recovery drills.
3. Formalize third-party risk reviews and automate evidence collection for audits.

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Phase 4: Optimize and reassess quarterly

• Track KPIs per phase. Re-prioritize the backlog as risks and resources change.
• Retire redundant tools and document residual risk and exceptions.

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Common Challenges in Implementing CIS Controls

Common challenges in implementing CIS Controls include resource constraints, complexity of certain controls, and resistance to change from employees. However, by prioritizing controls, utilizing specialized tools, and effective training and communication helps organizations to overcome these challenges.  

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Here is a list of common challenges when implementing CIS Controls and how to overcome them.

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Resources Constraints

Smaller organizations may struggle to implement all controls due to limited resources at their disposal. These organizations can tackle this challenge by prioritizing critical controls based on risk and implementing them one after the other as resources become available.  

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Complexity

Some controls are complex and need specialized tools. For example, CIS Control 8 focuses on malware defenses. This would require advanced tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, which can be costly and difficult to manage.

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Resistance to Change

Employees may resist new security measures if they feel that these changes will affect their day-to-day work. This can be handled by communicating to them clearly the importance of cybersecurity and how CIS controls protect the organization.

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Best Practices for Effective Use of CIS Controls

Maximizing the effectiveness of CIS Controls involves automating necessary processes, asking for leadership support when needed, doing regular audits, and ensuring continuous employee training. These practices help organizations to update their cybersecurity protocols and stay protected against evolving threats.

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Automate where possible

Use automation tools so you can make implementation and monitoring easier. Automation reduces the workload on IT staff and ensures that controls are put in place across the organization.

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Engage Leadership

Ensure that the leadership team sees the importance of CIS controls and supports the effort to build cybersecurity. This support is key to building a security culture in the organization.

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Regular Audits

Regular audits are necessary to ensure compliance with CIS Controls and identify areas of improvement. Audits will ensure that controls are working properly and help you adjust to new threats.

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Continuous Training

Keep employees updated on the latest cybersecurity risks and how CIS Controls protect against them. Regular training will help them understand the importance of these controls and stay alert.

Use Cases of CIS Controls

Implementing the CIS Controls v8.1 effectively requires the right mix of tools and technologies. These solutions help organizations automate security processes, monitor risk, and validate control coverage across Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3).

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Common categories include vulnerability management platforms, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools, and Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs). Supporting technologies such as firewalls, anti-malware software, and security awareness training further strengthen an organization’s defense posture.

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Below is an overview of the tools aligned with key CIS Controls:

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Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets

• Asset Inventory and Discovery Tools: Automatically detect and track all hardware devices on the network to ensure that only authorized systems can connect. These tools maintain real-time visibility into endpoints, IoT devices, and cloud assets.
  
• Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs): Centralized repositories that record each asset’s configuration, ownership, and relationships. CMDBs help align IT operations with security teams for accurate inventory management and rapid incident response.
  
  

Continuous Vulnerability Management

• Vulnerability Scanners: Continuously scan servers, endpoints, and cloud environments to identify missing patches, misconfigurations, and exploitable weaknesses. These scanners rank vulnerabilities by severity so teams can prioritize remediation.
  
• Threat Intelligence Feeds: Deliver real-time information about emerging exploits and active attack campaigns. Integrating threat feeds with vulnerability management tools helps correlate internal findings with external threat data for faster response.
  
  

Audit Log Management

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: Collect, correlate, and analyze logs from endpoints, applications, and network devices to detect suspicious activity and trigger alerts.
  
• Log Management Tools: Store and analyze logs to support compliance, forensic investigations, and trend analysis. These tools ensure logs are protected from tampering and retained according to policy.
  
  

Email and Web Browser Protections

• Web and Email Security Gateways: Filter inbound and outbound traffic to block phishing attempts, malicious links, and attachments. They safeguard employees from common social-engineering attacks.
  
• Browser Security Extensions: Lightweight plug-ins that block malicious scripts, enforce safe browsing policies, and prevent unauthorized downloads or redirects.
  
  

Malware Defenses

• Antivirus and Anti-Malware Software: Detect, block, and remove known malware families across endpoints and servers. Regular updates ensure protection against evolving threats.
  
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Tools: Provide continuous endpoint monitoring, detect suspicious behavior, and enable rapid containment or remediation of advanced attacks.
  
  

Network Monitoring and Defense

• Firewalls: Enforce access control policies by filtering network traffic between trusted and untrusted zones. Next-generation firewalls also include intrusion prevention and application-layer inspection.
  
• Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS): Monitor network traffic for anomalies or known attack patterns, generating alerts or automatically blocking malicious activity in real time.
  
  

Application Software Security

• Static and Dynamic Application Security Testing (SAST/DAST) Tools: Identify vulnerabilities during development and runtime by scanning code and simulating attacks. These tools help shift security left in the software lifecycle.
  
• Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): Protect web applications from threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common web-based attacks.
  
  

Incident Response Management

• Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Platforms: Automate alert triage, playbook execution, and ticketing workflows to streamline incident handling.
  
• Incident Response Platforms: Centralize the management of the incident lifecycle from detection and investigation to containment, eradication, and recovery ensuring consistent and auditable response procedures.

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Future Trends in CIS Controls

The future of CIS Controls is being shaped by rapid shifts to cloud-native stacks, data-driven defense, and identity-centric architectures. Expect tighter guidance around cloud security CIS practices, pragmatic use of AI in cybersecurity, and prescriptive zero trust CIS controls that emphasize continuous verification and least privilege.

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Greater emphasis on cloud security (cloud security CIS)

• Harden multi-cloud by default: standardized baselines for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS; posture management; least-privilege identities for workloads and humans.
• Service-aware inventory: tag cloud assets (accounts, VPCs, serverless, containers) with owners and criticality.
• Immutable infrastructure: templates/policy-as-code to prevent drift and enforce CIS-aligned guardrails pre-deployment.
  

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Integration of AI and machine learning (AI in cybersecurity)

• Smarter detection: anomaly spotting across identities, endpoints, and networks; faster triage with AI-assisted investigations.
• Risk-aware prioritization: exploitability and business context drive patch and response queues.
• Secure-by-design AI: model, data, and prompt protections (access controls, logging, and red-teaming) mapped to applicable safeguards.

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Zero Trust architecture (zero trust CIS controls)

• Verify explicitly: continuous authentication/authorization for users, devices, and services.
• Minimize blast radius: microsegmentation, just-in-time access, and strong secrets/key management.
• Prove enforcement: policy-as-code plus telemetry to validate controls and feed continuous compliance.

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Case Studies or Real-World Examples of CIS Controls in Action

Looking for CIS Controls case studies you can point to? Here are two concise CIS implementation examples that double as CIS Controls success stories and demonstrate measurable cybersecurity compliance success.

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K-12 school district formalizes cybersecurity policies (Cityscape Schools, Texas)

Challenge: Limited resources, rapid shift to remote learning, and ad-hoc policies.

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Approach: Leveraged CIS SecureSuite® Membership and CIS-CAT Pro to baseline and harden configurations; introduced continuous vulnerability monitoring mapped to CIS Controls.

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Results:

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• 74% improvement in system security posture.
• Streamlined evidence for Texas cybersecurity requirements and audits.
• Stronger resilience through ongoing configuration and vulnerability management.

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Why it worked: Clear IG1-focused safeguards, automated configuration assessment, and a simple governance cadence turned policy into practice. This serves as an accessible CIS Controls success story for resource-constrained teams.

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Swiss financial institution reduces incidents and costs (via Mint Expert)

Challenge: Repeated security incidents and rising operational overhead.

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Approach: Implemented prioritized CIS Controls across identity, endpoint, and logging; added centralized monitoring and response workflows.

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Results:

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• Incident frequency fell from ~1/month to <1/3 months.
• 20% increase in client-perceived security.
• 15% reduction in overall IT costs through consolidation and process discipline.

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Why it worked: Risk-based rollout (IG1 to IG2), better telemetry, and playbooks that closed detection and response gaps. This is an example of cybersecurity compliance success with clear business impact.

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How Spendflo Can Help Setting Up CIS Controls

Breaches, vendor delays, and audit surprises drain time and budget. If your SaaS stack keeps ballooning while security reviews stall, you are carrying hidden risk and cost.

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Teams like Reveal Data used Spendflo to centralize procurement and unlock nearly $500,000 in value while speeding renewals, proving impact to finance and security alike.

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Tool sprawl and manual reviews are the next pain point. Spendflo pairs an AI-driven intake-to-procure platform with expert buyers and vendor-trust workflows, helping you cut spend, accelerate reviews, and maintain strong security controls.

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Ready to see it in action? Book a demo.

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Frequently Asked Questions on CIS Controls

What are CIS Controls?

CIS Controls are best practices created to help organizations protect themselves from cyber attacks. There are 18 controls covering areas like assets management, access control, and incident response. By implementing these controls, organizations can increase their security and minimize the risk of cyber attacks.

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What is the difference between CIS and NIST Controls?

CIS Controls are more detailed and offer specific steps organizations can take in order to improve cybersecurity. Whereas, NIST controls provide a framework for managing risk but are less specific in terms of particular steps or actions. CIS and NIST Controls are widely respected, and many organizations choose to implement a combination of both for a more comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

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How many controls are there in CIS?

There are 18 CIS Controls and each focuses on different areas of cybersecurity. They are designed to be implemented in a prioritized manner to be beneficial for all sizes of organizations. These controls cover areas like asset management, access control, and incident response to provide comprehensive protection against cyber threats.

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How do CIS Controls help with compliance?

CIS Controls are referenced in many established regulatory standards and frameworks, including NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), NIST SP 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, and others. These are international security standards for protecting IT systems and data from cyberattacks. They enable businesses to strengthen their cybersecurity and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

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Can small businesses implement CIS Controls?

CIS Controls are designed in such a way that small businesses too can implement them. They can start with Implementation Group 1 (IG1), which includes basic but essential cybersecurity practices suitable for organizations of any size. By starting with IG1, small businesses can build a solid foundation for their cybersecurity efforts and scale up as their needs grow.

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What is the latest version of CIS Controls?

The latest version of CIS Controls is version 8, which includes 18 critical security measures. They were developed based on actual incidents, expert feedback, and industry best practices. They are organized by function to help businesses of any size safeguard against threats, offering a practical and relevant approach to cybersecurity.