Misconfigured network infrastructure continues to be one of the biggest cybersecurity concerns for organizations everywhere. In one study, 82% of enterprises experienced security incidents due to cloud misconfigurations. Organizations clearly need a reliable way to lock down systems and prevent such vulnerabilities. This is where the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks come in. CIS Benchmarks are prescriptive configuration recommendations developed through a global consensus of IT security experts to help organizations protect their systems against threats.

In practice, they serve as a comprehensive set of best practices for securely configuring IT assets, from servers and operating systems to cloud platforms and network devices. Over 100 CIS Benchmarks have been published, spanning eight core technology categories and covering more than 25 vendor product families. These guidelines are available as free downloads and have become internationally recognized standards used by thousands of businesses to establish a secure configuration baseline.

Before we dive in, we’d like to know if you’re ready to improve your organization’s security posture with proven guidance. If yes, schedule a demo of the Saner Platform, a powerful suite of on-prem vulnerability management and CNAPP solutions, to see how it can simplify CIS Benchmarks adherence in your environment.

What Are CIS Benchmarks?

CIS Benchmarks are, for all intents and purposes, a set of security hardening guidelines. It contains detailed checklists of configuration settings that significantly reduce vulnerabilities. They are created by the nonprofit Center for Internet Security through a community-driven process. Cybersecurity professionals from industry, academia, and government contribute their expertise, and each recommendation is vetted by consensus. This collaborative development means CIS Benchmarks aren’t a single vendor’s opinion alone. They represent agreed-upon best practices from a broad range of experts. Each benchmark maps to the well-known CIS Critical Security Controls, and also aligns with many regulatory frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA to simplify compliance. In other words, implementing CIS Benchmarks not only helps defend against cyberattacks, they also help meet security standards and audit requirements.

Importantly, CIS Benchmarks cover a wide scope of technologies. There are benchmarks for operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS), cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), server applications (databases, web servers), network devices (routers, firewalls), desktop software (browsers, office suites), mobile devices (iOS, Android), and even multi-function printers and DevSecOps tools. This breadth enables organizations to apply a consistent, uniform security baseline across all parts of their IT environment.

Whether you’re securing a Linux server or an Azure cloud deployment, chances are a CIS Benchmark exists to guide you in configuring it securely. And while the Benchmarks are extremely detailed — often spanning hundreds of pages — they are easily accessible. PDFs are free for non-commercial use, and CIS offers tools and a community forum to support implementation.

Levels of CIS Benchmarks

One unique aspect of CIS Benchmarks is that they provide two levels of security settings to accommodate different needs:

• Level 1: Base-level security configurations that are recommended for all systems. These settings are designed to have minimal impact on functionality or performance. Level 1 recommendations cover important controls that harden a system without disrupting business operations, the low-hanging fruit of security. Organizations of any size or industry can adopt Level 1 settings as a baseline.
• Level 2: Defense-in-depth configurations for high-security or regulated environments. Level 2 goes further by applying stricter settings that may impact usability or require more planning to implement. These might include disabling non-essential services, enforcing stronger encryption, or other aggressive hardening steps. Not every environment will implement all Level 2 items, but they are vital for systems that handle sensitive data or face elevated threats. It’s recommended to carefully test Level 2 changes, since they can reduce functionality in exchange for greater security.

By offering two levels, CIS Benchmarks let organizations choose the depth of hardening that makes sense for each system. Many start with Level 1 to cover basics, then progress toward Level 2 for critical assets. Both levels help systematically reduce attack surfaces.

Why CIS Benchmarks Matter for Security and Compliance

CIS Benchmarks have become a de facto standard for system hardening because they deliver tangible security and compliance benefits. Below are some of the key advantages of adopting CIS Benchmarks:

• Reduced Attack Surface: Following CIS Benchmark recommendations helps eliminate common configuration weaknesses, making systems much harder to breach. Implementing these guidelines means reducing the attack surface and improving overall security posture. In effect, you’re proactively closing the doors that attackers commonly exploit.
• Proven Best Practices: Each CIS Benchmark is developed and reviewed by a broad community of experts, and updated to address new threats and technologies. The guidance is not theoretical as it’s based on configurations that have been tested and validated in real-world environments. Applying these best practices benefits organizations from the collective wisdom of the cybersecurity community, rather than reinventing the wheel.
• Simplified Compliance: Because CIS Benchmarks are globally recognized, they align with many regulatory and industry security requirements. Using the benchmarks provides a ready-made baseline for standards like NIST CSF, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. Auditors and assessors often view CIS Benchmark adherence as a strong sign of due diligence. In short, it’s easier to pass compliance audits when your systems follow an industry-accepted hardening standard.
• Consistent Security Across Environments: The Benchmarks cover a wide array of platforms — on-prem and cloud — which allows an organization to enforce consistent security policies everywhere. You can apply uniform settings on Windows, Linux, network gear, cloud accounts, and more, all aligned with CIS guidelines. This consistency helps avoid gaps where one system is left less secure than others.
• Time and Cost Savings: Adopting CIS Benchmarks can save security teams time by providing pre-defined configurations. Rather than developing hardening checklists from scratch, teams can leverage the CIS guides as an authoritative starting point. Many security tools also have built-in support for CIS Benchmark scans, speeding up assessment. In the long run, preventing breaches and service outages through proper configuration will save your organization the hefty costs associated with incidents.

Overall, using CIS Benchmarks brings structure and credibility to an organization’s cybersecurity program. These guidelines distinguish what administrators should do before attackers strike. A proactive approach that is far more effective than reacting after a configuration-related breach. It’s a fairly direct way to raise the security baseline for all your systems and demonstrate that your organization follows industry best practices.

Implementing CIS Benchmarks in Your Organization

Adopting CIS Benchmarks is highly achievable with a systematic approach. Below are steps and best practices to effectively implement the benchmarks in your environment:

1. Identify Relevant Benchmarks: Start by determining which CIS Benchmarks apply to your technology stack. Browse the CIS Benchmarks list and pick out those for the operating systems, cloud platforms, databases, etc. that your organization uses. For example, if you run Windows Server and AWS, you’d focus on the Windows Server Benchmark and the AWS Foundations Benchmark. Prioritize benchmarks for your most critical or exposed systems first.
2. Assess Current Configurations: Compare your systems’ existing settings against the CIS Benchmark recommendations. This can be done manually using the PDF checklists, or with automated scanning tools. The goal is to find gaps, like settings that are out of compliance. For instance, you might discover that password policies, network port configurations, or logging settings are weaker than CIS suggests. Document these findings to understand your baseline posture.
3. Plan and Implement Changes: Develop a remediation plan to bring configurations in line with the benchmark. It’s wise to address high-risk gaps first. For example, open management ports or default credentials should be fixed urgently. Implement the recommended settings on a test system or during maintenance windows to avoid disrupting operations. At Level 1, most changes should have little impact, but for stricter Level 2 settings, involve system owners and evaluate any business impact before rolling them out widely.
4. Test and Validate: After applying CIS settings, thoroughly test the systems. Make sure that services, applications, and dependencies still function as expected. For example, if you disabled a weaker protocol or tightened an access control, verify that legitimate processes aren’t broken. Validation is paramount. It confirms that security has improved without unintended side effects. If an important function is impaired by a change, you may decide to back off that particular recommendation or seek an alternative solution.
5. Monitor and Maintain: Treat CIS compliance as an ongoing effort. Attackers and software updates will continually introduce new risks, so monitoring is necessary to avoid configuration drift. Leverage automated compliance audit tools, or features in vulnerability management platforms, that continuously scan systems for adherence to CIS Benchmarks, alerting you to any settings that fall out of compliance. Regular audits help guarantee that new systems are hardened from day one and existing systems don’t slide back into insecure configurations. Also, stay updated with the latest CIS Benchmark versions because CIS regularly updates the guides to address emerging threats, so incorporate those updates into your environment over time.

By following these steps, organizations can methodically raise their security baseline. In practice, many teams integrate CIS Benchmark checks into their workflows. For example, including them in server build scripts or cloud deployment pipelines, so systems start in a compliant state. Automation is your friend here: using scripts or compliance tools to apply and verify settings can significantly reduce manual effort and human error. The end goal is continuous compliance, where your infrastructure remains aligned with CIS guidelines even as it evolves.

Staying Secure and Compliant

Aligning your configuration management with CIS Benchmarks is one of the most effective moves you can make to safeguard your digital assets. It provides a well-vetted, up-to-date blueprint for defending against attacks that exploit weak settings. To fully realize the benefits of CIS Benchmarks, organizations often turn to integrated solutions that can automate compliance checks and remediation. The Saner Platform is one such solution.

It’s a powerful on-prem vulnerability management and CNAPP suite that continuously audits systems against CIS Benchmarks and other standards, helping you maintain a hardened security posture at all times. By using Saner Platform, you can drastically reduce the manual workload of compliance audits and gain unified visibility into both misconfigurations and vulnerabilities across your hybrid environment. Take the next step in securing your infrastructure. Utilize expert guidance with modern automation. With CIS Benchmarks as your guide and the Saner Platform as your enabling tool, you can fortify your organization’s defenses and confidently meet compliance objectives. Schedule a free demo of the Saner Platform today to see how it streamlines CIS Benchmark implementation and protects your enterprise from configuration-related risks.