CIS Critical Security Controls Navigator

Want to see how the CIS Critical Security Controls fit into your broader security program? Use our CIS Controls Navigator to explore how they map to other security standards.

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Implementation Groups

CIS Control 1 - Inventory and Control of Hardware Assets

8/8 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Utilize an active discovery tool to identify devices connected to the organization's network and update the hardware asset inventory.
IG2IG3

Utilize a passive discovery tool to identify devices connected to the organization's network and automatically update the organization's hardware asset inventory.
IG3

Use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) logging on all DHCP servers or IP address management tools to update the organization's hardware asset inventory.
IG2IG3

Maintain an accurate and up-to-date inventory of all technology assets with the potential to store or process information. This inventory shall include all hardware assets, whether connected to the organization's network or not.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that the hardware asset inventory records the network address, hardware address, machine name, data asset owner, and department for each asset and whether the hardware asset has been approved to connect to the network.
IG2IG3

Ensure that unauthorized assets are either removed from the network, quarantined or the inventory is updated in a timely manner.
IG1IG2IG3

Utilize port level access control, following 802.1x standards, to control which devices can authenticate to the network. The authentication system shall be tied into the hardware asset inventory data to ensure only authorized devices can connect to the network.
IG2IG3

Use client certificates to authenticate hardware assets connecting to the organization's trusted network.
IG3

CIS Control 2 - Inventory and Control of Software Assets

10/10 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain an up-to-date list of all authorized software that is required in the enterprise for any business purpose on any business system.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that only software applications or operating systems currently supported by the software's vendor are added to the organization's authorized software inventory. Unsupported software should be tagged as unsupported in the inventory system.
IG1IG2IG3

Utilize software inventory tools throughout the organization to automate the documentation of all software on business systems.
IG2IG3

The software inventory system should track the name, version, publisher, and install date for all software, including operating systems authorized by the organization.
IG2IG3

The software inventory system should be tied into the hardware asset inventory so all devices and associated software are tracked from a single location.
IG3

Ensure that unauthorized software is either removed or the inventory is updated in a timely manner
IG1IG2IG3

Utilize application whitelisting technology on all assets to ensure that only authorized software executes and all unauthorized software is blocked from executing on assets.
IG3

The organization's application whitelisting software must ensure that only authorized software libraries (such as *.dll, *.ocx, *.so, etc.) are allowed to load into a system process.
IG3

The organization's application whitelisting software must ensure that only authorized, digitally signed scripts (such as *.ps1, *.py, macros, etc.) are allowed to run on a system.
IG3

Physically or logically segregated systems should be used to isolate and run software that is required for business operations but incur higher risk for the organization.
IG3

CIS Control 3 - Continuous Vulnerability Management

7/7 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Utilize an up-to-date SCAP-compliant vulnerability scanning tool to automatically scan all systems on the network on a weekly or more frequent basis to identify all potential vulnerabilities on the organization's systems.
IG2IG3

Perform authenticated vulnerability scanning with agents running locally on each system or with remote scanners that are configured with elevated rights on the system being tested.
IG2IG3

Use a dedicated account for authenticated vulnerability scans, which should not be used for any other administrative activities and should be tied to specific machines at specific IP addresses.
IG2IG3

Deploy automated software update tools in order to ensure that the operating systems are running the most recent security updates provided by the software vendor.
IG1IG2IG3

Deploy automated software update tools in order to ensure that third-party software on all systems is running the most recent security updates provided by the software vendor.
IG1IG2IG3

Regularly compare the results from back-to-back vulnerability scans to verify that vulnerabilities have been remediated in a timely manner.
IG2IG3

Utilize a risk-rating process to prioritize the remediation of discovered vulnerabilities.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 4 - Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges

9/9 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Use automated tools to inventory all administrative accounts, including domain and local accounts, to ensure that only authorized individuals have elevated privileges.
IG2IG3

Before deploying any new asset, change all default passwords to have values consistent with administrative level accounts.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that all users with administrative account access use a dedicated or secondary account for elevated activities. This account should only be used for administrative activities and not internet browsing, email, or similar activities.
IG1IG2IG3

Where multi-factor authentication is not supported (such as local administrator, root, or service accounts), accounts will use passwords that are unique to that system.
IG2IG3

Use multi-factor authentication and encrypted channels for all administrative account access.
IG2IG3

Ensure administrators use a dedicated machine for all administrative tasks or tasks requiring administrative access. This machine will be segmented from the organization's primary network and not be allowed Internet access. This machine will not be used for reading e-mail, composing documents, or browsing the Internet.
IG3

Limit access to scripting tools (such as Microsoft PowerShell and Python) to only administrative or development users with the need to access those capabilities.
IG2IG3

Configure systems to issue a log entry and alert when an account is added to or removed from any group assigned administrative privileges.
IG2IG3

Configure systems to issue a log entry and alert on unsuccessful logins to an administrative account.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 5 - Secure Configuration for Hardware and Software on Mobile Devices, Laptops, Workstations and Servers

5/5 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain documented, standard security configuration standards for all authorized operating systems and software.
IG1IG2IG3

Maintain secure images or templates for all systems in the enterprise based on the organization's approved configuration standards. Any new system deployment or existing system that becomes compromised should be imaged using one of those images or templates.
IG2IG3

Store the master images and templates on securely configured servers, validated with integrity monitoring tools, to ensure that only authorized changes to the images are possible.
IG2IG3

Deploy system configuration management tools that will automatically enforce and redeploy configuration settings to systems at regularly scheduled intervals.
IG2IG3

Utilize a Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) compliant configuration monitoring system to verify all security configuration elements, catalog approved exceptions, and alert when unauthorized changes occur.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 6 - Maintenance, Monitoring and Analysis of Audit Logs

8/8 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Use at least three synchronized time sources from which all servers and network devices retrieve time information on a regular basis so that timestamps in logs are consistent.
IG2IG3

Ensure that local logging has been enabled on all systems and networking devices.
IG1IG2IG3

Enable system logging to include detailed information such as a event source, date, user, timestamp, source addresses, destination addresses, and other useful elements.
IG2IG3

Ensure that all systems that store logs have adequate storage space for the logs generated.
IG2IG3

Ensure that appropriate logs are being aggregated to a central log management system for analysis and review.
IG2IG3

Deploy Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) or log analytic tool for log correlation and analysis.
IG2IG3

On a regular basis, review logs to identify anomalies or abnormal events.
IG2IG3

On a regular basis, tune your SIEM system to better identify actionable events and decrease event noise.
IG3

CIS Control 7 - Email and Web Browser Protections

10/10 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Ensure that only fully supported web browsers and email clients are allowed to execute in the organization, ideally only using the latest version of the browsers and email clients provided by the vendor.
IG1IG2IG3

Uninstall or disable any unauthorized browser or email client plugins or add-on applications.
IG2IG3

Ensure that only authorized scripting languages are able to run in all web browsers and email clients.
IG2IG3

Enforce network-based URL filters that limit a system's ability to connect to websites not approved by the organization. This filtering shall be enforced for each of the organization's systems, whether they are physically at an organization's facilities or not.
IG2IG3

Subscribe to URL categorization services to ensure that they are up-to-date with the most recent website category definitions available. Uncategorized sites shall be blocked by default.
IG2IG3

Log all URL requests from each of the organization's systems, whether on-site or a mobile device, in order to identify potentially malicious activity and assist incident handlers with identifying potentially compromised systems.
IG2IG3

Use DNS filtering services to help block access to known malicious domains.
IG1IG2IG3

To lower the chance of spoofed or modified emails from valid domains, implement Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) policy and verification, starting by implementing the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and the Domain Keys Identified Mail(DKIM) standards.
IG2IG3

Block all e-mail attachments entering the organization's email gateway if the file types are unnecessary for the organization's business.
IG2IG3

Use sandboxing to analyze and block inbound email attachments with malicious behavior.
IG3

CIS Control 8 - Malware Defenses

8/8 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Utilize centrally managed anti-malware software to continuously monitor and defend each of the organization's workstations and servers.
IG2IG3

Ensure that the organization's anti-malware software updates its scanning engine and signature database on a regular basis.
IG1IG2IG3

Enable anti-exploitation features such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) or Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) that are available in an operating system or deploy appropriate toolkits that can be configured to apply protection to a broader set of applications and executables.
IG2IG3

Configure devices so that they automatically conduct an anti-malware scan of removable media when inserted or connected.
IG1IG2IG3

Configure devices to not auto-run content from removable media.
IG1IG2IG3

Send all malware detection events to enterprise anti-malware administration tools and event log servers for analysis and alerting.
IG2IG3

Enable Domain Name System (DNS) query logging to detect hostname lookups for known malicious domains.
IG2IG3

Enable command-line audit logging for command shells, such as Microsoft PowerShell and Bash.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 9 - Limitation and Control of Network Ports, Protocols, and Services

5/5 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Associate active ports, services and protocols to the hardware assets in the asset inventory.
IG2IG3

Ensure that only network ports, protocols, and services listening on a system with validated business needs are running on each system.
IG2IG3

Perform automated port scans on a regular basis against all systems and alert if unauthorized ports are detected on a system.
IG2IG3

Apply host-based firewalls or port filtering tools on end systems, with a default-deny rule that drops all traffic except those services and ports that are explicitly allowed.
IG1IG2IG3

Place application firewalls in front of any critical servers to verify and validate the traffic going to the server. Any unauthorized traffic should be blocked and logged.
IG3

CIS Control 10 - Data Recovery Capabilities

5/5 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Ensure that all system data is automatically backed up on a regular basis.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that all of the organization's key systems are backed up as a complete system, through processes such as imaging, to enable the quick recovery of an entire system.
IG1IG2IG3

Test data integrity on backup media on a regular basis by performing a data restoration process to ensure that the backup is properly working.
IG2IG3

Ensure that backups are properly protected via physical security or encryption when they are stored, as well as when they are moved across the network. This includes remote backups and cloud services.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that all backups have at least one backup destination that is not continuously addressable through operating system calls.
IG1IG2IG3

CIS Control 11 - Secure Configuration for Network Devices, such as Firewalls, Routers and Switches

7/7 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain standard, documented security configuration standards for all authorized network devices.
IG2IG3

All configuration rules that allow traffic to flow through network devices should be documented in a configuration management system with a specific business reason for each rule, a specific individual’s name responsible for that business need, and an expected duration of the need.
IG2IG3

Compare all network device configuration against approved security configurations defined for each network device in use and alert when any deviations are discovered.
IG2IG3

Install the latest stable version of any security-related updates on all network devices.
IG1IG2IG3

Manage all network devices using multi-factor authentication and encrypted sessions.
IG2IG3

Ensure network engineers use a dedicated machine for all administrative tasks or tasks requiring elevated access. This machine shall be segmented from the organization's primary network and not be allowed Internet access. This machine shall not be used for reading e-mail, composing documents, or surfing the Internet.
IG2IG3

Manage the network infrastructure across network connections that are separated from the business use of that network, relying on separate VLANs or, preferably, on entirely different physical connectivity for management sessions for network devices.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 12 - Boundary Defense

12/12 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all of the organization's network boundaries.
IG1IG2IG3

Perform regular scans from outside each trusted network boundary to detect any unauthorized connections which are accessible across the boundary.
IG2IG3

Deny communications with known malicious or unused Internet IP addresses and limit access only to trusted and necessary IP address ranges at each of the organization's network boundaries,.
IG2IG3

Deny communication over unauthorized TCP or UDP ports or application traffic to ensure that only authorized protocols are allowed to cross the network boundary in or out of the network at each of the organization's network boundaries.
IG1IG2IG3

Configure monitoring systems to record network packets passing through the boundary at each of the organization's network boundaries.
IG2IG3

Deploy network-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) sensors to look for unusual attack mechanisms and detect compromise of these systems at each of the organization's network boundaries.
IG2IG3

Deploy network-based Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to block malicious network traffic at each of the organization's network boundaries.
IG3

Enable the collection of NetFlow and logging data on all network boundary devices.
IG2IG3

Ensure that all network traffic to or from the Internet passes through an authenticated application layer proxy that is configured to filter unauthorized connections.
IG3

Decrypt all encrypted network traffic at the boundary proxy prior to analyzing the content. However, the organization may use whitelists of allowed sites that can be accessed through the proxy without decrypting the traffic.
IG3

Require all remote login access to the organization's network to encrypt data in transit and use multi-factor authentication.
IG2IG3

Scan all enterprise devices remotely logging into the organization's network prior to accessing the network to ensure that each of the organization's security policies has been enforced in the same manner as local network devices.
IG3

CIS Control 13 - Data Protection

9/9 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain an inventory of all sensitive information stored, processed, or transmitted by the organization's technology systems, including those located on-site or at a remote service provider.
IG1IG2IG3

Remove sensitive data or systems not regularly accessed by the organization from the network. These systems shall only be used as stand alone systems (disconnected from the network) by the business unit needing to occasionally use the system or completely virtualized and powered off until needed.
IG1IG2IG3

Deploy an automated tool on network perimeters that monitors for unauthorized transfer of sensitive information and blocks such transfers while alerting information security professionals.
IG3

Only allow access to authorized cloud storage or email providers.
IG2IG3

Monitor all traffic leaving the organization and detect any unauthorized use of encryption.
IG3

Utilize approved whole disk encryption software to encrypt the hard drive of all mobile devices.
IG1IG2IG3

If USB storage devices are required, enterprise software should be used that can configure systems to allow the use of specific devices. An inventory of such devices should be maintained.
IG2IG3

Configure systems not to write data to external removable media, if there is no business need for supporting such devices.
IG3

If USB storage devices are required, all data stored on such devices must be encrypted while at rest.
IG3

CIS Control 14 - Controlled Access Based on the Need to Know

9/9 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Segment the network based on the label or classification level of the information stored on the servers, locate all sensitive information on separated Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs).
IG2IG3

Enable firewall filtering between VLANs to ensure that only authorized systems are able to communicate with other systems necessary to fulfill their specific responsibilities.
IG2IG3

Disable all workstation to workstation communication to limit an attacker's ability to move laterally and compromise neighboring systems, through technologies such as Private VLANs or micro segmentation.
IG2IG3

Encrypt all sensitive information in transit.
IG2IG3

Utilize an active discovery tool to identify all sensitive information stored, processed, or transmitted by the organization's technology systems, including those located on-site or at a remote service provider, and update the organization's sensitive information inventory.
IG3

Protect all information stored on systems with file system, network share, claims, application, or database specific access control lists. These controls will enforce the principle that only authorized individuals should have access to the information based on their need to access the information as a part of their responsibilities.
IG1IG2IG3

Use an automated tool, such as host-based Data Loss Prevention, to enforce access controls to data even when data is copied off a system.
IG3

Encrypt all sensitive information at rest using a tool that requires a secondary authentication mechanism not integrated into the operating system, in order to access the information.
IG3

Enforce detailed audit logging for access to sensitive data or changes to sensitive data (utilizing tools such as File Integrity Monitoring or Security Information and Event Monitoring).
IG3

CIS Control 15 - Wireless Access Control

10/10 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain an inventory of authorized wireless access points connected to the wired network.
IG2IG3

Configure network vulnerability scanning tools to detect and alert on unauthorized wireless access points connected to the wired network.
IG2IG3

Use a wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) to detect and alert on unauthorized wireless access points connected to the network.
IG2IG3

Disable wireless access on devices that do not have a business purpose for wireless access.
IG3

Configure wireless access on client machines that do have an essential wireless business purpose, to allow access only to authorized wireless networks and to restrict access to other wireless networks.
IG3

Disable peer-to-peer (ad hoc) wireless network capabilities on wireless clients.
IG2IG3

Leverage the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt wireless data in transit.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that wireless networks use authentication protocols such as Extensible Authentication Protocol-Transport Layer Security (EAP/TLS), which requires mutual, multi-factor authentication.
IG3

Disable wireless peripheral access of devices (such as Bluetooth and NFC), unless such access is required for a business purpose.
IG2IG3

Create a separate wireless network for personal or untrusted devices. Enterprise access from this network should be treated as untrusted and filtered and audited accordingly.
IG1IG2IG3

CIS Control 16 - Account Monitoring and Control

13/13 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Maintain an inventory of each of the organization's authentication systems, including those located on-site or at a remote service provider.
IG2IG3

Configure access for all accounts through as few centralized points of authentication as possible, including network, security, and cloud systems.
IG2IG3

Require multi-factor authentication for all user accounts, on all systems, whether managed on-site or by a third-party provider.
IG2IG3

Encrypt or hash with a salt all authentication credentials when stored.
IG2IG3

Ensure that all account usernames and authentication credentials are transmitted across networks using encrypted channels.
IG2IG3

Maintain an inventory of all accounts organized by authentication system.
IG2IG3

Establish and follow an automated process for revoking system access by disabling accounts immediately upon termination or change of responsibilities of an employee or contractor . Disabling these accounts, instead of deleting accounts, allows preservation of audit trails.
IG2IG3

Disable any account that cannot be associated with a business process or business owner.
IG1IG2IG3

Automatically disable dormant accounts after a set period of inactivity.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that all accounts have an expiration date that is monitored and enforced.
IG2IG3

Automatically lock workstation sessions after a standard period of inactivity.
IG1IG2IG3

Monitor attempts to access deactivated accounts through audit logging.
IG2IG3

Alert when users deviate from normal login behavior, such as time-of-day, workstation location and duration.
IG3

CIS Control 17 - Implement a Security Awareness and Training Program

9/9 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Perform a skills gap analysis to understand the skills and behaviors workforce members are not adhering to, using this information to build a baseline education roadmap.
IG2IG3

Deliver training to address the skills gap identified to positively impact workforce members' security behavior.
IG2IG3

Create a security awareness program for all workforce members to complete on a regular basis to ensure they understand and exhibit the necessary behaviors and skills to help ensure the security of the organization. The organization's security awareness program should be communicated in a continuous and engaging manner.
IG1IG2IG3

Ensure that the organization's security awareness program is updated frequently (at least annually) to address new technologies, threats, standards and business requirements.
IG2IG3

Train workforce members on the importance of enabling and utilizing secure authentication.
IG1IG2IG3

Train the workforce on how to identify different forms of social engineering attacks, such as phishing, phone scams and impersonation calls.
IG1IG2IG3

Train workforce on how to identify and properly store, transfer, archive and destroy sensitive information.
IG1IG2IG3

Train workforce members to be aware of causes for unintentional data exposures, such as losing their mobile devices or emailing the wrong person due to autocomplete in email.
IG1IG2IG3

Train employees to be able to identify the most common indicators of an incident and be able to report such an incident.
IG1IG2IG3

CIS Control 18 - Application Software Security

11/11 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Establish secure coding practices appropriate to the programming language and development environment being used.
IG2IG3

For in-house developed software, ensure that explicit error checking is performed and documented for all input, including for size, data type, and acceptable ranges or formats.
IG2IG3

Verify that the version of all software acquired from outside your organization is still supported by the developer or appropriately hardened based on developer security recommendations.
IG2IG3

Only use up-to-date and trusted third-party components for the software developed by the organization.
IG3

Use only standardized and extensively reviewed encryption algorithms.
IG2IG3

Ensure that all software development personnel receive training in writing secure code for their specific development environment and responsibilities.
IG2IG3

Apply static and dynamic analysis tools to verify that secure coding practices are being adhered to for internally developed software.
IG2IG3

Establish a process to accept and address reports of software vulnerabilities, including providing a means for external entities to contact your security group.
IG2IG3

Maintain separate environments for production and non-production systems. Developers should not have unmonitored access to production environments.
IG2IG3

Protect web applications by deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) that inspect all traffic flowing to the web application for common web application attacks. For applications that are not web-based, specific application firewalls should be deployed if such tools are available for the given application type. If the traffic is encrypted, the device should either sit behind the encryption or be capable of decrypting the traffic prior to analysis. If neither option is appropriate, a host-based web application firewall should be deployed.
IG2IG3

For applications that rely on a database, use standard hardening configuration templates. All systems that are part of critical business processes should also be tested.
IG2IG3

CIS Control 19 - Incident Response and Management

8/8 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Ensure that there are written incident response plans that define roles of personnel as well as phases of incident handling/management.
IG1IG2IG3

Assign job titles and duties for handling computer and network incidents to specific individuals and ensure tracking and documentation throughout the incident through resolution.
IG2IG3

Designate management personnel, as well as backups, who will support the incident handling process by acting in key decision-making roles.
IG1IG2IG3

Devise organization-wide standards for the time required for system administrators and other workforce members to report anomalous events to the incident handling team, the mechanisms for such reporting, and the kind of information that should be included in the incident notification.
IG2IG3

Assemble and maintain information on third-party contact information to be used to report a security incident, such as Law Enforcement, relevant government departments, vendors, and ISAC partners.
IG1IG2IG3

Publish information for all workforce members, regarding reporting computer anomalies and incidents to the incident handling team. Such information should be included in routine employee awareness activities.
IG1IG2IG3

Plan and conduct routine incident, response exercises and scenarios for the workforce involved in the incident response to maintain awareness and comfort in responding to real world threats. Exercises should test communication channels, decision making, and incident responders technical capabilities using tools and data available to them.
IG2IG3

Create incident scoring and prioritization schema based on known or potential impact to your organization. Utilize score to define frequency of status updates and escalation procedures.
IG3

CIS Control 20 - Penetration Tests and Red Team Exercises

8/8 Safeguards
Hide Unselected
Establish a program for penetration tests that includes a full scope of blended attacks, such as wireless, client-based, and web application attacks.
IG2IG3

Conduct regular external and internal penetration tests to identify vulnerabilities and attack vectors that can be used to exploit enterprise systems successfully.
IG2IG3

Perform periodic Red Team exercises to test organizational readiness to identify and stop attacks or to respond quickly and effectively.
IG3

Include tests for the presence of unprotected system information and artifacts that would be useful to attackers, including network diagrams, configuration files, older penetration test reports, e-mails or documents containing passwords or other information critical to system operation.
IG2IG3

Create a test bed that mimics a production environment for specific penetration tests and Red Team attacks against elements that are not typically tested in production, such as attacks against supervisory control and data acquisition and other control systems.
IG2IG3

Use vulnerability scanning and penetration testing tools in concert. The results of vulnerability scanning assessments should be used as a starting point to guide and focus penetration testing efforts.
IG2IG3

Wherever possible, ensure that Red Team results are documented using open, machine-readable standards (e.g., SCAP). Devise a scoring method for determining the results of Red Team exercises so that results can be compared over time.
IG3

Any user or system accounts used to perform penetration testing should be controlled and monitored to make sure they are only being used for legitimate purposes, and are removed or restored to normal function after testing is over.
IG2IG3

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