The Pocket Guide for Implementing the CIS Security Controls

For CISOs and cybersecurity practitioners, tackling a framework like the CIS controls can be an intimidating task. With 20 critical controls to track and no specific route to achieving compliance, things can quickly become confusing. To ease this stress, we have developed a pocket guide to help ease the process of implementing CIS controls for any-sized organization.

How to Implement the CIS Critical Controls

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) operates as a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the internet a better place for individuals, organizations, and governments. CIS controls serve as an international gold standard framework for mitigating companies from cyber threats and lead a global community of IT professionals that continuously work to evolve the CIS controls. CIS controls are based on risk management and share a lot of similarities with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. CIS also has its process called the CIS Risk Assessment Method (CIS RAM) that requires implementing implementation tiers to measure an organization’s scope and determine what controls need to be implemented. CIS currently has 20 critical controls to guide readers on where to start their CIS critical controls’ implementation journey. We will be examining the twenty related to NIST CSF functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

In today's evolving cybersecurity landscape, organizations need structured frameworks to establish robust security programs. The CIS Critical Security Controls provides precisely that—a prioritized set of actions that collectively form a defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity. This comprehensive guide explores all 20 CIS Controls and provides actionable implementation strategies for organizations of all sizes.

Understanding the CIS Critical Controls Framework

The CIS Critical Controls are a set of 20 security measures developed by cybersecurity experts worldwide. These controls are designed to mitigate the most prevalent cyber-attack vectors and provide a clear path toward a stronger security posture. Organizations implementing these controls can significantly reduce their cybersecurity risk.

The controls are organized into three implementation groups:

1. Basic (IG1): Essential cyber hygiene for all organizations
2. Foundational (IG2): Technical best practices for organizations with moderate complexity
3. Organizational (IG3): Advanced capabilities for organizations with significant resources and expertise

Now, let's explore each of the 20 CIS Controls and practical implementation approaches:

The 20 CIS Critical Controls and Implementation Guidelines

1. Inventory and Control of Hardware Assets

Control Overview: Actively manage all hardware devices on your network to ensure only authorized devices have access and unauthorized devices are identified and prevented from gaining access.

Implementation Steps:

• Implement an automated asset discovery tool to create and maintain a comprehensive inventory of all connected devices
• Use network access control (NAC) solutions to enforce authorization for devices connecting to your network
• Implement procedures for onboarding and offboarding hardware assets
• Regularly reconcile physical assets against your inventory database

Key Metrics: Percentage of assets covered by automated inventory, time to detect unauthorized devices

2. Inventory and Control of Software Assets

Control Overview: Actively manage all software on the network to ensure only authorized software is installed and can execute, while unauthorized and unmanaged software is found and prevented from installation or execution.

Implementation Steps:

• Create a software whitelist that defines authorized applications
• Implement application control technologies to enforce software restrictions
• Establish software installation policies
• Regularly scan systems for unauthorized software
• Maintain a software inventory database

Key Metrics: Percentage of systems with application whitelisting enabled, number of unauthorized software installations detected monthly

3. Continuous Vulnerability Management

Control Overview: Continuously acquire, assess, and take action on new information to identify vulnerabilities, remediate, and minimize the window of opportunity for attackers.

Implementation Steps:

• Deploy automated vulnerability scanning tools
• Establish regular vulnerability scanning schedules
• Prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk
• Implement a vulnerability remediation process with clear timeframes
• Track remediation metrics and trends

Key Metrics: Average time to remediate critical vulnerabilities, vulnerability remediation rate, scan coverage percentage

4. Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges

Control Overview: The processes and tools used to track/control/prevent/correct the use, assignment, and configuration of administrative privileges on computers, networks, and applications.

Implementation Steps:

• Inventory all administrative accounts
• Implement multi-factor authentication for all administrative access
• Use dedicated admin workstations for administrative tasks
• Create procedures for granting and revoking administrative privileges
• Enable detailed logging for administrative activities

Key Metrics: Percentage of admin accounts with MFA enabled, frequency of administrative privilege review, number of emergency privilege escalations

5. Secure Configuration for Hardware and Software

Control Overview: Establish, implement, and actively manage the security configuration of network infrastructure devices and servers using a rigorous configuration management and change control process.

Implementation Steps:

• Develop secure configuration standards for all system types
• Implement automated configuration management tools
• Maintain documented secure baseline configurations
• Regularly audit systems against baseline configurations
• Implement a formal change management process

Key Metrics: Percentage of systems complying with secure baselines, mean time to remediate configuration drift

6. Maintenance, Monitoring, and Analysis of Audit Logs

Control Overview: Collect, manage, and analyze audit logs of events that could help detect, understand, or recover from an attack.

Implementation Steps:

• Define which systems require logging and what events to log
• Deploy a centralized log management solution
• Implement automated log analysis tools
• Establish log retention policies
• Configure alerts for suspicious activities
• Regularly review logs for security events

Key Metrics: Log storage utilization, percentage of systems sending logs to central repository, mean time to detect security incidents from logs

7. Email and Web Browser Protections

Control Overview: Minimize the attack surface and the opportunities for attackers to manipulate human behavior through their interaction with web browsers and email systems.

Implementation Steps:

• Deploy DNS filtering services
• Implement URL filtering
• Configure browser security settings
• Deploy email spam filters and anti-phishing technologies
• Disable unnecessary browser plugins and email client features
• Train users on email and web security practices

Key Metrics: Percentage of blocked malicious emails, web filtering effectiveness rate, number of successful phishing attempts

8. Malware Defenses

Control Overview: Control the installation, spread, and execution of malicious code at multiple points in the enterprise, while optimizing the use of automation to enable rapid updating of defense, data gathering, and corrective action.

Implementation Steps:

• Deploy endpoint protection platforms across all systems
• Implement centralized management of anti-malware solutions
• Configure automated scanning of removable media
• Establish processes for malware incident response
• Deploy network-based anti-malware filtering

Key Metrics: Percentage of endpoints with updated anti-malware, malware detection rate, malware remediation time

9. Limitation and Control of Network Ports, Protocols, and Services

Control Overview: Manage the ongoing operational use of ports, protocols, and services on networked devices to minimize windows of vulnerability available to attackers.

Implementation Steps:

• Conduct port scans to establish a baseline of open ports
• Create and maintain a list of required ports for business operations
• Implement host-based firewalls on all systems
• Configure network devices to allow only necessary protocols
• Regularly audit for compliance with port/protocol policies

Key Metrics: Percentage of systems with unnecessary ports open, frequency of network port scans, number of unauthorized services detected

10. Data Recovery Capabilities

Control Overview: The processes and tools used to properly back up critical information with a proven methodology for timely recovery of it.

Implementation Steps:

• Implement automated backup solutions for all critical systems and data
• Establish backup schedules based on data criticality
• Test data recovery procedures regularly
• Store backups securely with offline/off-site copies
• Document recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs)

Key Metrics: Backup success rate, recovery testing success rate, actual recovery times versus RTOs

11. Secure Configuration for Network Devices

Control Overview: Establish, implement, and actively manage the security configuration of network infrastructure devices using a rigorous configuration management and change control process.

Implementation Steps:

• Document secure configurations for all network devices
• Implement automated configuration management for network infrastructure
• Disable unnecessary features and protocols on network devices
• Segment networks based on trust levels and functionality
• Regularly audit network device configurations

Key Metrics: Percentage of devices compliant with secure configurations, time to remediate configuration deviations, network segmentation effectiveness

12. Boundary Defense

Control Overview: Detect/prevent/correct the flow of information transferring across networks of different trust levels with a focus on security-damaging data.

Implementation Steps:

• Deploy firewalls at key network boundaries
• Implement intrusion detection/prevention systems
• Configure DMZs for external-facing services
• Deploy web application firewalls for public applications
• Filter outbound traffic to detect data exfiltration attempts
• Implement network monitoring solutions

Key Metrics: Number of unauthorized connection attempts blocked, intrusion detection effectiveness, mean time to detect boundary violations

13. Data Protection

Control Overview: The processes and tools used to prevent data exfiltration, mitigate the effects of exfiltrated data, and ensure the privacy and integrity of sensitive information.

Implementation Steps:

• Inventory and classify sensitive data
• Implement data loss prevention (DLP) solutions
• Deploy encryption for data at rest and in transit
• Establish data handling policies and procedures
• Implement access controls based on data classification
• Conduct regular data protection audits

Key Metrics: Percentage of sensitive data encrypted, number of DLP policy violations, data classification coverage

14. Controlled Access Based on the Need to Know

Control Overview: The processes and tools used to track/control/prevent/correct secure access to critical assets according to the formal determination of which persons, computers, and applications have a need and right to access these critical assets based on an approved classification.

Implementation Steps:

• Implement role-based access control
• Segment networks to limit access to sensitive resources
• Document data access requirements for roles
• Implement least privilege principles
• Regularly review and update access rights
• Deploy privileged access management solutions

Key Metrics: Frequency of access reviews, percentage of users with excessive privileges, time to revoke access for terminated employees

15. Wireless Access Control

Control Overview: The processes and tools used to track/control/prevent/correct the security use of wireless local area networks (WLANs), access points, and wireless client systems.

Implementation Steps:

• Inventory all wireless access points
• Implement strong encryption and authentication for wireless networks
• Segment wireless networks from sensitive internal networks
• Deploy wireless intrusion detection systems
• Establish guest wireless network controls
• Regularly scan for rogue access points

Key Metrics: Number of unauthorized access points detected, percentage of compliant wireless connections, wireless network encryption strength

16. Account Monitoring and Control

Control Overview: Actively manage the life cycle of system and application accounts – their creation, use, dormancy, deletion – to minimize opportunities for attackers to leverage them.

Implementation Steps:

• Inventory all user accounts across systems
• Implement automated account provisioning/deprovisioning
• Set up alerting for account anomalies
• Enforce password management policies
• Disable inactive accounts automatically
• Conduct regular account audits

Key Metrics: Number of dormant accounts, percentage of privileged accounts, account audit frequency

17. Implement a Security Awareness and Training Program

Control Overview: Implement a security awareness program to educate employees about cyber threats and their responsibilities to protect organizational data and systems.

Implementation Steps:

• Develop role-specific security training materials
• Implement required security training for all employees
• Conduct regular phishing simulations
• Track training completion and effectiveness
• Create security awareness communications
• Incorporate security responsibilities into job descriptions

Key Metrics: Training completion rates, phishing simulation success rates, security incident rates related to user behavior

18. Application Software Security

Control Overview: Manage the security lifecycle of all in-house developed and acquired software in order to prevent, detect, and correct security weaknesses.

Implementation Steps:

• Implement secure coding standards
• Integrate security testing into the development pipeline
• Conduct regular vulnerability assessments of applications
• Implement web application firewalls
• Maintain an inventory of all applications
• Establish a process for secure software acquisition

Key Metrics: Number of security bugs found in development versus production, vulnerability remediation rate, percentage of applications with security testing

19. Incident Response and Management

Control Overview: Protect the organization's information, as well as its reputation, by developing and implementing an incident response infrastructure for quickly discovering an attack and then effectively containing the damage, eradicating the attacker's presence, and restoring the integrity of the network and systems.

Implementation Steps:

• Develop an incident response plan
• Establish an incident response team with defined roles
• Implement incident detection and reporting mechanisms
• Create incident classification and prioritization procedures
• Conduct regular incident response drills
• Document lessons learned from incidents

Key Metrics: Mean time to detect incidents, mean time to respond, incident resolution time, lessons incorporated into security program

20. Penetration Tests and Red Team Exercises

Control Overview: Test the overall strength of an organization's defense by simulating the actions of an attacker and testing how well the organization's defenses can withstand various attacking techniques.

Implementation Steps:

• Establish a penetration testing program
• Conduct regular penetration tests of critical systems
• Perform red team exercises for critical infrastructure
• Document and track remediation of findings
• Incorporate results into security improvement initiatives
• Validate remediation effectiveness

Key Metrics: Number of critical findings, remediation rate of penetration test findings, time to remediate critical vulnerabilities

Implementation Challenges and Solutions

Implementing the CIS Controls comes with several common challenges:

Resource Constraints

Solution: Prioritize controls based on risk assessment and implement in phases, starting with IG1 controls that provide the highest security return on investment.

Technical Complexity

Solution: Leverage security automation tools to reduce manual effort and utilize managed security service providers for specialized expertise.

Organizational Resistance

Solution: Obtain executive sponsorship, demonstrate security ROI, and align security initiatives with business objectives.

Maintaining Compliance Over Time

Solution: Implement continuous monitoring solutions and integrate security processes into business-as-usual operations.

CyberSaint's Approach to CIS Controls Implementation

Organizations looking to streamline their CIS Controls implementation can benefit from integrated cybersecurity platforms like CyberSaint that offer:

• Automated assessment capabilities against the CIS Controls framework
• Real-time compliance monitoring and scoring
• Prioritized remediation recommendations based on risk
• Comprehensive reporting for stakeholders at all levels
• Integration with existing security tools to consolidate data
• Continuous monitoring of control effectiveness
• Benchmarking against industry peers and standards

By utilizing a platform specifically designed for managing cybersecurity frameworks like the CIS Controls, organizations can accelerate implementation, improve security posture visibility, and more effectively manage their cybersecurity program.

Measuring Implementation Success

Successful implementation of the CIS Controls should be measured through:

1. Risk Reduction: Quantifiable decrease in security incidents and their impact
2. Control Coverage: Percentage of systems covered by each control
3. Maturity Progression: Movement from basic to more advanced implementation groups
4. Operational Efficiency: Reduction in time spent on manual security tasks
5. Compliance Achievement: Alignment with regulatory requirements through CIS implementation

Conclusion

The CIS Critical Controls provide a prioritized, actionable roadmap for organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture. By implementing these controls systematically, organizations can significantly reduce their cyber risk exposure. Starting with the most critical controls and progressively implementing more advanced measures allows for a measured, effective approach to cybersecurity improvement.

For organizations seeking to efficiently implement and maintain the CIS Controls, cyber risk management platforms like CyberSaint provide the visibility, automation, and management capabilities needed to transform security frameworks from complex standards into operational reality, ultimately creating a more resilient security program that can adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

Remember that cybersecurity is a journey, not a destination. Continuous improvement, regular assessment, and adaptation are essential elements of a successful CIS Controls implementation strategy.

Gain insights on mapping the CIS Controls to NIST CSF here. 

Proving compliance with CIS is unique for each organization. Thankfully, it shares many commonalities with the NIST CSF and many other gold standard cybersecurity frameworks. If you have any questions about CIS, CIS Controls, or the NIST CSF, give us a call at 1-800-NIST-CSF or click here to learn more.