Guest blog courtesy of CYRISMA.
A poorly configured operating system can leave your organization vulnerable to a wide range of intrusions and cyber attacks, including malware infections, unauthorized access, and data breaches. By regularly assessing systems for weak configurations and adhering to best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of these threats.
Insecure configurations can range from weak password policies and default settings to misconfigured firewalls and open network shares. Because it’s so common for IT environments to be targeted due to misconfigurations, secure configuration assessment is a top cybersecurity control today.
But how do you determine how secure your system settings are? Most organizations do this by creating or using secure baseline standards that they measure their existing posture against. Today, the most popular baseline standards used for this assessment are the CIS Benchmarks.
The CIS Benchmarks
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks are a set of security best practices and configuration guidelines for various technologies, including operating systems. These benchmarks are developed by cybersecurity experts and industry professionals through a rigorous consensus-based process.
The primary purpose of CIS Benchmarks is to provide organizations with a standardized approach to securing their IT systems. By following these guidelines, organizations can strengthen their security posture and reduce the likelihood of successful attacks.
CIS Benchmarks cover a wide range of technologies, including Operating Systems (Windows, Linux distros, macOS), Network Devices (Routers, Switches, Firewalls), Server Software, Cloud Platforms, Mobile Devices, Desktop Software, Multi-Function Printers (MFPs), DevOps Tools (Docker, Kubernetes) and more.
It’s important to note that the specific benchmarks and their versions are constantly evolving. To get the most accurate and up-to-date information, you should refer to the CIS website directly.
Early Years and the Birth of CIS Benchmarks
The history of CIS Benchmarks is rooted in the Center for Internet Security (CIS) – a non-profit organization dedicated to improving cybersecurity practices. CIS was incorporated in 2000 with the mission of creating a more secure internet.
Early on, the Center recognized the need for standardized security configurations to protect critical infrastructure and systems. This led to the development of the first CIS Benchmark in 2000 itself (Solaris OS). Early benchmarks were focused on operating systems and network devices, and provided a baseline for securing systems and reducing vulnerabilities.
Growth and Expansion
As the threat landscape evolved, so did the scope of CIS Benchmarks. The organization expanded its efforts to cover a wider range of technologies, including cloud platforms, databases, and mobile devices. This expansion was driven by the increasing reliance on these technologies and the growing number of cyber threats targeting them.
Collaboration and Community Involvement
CIS Benchmarks are developed through a collaborative process involving cybersecurity experts, industry professionals, and government agencies. This consensus-based approach ensures that the benchmarks reflect the latest best practices and address the most pressing security challenges.
Today, CIS Benchmarks are widely recognized as the industry standard for secure configuration. They are used by organizations of all sizes to protect their systems and data from cyber threats.
Leveraging CIS Benchmarks to Assess System Security
Here’s how to effectively use the CIS Benchmarks to assess the security of your clients’ operating systems:
- Identify Relevant Benchmarks: Determine the specific CIS Benchmarks that apply to your operating systems, such as CIS Benchmarks for Windows 10, Linux, or macOS.
- Perform Security Assessments: Use automated tools or manual processes to assess your systems’ configuration against the benchmark guidelines.
- Identify Security Gaps: Compare your current configuration to the benchmark recommendations and identify any misconfigurations or missing security controls.
- Prioritize Remediation: Prioritize the remediation of identified security gaps based on their potential impact and risk.
- Implement Security Controls: Implement the necessary security controls to address the identified vulnerabilities.
- Monitor and Reassess: Continuously monitor your systems for changes and reassess their security posture regularly.
A Granular Approach to System Security
CIS Benchmarks are renowned for their granular and detailed approach to system security. They provide specific recommendations for configuring various system components, enabling administrators to fine-tune their systems to a high security standard.
Detailed Recommendations:
- CIS Benchmarks delve into the intricacies of system configurations, offering specific guidelines for each setting.
- They specify exact values, permissions, and configurations required to achieve a secure state.
- For example, a benchmark might detail the exact firewall rules to implement, the specific user account permissions to grant, or the precise registry settings to modify.
Layered Security:
- CIS Benchmarks often provide recommendations at different security levels, allowing organizations to tailor their security posture to their specific needs.
- This layered approach enables organizations to implement a baseline level of security and then gradually enhance it as required.
Clear Rationale:
- Each recommendation is accompanied by a clear rationale, explaining the security implications of the setting and why it is important to configure it in a specific way.
- This helps administrators understand the underlying security principles and make informed decisions.
Practical Guidance:
- CIS Benchmarks provide practical guidance on how to implement the recommended configurations.
- They often include step-by-step instructions, scripts, or tools to automate the process.
Continuous Improvement:
- The Benchmarks are regularly updated to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
- This ensures that organizations can stay ahead of the latest security challenges and maintain a high level of security.
Benefits of Granular Configuration
By following the detailed recommendations in CIS Benchmarks, organizations can:
- Reduce their Attack Surface: Minimize the number of potential entry points for attackers.
- Enhance System Resilience: Make systems more resistant to attacks and breaches.
- Improve Incident Response: Quickly identify and respond to security incidents.
- Comply with Regulations: Meet regulatory requirements, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.
- Protect Sensitive Data: Safeguard critical information from unauthorized access.
CIS Benchmarks provide a powerful tool for organizations to achieve granular control over their system configurations. By following the detailed recommendations and leveraging the layered approach, organizations can significantly enhance their security posture and prevent breaches.
How CYRISMA can help
The CYRISMA Platform enables service providers and organizations to run secure configuration scans on Windows, Linux and macOS operating systems. The Platform uses the CIS Benchmarks to compare the configuration settings of your instance against what’s specified in the Benchmark, automating a critical part of your configuration hardening process.
Other CYRISMA features include vulnerability and patch management, detailed compliance assessments and reporting, data scanning, AI-readiness assessment, dark web monitoring, cyber risk quantification, risk mitigation, overall cyber risk assessments and more.
What’s more, EVERYTHING is included in CYRISMA’s very reasonable standard pricing (we also price match!)
