What Are the CIS Controls for Effective Cyber Defense?
As cyber threats evolve and become increasingly sophisticated, organizations must remain proactive in safeguarding their data and systems.
One of the most effective frameworks available for managing cybersecurity risks is the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls. These controls provide organizations with a practical, prioritized set of actions designed to reduce cyber risks and improve their overall cybersecurity posture.
Why Are the CIS Controls Important?
The CIS Controls are a comprehensive set of best practices for securing IT systems and data against cyber threats. They are designed to address the most common attack vectors and vulnerabilities that organizations face today.
According to a report from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), cyberattacks are becoming more frequent, sophisticated, and damaging. With over 90% of cyberattacks originating from well-known tactics like phishing, malware, and ransomware, it is imperative for organizations to adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies.
The CIS Controls offer a clear, actionable approach to cybersecurity. By following this framework, organizations can ensure they are focusing their resources on the most critical aspects of defense, significantly reducing their exposure to emerging threats.
For businesses and organizations, this structured approach means faster and more effective response times to vulnerabilities and an overall stronger security posture.
Why Do the CIS Controls Work?
they are based on years of research and real-world Cybersecurity experiences. CIS Controls focus on the most common and impactful cybersecurity risks and provide prioritized steps for addressing them.
Developed by a community of cybersecurity experts, the CIS Controls are regularly updated to reflect the evolving threat landscape.
What sets the CIS Controls apart from other frameworks is their focus on actionable, results-driven strategies that organizations can implement regardless of their size or resources.
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, these controls provide a scalable approach to cybersecurity that adapts to your unique needs.
By focusing on a prioritized set of controls, organizations can make the most significant improvements in the shortest amount of time. The framework is designed to be flexible and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of an organization’s IT environment.
What Are the Five Critical Tenets of Effective Cyber Defense?
To fully understand why the CIS Controls are so effective, it’s important to first grasp the five critical tenets of effective cyber defense.
These tenets form the foundation of any strong cybersecurity program and are embedded in the CIS Controls themselves.
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Inventory and Control of Hardware Assets
Every organization needs to know what devices are on their network. Effective cyber defense begins with knowing what assets you are protecting.
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Inventory and Control of Software Assets
Similar to hardware, it’s vital to have a comprehensive inventory of the software applications used within an organization. By managing and securing software, businesses can ensure vulnerabilities are patched and reduce the risk of exploiting outdated or unapproved software.
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Continuous Vulnerability Management
Regular vulnerability scans and timely patching of software and hardware are essential in keeping systems secure. Vulnerabilities are discovered regularly, and it’s important for organizations to actively manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks before they are exploited.
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Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges
Administrative privileges provide users with extensive control over systems, so they must be tightly controlled and monitored. Restricting access to only those who need it is one of the best ways to minimize insider threats and unauthorized access.
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Secure Configuration for Hardware and Software
Setting systems up with secure configurations ensures that they are less likely to be compromised.
What Are the Critical Security Controls?
The CIS Critical Security Controls are a prioritized set of cybersecurity best practices, divided into three categories: Basic Controls, Foundational Controls, and Organizational Controls.
Control 01: Inventory and Control of Hardware Assets
Knowing your company’s assets, who controls them and the roles they play is the very first step. This includes establishing an updated and detailed list of all devices connected to your network, including assets that aren’t under your control, such as employees’ personal cell phones. Without this information, you can’t be sure if you have secured all possible attack surfaces.
Control 02: Inventory and Control of Software Assets
This step addresses threats from the array of software that modern companies use for business operations. Managing software installations helps ensure that only approved applications are running on your network, as unpatched software continues to be a primary vector for ransomware attacks.
Control 03: Data Protection
Sensitive and confidential data is one of the most valuable assets. Protecting your data by detailing processes and technical controls to identify, classify, securely handle, retain, and dispose of data is extremely important. Detecting data exfiltration can minimize the effects of data leaks.
Control 04: Secure Configuration for Hardware and Software Assets
This control details best practices to maintain secure configurations on hardware and software assets, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities. Even one configuration error can open up security risks and disrupt business operations.
Control 05: Account Management
Securely managing user, administrator, and service accounts is vital to preventing their exploitation by attackers. Unused accounts provide an avenue for attackers to target your network
Control 06: Access Control Management
This deals with controlling user privileges. Limit access to critical systems and data based on the user’s role. This ensures that sensitive information is only available to those who need it.
Control 07: Continuous Vulnerability Management
This control covers identifying, prioritizing, documenting, and remediating each security vulnerability in your network. It includes applying patches regularly to mitigate the risk of exploits. If businesses don’t proactively identify infrastructure vulnerabilities and take measures, they are likely to have their assets compromised.
Control 08: Audit Log Management
This involves controls related to storing, retaining, time synchronizing, and reviewing audit logs. Audit log management helps prevent attackers from hiding their location and activities.
Control 09: Email and Web Browser Protections
Ensuring that email and web browsers are properly secured helps prevent malware and phishing attacks. The primary technical controls for securing include blocking malicious URLs and file types.
Control 10: Malware Defenses
Businesses can protect their systems by using effective anti-malware tools and ensuring they are regularly updated to protect against emerging threats. This safeguards and controls the installation, execution, and spread of malicious software.
Control 11: Data Recovery
This describes five safeguards for ensuring your data is backed up in a protected and isolated location. Data recovery includes:
- Data recovery process
- Automated backups
- Protecting backup data
- Isolating backup data
- Testing data recovery protocols
Control 12: Network Infrastructure Management
Network infrastructure management requires businesses to actively manage all their network devices to mitigate the risks of attacks that are generally aimed at compromised network services.
Control 13: Network Monitoring and Defense
This control focuses on using processes and tools to monitor and defend against security threats across your network infrastructure and user base. Combining automated technology and a trained team can mitigate network threats and help protect against cybersecurity attacks.
Control 14: Security Awareness and Skills Training
This involves implementing a training program to improve cybersecurity awareness and skills among all your employees to prevent human error from becoming a vulnerability.
Control 15: Service Provider Management
This control deals with data, processes, and systems handled by third parties. It includes guidelines for creating an inventory of service providers, managing service providers, and securely dismissing service providers. While service providers can simplify your business operations, you can run into complications quickly if there is not a detailed process for ensuring that data managed by third parties is secure.
Control 16: Application Software Security
Managing the security lifecycle of your software is essential to detecting and rectifying security weaknesses. More sophisticated exploitation methods allow attackers to compromise your data without having to bypass network security controls and sensors.
Control 17: Incident Response Management
Have a clear plan in place for responding to security incidents. The quicker you can detect and mitigate threats, the less damage they can do. With a reliable incidence response plan, you can restore the integrity of the network and systems with minimum downtime.
Control 18: Penetration Testing
Regular penetration tests help identify weaknesses in your network and the strength of your defenses before attackers can exploit them.
How CyberShield CSC Can Improve Your Organization’s Cybersecurity
At CyberShield CSC, we understand the critical need for effective cybersecurity and compliance. Our team of experts is skilled in implementing CIS Controls and can guide your organization through the process of aligning with industry-leading cybersecurity standards.
By partnering with CyberShield CSC, we ensure that your organization adheres to best practices in cyber defense. From securing networks to ensuring compliance with industry regulations and implementing proxy servers, we provide a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services to protect your business from emerging threats.
Connect with us today.