CIS Benchmark Assessment
CIS Controls and Benchmark assessment for servers, endpoints, and cloud workloads.
CIS Benchmark Assessment
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls version 8 and accompanying CIS Benchmarks provide the most actionable, prescriptive set of security controls and configuration baselines available for enterprise environments. The 18 CIS Controls — organised into three Implementation Groups (IG1, IG2, IG3) based on organisational resource and risk profile — offer a prioritised path from foundational cyber hygiene through to advanced security capabilities. CIS Benchmarks provide corresponding configuration standards for over 100 technology platforms including Windows, Linux, cloud services, browsers, and network devices.
Intelliroot's CIS Benchmark Assessment evaluates your organisation's adherence to the CIS Controls appropriate to your Implementation Group, conducts automated configuration compliance scanning against applicable CIS Benchmarks, identifies deviations and their associated risk, and provides a practical remediation roadmap. We also map CIS Controls to ISO 27001:2022, NIST CSF 2.0, and PCI DSS v4.0 — enabling organisations to use a single CIS assessment to demonstrate progress against multiple frameworks.
Why CIS Controls Drive Real Risk Reduction
IG1 Controls Stop the Majority of Attacks
Research consistently shows that implementing CIS IG1 — just 56 safeguards covering the most basic cyber hygiene — prevents the vast majority of commodity attacks. Many organisations suffering significant breaches have not implemented foundational controls that CIS IG1 mandates.
Benchmarks Provide Configuration Certainty
CIS Benchmarks translate security principles into specific, testable configuration settings for real technology platforms. Unlike high-level framework controls, Benchmarks eliminate ambiguity — you either have the setting configured correctly or you do not, enabling objective measurement and automated remediation.
Multi-Framework Mapping Maximises Investment
CIS Controls v8 mapping to ISO 27001, NIST CSF, HIPAA, and PCI DSS means that CIS compliance activities simultaneously advance multiple compliance programmes — allowing security investment to satisfy several regulatory obligations rather than running separate compliance workstreams.
Automated Compliance Enables Continuous Monitoring
CIS Benchmark compliance can be measured continuously using automated scanning tools — providing real-time visibility into configuration drift, new non-compliant systems, and the impact of changes. This transforms compliance from a periodic audit event into a continuous operational capability.
What the Assessment Covers
CIS Controls v8 Assessment
- Implementation Group determination (IG1/IG2/IG3)
- All 18 CIS Controls evaluation
- IG1 quick wins identification
- Safeguard implementation status per control
- Cross-mapping to ISO 27001, NIST CSF, PCI DSS
CIS Benchmark Configuration Scanning
- Windows Server and Workstation benchmarks
- Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, CentOS) benchmarks
- Cloud benchmarks (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Browser and application benchmarks
- Network device configuration compliance
Findings Analysis & Remediation
- Compliance score by benchmark and control domain
- Critical deviation identification and risk rating
- Automated remediation script development
- Compensating control assessment for exceptions
- False positive review and tuning
Continuous Compliance Programme
- Continuous compliance scanning tool deployment
- Baseline configuration standard development
- Configuration drift alerting and reporting
- Monthly compliance dashboard reporting
- Golden image and CI/CD security gate integration
Our Assessment Approach
Scoping & Implementation Group Determination
Assess organisational size, security team capability, and risk profile to determine the appropriate CIS Implementation Group. Identify all in-scope technology platforms, cloud accounts, and endpoint populations for benchmark scanning. Define compliance targets and acceptable exception process.
CIS Controls Assessment
Evaluate all 18 CIS Controls against current organisational practices through document review, interviews, and technical evidence collection. Produce a safeguard-level compliance assessment showing which safeguards are implemented, partially implemented, or not implemented.
Automated Benchmark Scanning
Deploy automated scanning tools to assess configuration compliance across all in-scope systems against applicable CIS Benchmarks. Collect scan results, review false positives, and produce compliance scores by system type, organisational unit, and control domain.
Remediation Planning & Automation Development
Prioritise remediation by risk level and implementation complexity. Develop automated remediation scripts (PowerShell, Ansible, Terraform) for high-volume, low-risk configuration items. Provide manual remediation guidance for complex settings requiring operational review before implementation.
Continuous Compliance Programme Setup
Configure continuous compliance scanning with scheduled assessment runs, drift detection alerting, and executive compliance dashboards. Integrate with your CI/CD pipeline to enforce CIS Benchmark compliance for new system builds — preventing non-compliant configurations from reaching production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deliverables
CIS Controls Compliance Report
Safeguard-by-safeguard compliance assessment across all applicable CIS Controls v8 Implementation Group safeguards with cross-mapping to ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and PCI DSS.
Benchmark Scan Results & Compliance Scores
Automated scan output for all in-scope systems with per-system and aggregate compliance scores, critical deviation identification, and false positive analysis.
Automated Remediation Scripts
Tested remediation scripts (PowerShell, Bash, Ansible) for high-volume configuration items, with rollback procedures and application compatibility notes.
Remediation Roadmap
Prioritised remediation plan with effort estimates, implementation sequencing, exception management process, and quick-win identification for immediate risk reduction.
Continuous Compliance Dashboard
Configured compliance monitoring dashboard with scheduled scanning, drift alerting, and executive reporting — enabling ongoing visibility into configuration compliance posture.
Request a Security Assessment
Tell us about your environment and security objectives. We'll design a bespoke assessment and deliver a detailed proposal within 48 hours.