CIS Hardening In The Cloud: What You Need To Know
Introduction
Cloud computing presents organizations with the opportunity to improve scalability, cost-efficiency, and reliability. But it also introduces security risks that need to be addressed. One way to help mitigate these risks is by following established best practices outlined in the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Hardening Benchmarks. In this article, we discuss what CIS hardening is, why it’s important, and how to deploy it in the cloud.
What Is CIS Hardening?
CIS hardening is the process of establishing an organization’s IT infrastructure according to a pre-defined set of security standards and best practices. These standards are laid out by the Center for Internet Security (CIS), which has created over 20 benchmarks that cover a variety of operating systems, applications, and devices. The benchmarks are regularly updated to ensure they align with best practices for IT security.
Why Is CIS Hardening Important?
CIS hardening helps organizations protect their cloud-based infrastructure from potential cyber threats. Because the cloud is a shared resource, it’s important to have safeguards in place that help minimize the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. CIS hardening can also help reduce compliance risks by ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to protect an organization’s sensitive data and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
How To Deploy CIS Hardening In The Cloud
Deploying CIS benchmarks in the cloud involves establishing baseline configurations for each cloud-based resource. This includes setting up firewalls, creating roles and permissions, configuring access control measures, applying security patches and updates, and implementing other security features as needed.
Organizations should also conduct periodic reviews of their cloud-based resources to ensure they remain compliant with established best practices. Additionally, they should establish processes for identifying and responding to potential security threats in a timely manner.
In summary, CIS hardening is an important part of maintaining a secure cloud-based infrastructure. By following the best practices outlined in the CIS benchmarks, organizations can help protect themselves from potential cyber threats and reduce compliance risks. Organizations should take steps to deploy these standards in the cloud and monitor them on an ongoing basis to ensure that their systems remain secure.
By implementing CIS hardening in the cloud, organizations can ensure their infrastructure is set up and maintained securely – helping to protect their sensitive data from unauthorized access and cyber threats. This can help them maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as reduce the risk of costly security breaches.
Ultimately, following established best practices outlined in the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Hardening Benchmarks is essential for maintaining a secure cloud-based environment. By taking steps to deploy these standards, organizations can better protect themselves from potential cyber threats and comply with relevant laws and regulations. Taking the time to understand what CIS hardening is and how it can be implemented in the cloud will go a long way in helping organizations maintain a secure environment.
