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Control Institute
Category: Standards and Frameworks

Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks

Also known as: CIS Benchmarks, CIS Benchmarks, CIS Security Configuration Benchmarks
Simply put

CIS Benchmarks are a set of best-practice guides for securely configuring systems, software, networks, and cloud infrastructure. Developed by the Center for Internet Security through the input of cybersecurity professionals worldwide, they help organizations safeguard their technology against evolving cyber threats. They are internationally recognized and built through a consensus-based process.

Formal definition

CIS Benchmarks are consensus-driven security configuration baselines published by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) that provide prescriptive best-practice guidance for hardening IT systems, software, networks, and cloud infrastructure. Developed and accepted through collaboration among government, business, and industry practitioners, they are internationally recognized configuration standards intended to reduce a system's attack surface against evolving threats. As configuration baselines rather than a formal audit or certification framework, they are commonly referenced as supporting evidence within broader compliance efforts but do not themselves constitute an attestation or certification of an organization's security posture.

Why it matters

CIS Benchmarks matter because most security failures trace back not to exotic attacks but to misconfigured systems, default settings left unchanged, unnecessary services left running, or overly permissive access left in place. By providing prescriptive, consensus-driven configuration baselines for operating systems, software, networks, and cloud infrastructure, CIS Benchmarks give organizations a concrete starting point for hardening their environments and reducing their attack surface. Because they are internationally recognized and developed through collaboration among government, business, and industry practitioners, they carry credibility that in-house hardening guides often lack.

For compliance programs, CIS Benchmarks are valuable as supporting evidence rather than as a standalone credential. When an auditor examines whether systems are securely configured, for example, in evaluating controls under the SOC 2 Security (Common Criteria) category or controls selected via an ISO 27001 Statement of Applicability, documented alignment with a recognized benchmark can help demonstrate that configuration decisions follow established best practice. This can streamline evidence collection and give assessors a common frame of reference, though the specific weight given to benchmark alignment depends on the auditor, certification body, and defined scope.

It is important to keep expectations realistic. CIS Benchmarks are configuration baselines, not a formal audit or certification framework. Adhering to a benchmark does not constitute an attestation or certification of an organization's overall security posture, nor does it guarantee freedom from breaches. They address how individual systems are configured; they do not, on their own, cover the broader governance, risk assessment, and operational processes that frameworks such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001 require.

Who it's relevant to

Security Engineers and System Administrators
Those responsible for provisioning and maintaining systems use CIS Benchmarks as concrete hardening references, applying recommended configurations to operating systems, applications, networks, and cloud infrastructure to reduce attack surface and standardize secure builds across environments.
Compliance Managers and GRC Professionals
Teams preparing for a SOC 2 examination or ISO 27001 certification can reference CIS Benchmarks as supporting evidence that configuration controls follow recognized best practice. They should treat benchmark alignment as one input into a broader control set rather than as a certification in itself, and confirm how much weight a given auditor or certification body places on it for their defined scope.
Auditors and Assessors
SOC 2 examiners and ISO 27001 certification body assessors may encounter benchmark alignment as evidence when evaluating whether systems are securely configured, for example, in relation to the SOC 2 Security (Common Criteria) category or controls selected in an ISO 27001 Statement of Applicability. The evidentiary value of such alignment depends on the scope and criteria under review.
Cloud and DevOps Teams
Teams managing cloud infrastructure use CIS Benchmarks tailored to specific cloud platforms to establish secure baselines and detect configuration drift, frequently integrating benchmark checks into automated pipelines to maintain conformance as environments change.

Inside CIS Benchmarks

Configuration Benchmarks
Consensus-developed guidelines that provide recommended secure configuration settings for specific technologies, such as operating systems, cloud platforms, databases, network devices, and applications.
Recommendation Levels
Benchmarks typically organize recommendations into profile levels (for example, a baseline profile and a more stringent profile), allowing organizations to select settings appropriate to their risk tolerance and operational needs.
Rationale and Remediation Guidance
Each recommendation is generally accompanied by an explanation of its purpose, an assessment or audit procedure, and remediation steps to bring a system into the recommended state.
Technology-Specific Scope
Benchmarks are published per technology and version, so the applicable settings depend on the exact product and edition being hardened.
Supporting Role for Compliance Frameworks
CIS Benchmarks can serve as supporting evidence of secure configuration when demonstrating controls, but they are distinct from SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria and ISO/IEC 27001 requirements and are not themselves an audit or certification standard.

Common questions

Answers to the questions practitioners most commonly ask about CIS Benchmarks.

Are CIS Benchmarks a required part of SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
No. Neither SOC 2 nor ISO 27001 mandates the use of CIS Benchmarks. SOC 2 evaluates controls against the Trust Services Criteria (with Security, the Common Criteria, being the only required category), and ISO 27001 certifies an ISMS against clauses 4 through 10, with reference controls selected via a Statement of Applicability. CIS Benchmarks are one of several configuration hardening references an organization may voluntarily adopt to help demonstrate control effectiveness, but they are not a compliance requirement of either framework.
Does following CIS Benchmarks by itself achieve SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance?
No. CIS Benchmarks address secure configuration of specific technologies, which is only one aspect of a broader control environment. A SOC 2 report attests to controls across the applicable Trust Services Criteria over a defined period, and ISO 27001 certification covers a defined ISMS scope including governance, risk assessment, and management processes. Benchmarks can support certain technical controls but do not, on their own, satisfy the full set of requirements in either framework.
How can CIS Benchmarks be used as evidence in a SOC 2 examination?
In many engagements, organizations map hardened configurations to relevant Common Criteria controls and provide benchmark-aligned configuration standards, scan results, or exception logs as supporting evidence. For a Type II examination, which assesses operating effectiveness over a defined review period, this typically means demonstrating that the configurations were applied and maintained throughout that period, not just at a single point. Whether such evidence is sufficient depends on the auditor, the scope, and the criteria selected.
How do CIS Benchmarks relate to ISO 27001 Annex A controls?
CIS Benchmarks can inform how an organization implements certain Annex A reference controls related to secure configuration, but they are distinct: Annex A lists reference controls selected via the Statement of Applicability and informed by risk assessment, while CIS Benchmarks provide detailed technical configuration guidance for specific platforms. Do not treat benchmark adoption as equivalent to satisfying Annex A; the benchmarks may help evidence implementation of applicable controls, depending on scope.
How should deviations from a CIS Benchmark be handled during an audit?
Benchmarks often include configurations that are impractical or incompatible with certain environments, so documented exceptions are common. In most engagements, it is advisable to record each deviation, the business or technical justification, any compensating measures, and the associated risk decision. This documentation helps auditors and certification bodies understand that variances reflect deliberate, risk-based decisions rather than gaps, though acceptance depends on the assessor and the defined scope.
How can an organization keep CIS Benchmark implementations current for ongoing assessments?
CIS Benchmarks are periodically updated as technologies and threats evolve, so organizations typically establish a process to review and reconcile their configuration standards against current benchmark versions. For an ISO 27001 ISMS, this can be integrated into continual improvement and change management processes; for a SOC 2 Type II, maintaining consistent configurations across the review period is generally important. The specific cadence and approach vary by scope and internal policy.

Common misconceptions

Implementing CIS Benchmarks makes an organization SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliant.
CIS Benchmarks address technical configuration hardening and can support control evidence, but they do not, on their own, satisfy the Trust Services Criteria for a SOC 2 examination or the ISMS requirements in ISO/IEC 27001 clauses 4 through 10. Compliance depends on scope, applicable criteria, and the assessing auditor or certification body.
CIS Benchmark recommendations are mandatory controls that must all be applied.
Benchmarks are consensus-based guidance offered at differing profile levels. In most cases, organizations select applicable recommendations based on risk tolerance and operational needs rather than applying every setting universally.
A single CIS Benchmark applies broadly across an environment.
Benchmarks are technology- and version-specific, so the relevant settings differ depending on the exact product and edition, and multiple benchmarks are typically needed to cover a heterogeneous environment.

Best practices

Select the CIS Benchmark that matches the exact technology and version in use, and revisit selections as products are upgraded or replaced.
Choose the recommendation profile level based on documented risk tolerance and operational needs rather than applying settings indiscriminately.
Map applicable benchmark recommendations to relevant control objectives, such as SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria or ISO/IEC 27001 Annex A reference controls selected via the Statement of Applicability, while recognizing this mapping is partial.
Retain configuration and remediation evidence so that adherence to hardening settings can support control testing during a SOC 2 examination or ISO 27001 audit.
Document any deviations from benchmark recommendations along with the rationale, since not every setting will be appropriate for every environment.
Treat CIS Benchmarks as supporting configuration guidance rather than as a substitute for a SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certification, both of which cover only their defined scope.