CIS provides globally recognized best practices and cybersecurity tools for organizations of all sizes, featuring the CIS Critical Security Controls and Benchmarks.
CIS provides globally recognized best practices and cybersecurity tools for organizations of all sizes, featuring the CIS Critical Security Controls and Benchmarks.
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a forward-thinking, non-profit entity that harnesses the power of a global IT community to safeguard private and public organizations against cyber threats. CIS is best known for developing the CIS Critical Security Controls and CIS Benchmarks, which are internationally recognized as the industry standard for defensive best practices.
Headquartered in East Greenbush, New York, CIS has a storied history rooted in public service and collective defense. The organization grew out of a need for a centralized, neutral body that could provide clear, prioritized guidance in an increasingly complex threat landscape. Today, CIS serves a diverse global audience, ranging from small local businesses and non-profits to Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies.
CIS operates through several key divisions:
CIS Controls & Benchmarks: The core of the organization, providing the framework and configuration guidelines used by millions.
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC): Designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as the key resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments.
Elections Infrastructure ISAC (EI-ISAC): A specialized division focused on the integrity and security of election systems.
CIS Services: Including the CIS SecureSuite membership, which provides specialized tools (like CIS-CAT Pro) and resources for organizations to implement and manage their security posture effectively.
Through these initiatives, CIS bridges the gap between high-level security policy and technical implementation, providing the "how-to" for securing IT infrastructure.
Company Differentiation
CIS operates with a unique non-profit, community-driven business model that distinguishes it from commercial cybersecurity vendors. At its core, CIS is a mission-driven organization focused on making the connected world a safer place through collaboration. This "by the community, for the community" philosophy is best exemplified by their consensus-based process, where thousands of IT professionals and security experts worldwide volunteer their time to develop and refine security standards.
Unlike vendors driven by quarterly earnings, CIS measures success by the global adoption of its standards and the measurable reduction in cyber risk for its members. Their approach to customer success is rooted in accessibility; they provide a wealth of free resources to the public while offering enhanced tools and support through a low-cost membership model for organizations needing deeper implementation assistance. This altruistic foundation creates a level of trust and neutrality that is rare in the cybersecurity industry, positioning CIS as a benevolent authority rather than a typical software provider. Their culture is one of transparency and collective defense, operating on the principle that security is a shared responsibility that should be accessible to organizations of all sizes and budgets.
CIS SecureSuite Membership: The flagship offering. Includes CIS-CAT Pro, build kits for automated remediation, and the ability to customize benchmarks. Best for organizations managing their own infrastructure.
CIS Hardened Images: Cloud-ready VMs for AWS, Azure, GCP, and Oracle. Each image is pre-configured to meet CIS Level 1 or Level 2 Benchmarks. Best for DevOps teams and cloud-native startups.
CIS Services (MS-ISAC/EI-ISAC): Specialized memberships for US State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial governments, including 24/7 SOC monitoring and incident response.
CIS Services for Benchmarking: For software vendors (ISVs) who want to have their products officially 'CIS Benchmarked' to prove security to their customers.
Product Differentiation
The primary product differentiation for CIS lies in the authoritative nature and global recognition of the CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) and CIS Benchmarks. These are not merely suggestions but are considered the "gold standard" for prescriptive, prioritized, and actionable security guidance. While many security products focus on threat detection, CIS products focus on hygiene and hardening—the foundational elements of security.
Key technical advantages include:
- CIS Hardened Images: These are pre-configured virtual machine images hardened according to CIS Benchmarks, available across major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP). They allow organizations to deploy secure instances immediately without manual configuration.
- CIS-CAT Pro: A specialized configuration assessment tool that automates the process of comparing a system's settings against CIS Benchmarks, providing instant compliance reporting and remediation steps.
- Prioritization via Implementation Groups (IGs): Unlike many frameworks that overwhelm users with hundreds of requirements, CIS categorizes its controls into IGs based on an organization's size and risk profile, making security attainable for small businesses and enterprises alike.
The innovation at CIS is driven by its consensus-based development. By the time a benchmark or control is released, it has been vetted by a global community of practitioners, ensuring that the recommendations are technically sound, practical for real-world environments, and effective against current threat vectors.
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Secure Your IT Infrastructure with CIS Cybersecurity Standards
