Meeting cybersecurity compliance requirements can feel overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out and aren’t sure where to begin. The CIS Controls provide a practical starting point by helping you strengthen your security and address common risks. Although by themselves they don’t guarantee compliance with every regulation, they can help you build a stronger security foundation and put you on the path to full compliance with whatever regulations you are beholden to.
What are CIS controls?
The CIS critical security controls are a prioritized set of cybersecurity best practices developed by the Center for Internet Security (CIS). Their recommendations are broad, covering areas such as asset management, access control, vulnerability management, data protection, security monitoring, and incident response. However, unlike data security rules imposed by legislation (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), these best practices are voluntary.
But just because they are optional doesn’t mean you can safely ignore them. Every organization, especially small businesses, should follow the CIS Controls so that they can defend against common cyber threats through practical, actionable security measures.
Following the CIS Controls helps your business:
- Reduce vulnerabilities by identifying and addressing security weaknesses
- Protect sensitive information through stronger access controls and data safeguards
- Improve threat detection and incident response with consistent monitoring and security procedures
- Establish repeatable security practices instead of relying on ad hoc fixes
How they help with major cybersecurity compliance frameworks
The CIS Controls aren't a cybersecurity compliance framework themselves. Instead, they provide practical security measures that will help you achieve many of the basic requirements found in established regulations and frameworks. This broad approach works because many cybersecurity standards across the globe address similar risks, including:
- Unauthorized access,
- Data loss
- Unpatched vulnerabilities
- Inadequate incident response
Implementing relevant CIS Controls can help you address multiple regulations simultaneously and reduce the work needed to prepare for an audit.
The CIS Controls can also help you organize your security improvement efforts. If you’re looking at the data security regulation requirements for the first time, it can be easy to get lost in that wall of text, but the controls act like a map. Instead of trying to implement everything all at once, the CIS Controls show you how to prioritize and better document your efforts for smoother implementation.
An example: HIPAA
HIPAA's Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronic protected health information (ePHI). Several CIS Controls already support these efforts:
- Access control: Helps you restrict access to ePHI based on business needs and user permissions.
- Vulnerability management: Helps you identify and address weaknesses in systems that store or process sensitive health information.
- Audit logging and monitoring: Supports the detection and investigation of potentially unauthorized activity.
- Data recovery: Helps you prepare to restore information following incidents or system failures.
So if you implement these CIS Controls first, you’ll have a much more secure network and already be on the path to compliance with HIPAA.
Taking the first steps to full compliance
It’s important to remember that, while aligning your cybersecurity practices with the CIS Controls is a sensible first step toward reducing risk, CIS Controls alignment does not automatically establish compliance.
Different frameworks have specific requirements involving documentation, risk assessments, policies, contracts, and other organizational processes. Even if you fully align with the CIS Controls, you have to research which regulations apply to you and their unique requirements.
Working with a managed IT services provider (MSP) such as XBASE that specializes in compliance can help you identify the regulations that apply to your business, map security measures to specific requirements, prepare documentation, and address gaps before an assessment.
As an experienced, compliance-focused MSP, we can help you quickly implement CIS Controls and leverage them into a broader compliance strategy. Contact XBASE today to start building a stronger cybersecurity foundation and protect your business from both cyberattacks and costly audits.