CIS Benchmarking

Modern businesses depend on Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms such as Microsoft 365, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Workspace to run efficiently.

However, without reliable security configurations, these platforms can expose businesses to cyber threats.

Our CIS benchmarking service helps you remain secure by evaluating your SaaS against industry standards, identifying vulnerabilities, and providing actionable solutions to enhance your cybersecurity posture.

What are CIS benchmarks?

CIS benchmarks are a set of industry-leading standards by The Centre for Internet Security (CIS) to assist businesses in securely configuring their IT systems.

These globally recognised best practices offer organisations clear, step-by-step guidance to defend their digital infrastructure against cyber threats.

Why choose Net-Defence for CIS benchmarking?

Our CIS benchmarking solutions provide a structured and effective approach to securing your SaaS platform.

The main advantages of using our service include:

Enhanced security

Adhering to CSI benchmarks not only protects your SaaS systems from vulnerabilities, but also enhances threat detection, reduces attack surfaces and ensures consistent security across all cloud environments, reinforcing your business’ overall cyber resilience.

Risk mitigation

A well-configured system is your first line of defence against cyber threats, significantly reducing the risk of attacks, protecting sensitive data, and ensuring business continuity.

We proactively identify and address security vulnerabilities in your SaaS systems to protect your businesses from cyber threats, data breaches and financial losses, giving you the peace of mind that your operations remain secure.

Regulatory compliance

Ensuring compliance with ISO 27001, GDPR, and NIST will help your business avoid costly penalties and reinforces your organisation’s commitment to strong security measures.

We can help you navigate and meet the security requirements of these frameworks, reducing the risk of fines, legal complications, and reputational damage.

Cost-effective security measures

Implementing CIS benchmarks enables you to identify and resolve vulnerabilities before they escalate into major threats that could disrupt your business.

We can help you address any security risks in your IT systems without unnecessary expenses or complex solutions, reducing the need for expensive reactive measures while maintaining a strong security posture.

Increased customer trust

Customers and partners are more likely to engage with businesses that prioritise security, knowing their information is protected against potential cyber threats.

Using our CIS Benchmarking service demonstrates to your commitment to cyber security and protecting sensitive data. This can enhance your reputation and build trust with clients and stakeholders.

Operational efficiency

A secure SaaS environment will ensure that your business operations run smoothly, allowing employees to work uninterrupted by security incidents or system failures.
By protecting your configurations, we can help your business reduce downtime, avoid disruptions, and improve the overall performance of its IT systems.

Our CIS benchmarking process

We make CIS benchmarking simple, clear, and actionable, ensuring your business can strengthen security without disruption.
Our process includes:

A security posture assessment

Our team will perform a thorough evaluation on your SaaS environment, comparing your current security settings. This assessment will cover access management, data encryption, network security, and vulnerability management to ensure that the system meets CIS benchmarks.

Detailed CIS benchmarking report

Following the assessment, we will create a detailed report outlining how your systems comply with CIS standards. This report provides a detailed breakdown of security gaps, categorising them by risk level to assist in prioritising remediation efforts.
Actionable security recommendations

Based on the report’s findings, we will provide you with clear recommendations for resolving any configuration issues. Our advice will be tailored to your specific SaaS platform.

Implementation support

Our cyber security specialists collaborate with your team to help implement the necessary changes. We ensure that your security enhancements are deployed efficiently and effectively by providing hands-on support, documentation, and guidance.

CIS Benchmarks for SaaS platforms

Our CIS benchmarking service covers a wide range of SaaS platforms, such as:

• Microsoft 365: Protecting email, file storage and other business-critical resources.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Securing network configurations, data storage and access controls.
• Google Workspace: Ensuring security measures are in place for user management and data sharing.
• Salesforce: Safeguarding customer data.
• Dropbox: Strengthening security around cloud file storage, access permissions and data encryption.
• Zoom: Preventing unauthorised access and data breaches.
• Slack: Securing team communications, data sharing and third-party integrations.
• ServiceNow: Protecting workflows and service management.
• Oracle Cloud: Enhancing security of enterprise cloud applications and database management systems,
• Adobe Creative Cloud: Ensuring creative tools are secure.
• Azure: Strengthening security configurations from virtual networks to identity management.
• SAP Cloud: Securing enterprise resource planning systems and business operations hosted in the cloud.

Who needs CIS benchmarking?

Our CIS benchmarking service is useful for companies that handle sensitive data or operate in regulated industries.

Organisations in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and IT can significantly strengthen their security by aligning their SaaS environments with CIS requirements. Given the sensitive nature of data in these industries, following these benchmarks helps minimise the risk of breaches while ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

However, implementing CIS benchmarking is strongly recommended for any business that relies on cloud-based services, regardless of the sector.

Why are CIS benchmarks widely accepted?

CIS benchmarks have gained worldwide acceptance for three key reasons:

Created by cyber security specialists

These standards are developed through collaboration among industry experts, security professionals, and technology providers.

This collective expertise ensures that the recommendations are both practical and effective for businesses.

Provide businesses with comprehensive guidance

CIS benchmarks offer a broad range of security configurations for a variety of SaaS technologies and software applications.

This comprehensive coverage ensures that businesses of all sizes across all industries can find specific guidance tailored to the technologies they use.

Flexibility

As technology and cyber threats evolve, so do CIS Benchmarks.

The guidelines are regularly updated to reflect emerging threats like ransomware, zero-day vulnerabilities, and new attack vectors.

This ensures that businesses always have access to the most up to date security advice, allowing them to stay one step ahead of potential risks.

Common security threats addressed by our CIS benchmarking solutions

This service helps us address the following cyber security issues:

Misconfigurations

Misconfigurations are one of the most common security gaps, often exposing critical data and making it easier for attackers to exploit weaknesses.

We ensure that your systems have the correct settings, reducing security vulnerabilities significantly and strengthening overall resilience against cyber threats.

Weak authentication settings

Poorly enforced password policies or the absence of multi-factor authentication can lead to unauthorised access, putting sensitive data at risk.

We strengthen authentication protocols to enforce stricter access controls, ensuring that only authorised users can access critical systems and information.

Insecure APIs and third-party integrations

APIs and third-party integrations can introduce vulnerabilities in your security framework.

We secure these connections by helping you enforce strong access controls to protect your data and maintain system integrity.

Lack of visibility into security settings

Many organisations struggle to maintain clear insight and control over their security configurations, resulting in unnoticed risks and gaps that cybercriminals may exploit.

We help businesses better understand their security settings, enabling proactive risk management and faster threat response.