For Security Engineers, IT Operations, and Practical Compliance Teams
Implement the prioritized defense set with structured assessment across all 18 controls and 153 safeguards — with Implementation Group-aware scoping and continuous evidence collection.
The Center for Internet Security publishes the CIS Critical Security Controls — a prioritized, prescriptive set of cybersecurity practices derived from real-world attack data. Version 8.1 organizes 153 safeguards into 18 controls and three Implementation Groups (IG1, IG2, IG3) scaled to organizational maturity and risk profile.
Unlike outcome-based frameworks, CIS Controls tell you specifically what to do: maintain an inventory of enterprise assets, restrict administrative privileges to dedicated accounts, configure web filtering, run automated software updates. The prescriptive style makes them an accessible entry point for security programs and a useful operational layer beneath broader frameworks like NIST CSF or ISO 27001.
“CIS Controls are the most actionable cybersecurity guidance available. Their prioritized order means an organization that implements only the first six controls already blocks the majority of common attack patterns.”
CIS programs typically start with strong adoption of the first few controls — asset inventory, software inventory, vulnerability management — then lose momentum as later controls require cross-team coordination. Network monitoring, incident response readiness, and security awareness training all need ownership across IT, security, and operations.
Without structured tracking, organizations lose visibility into which safeguards are actually implemented versus which are documented as 'in progress.' Reassessments expose drift: an asset inventory that hasn't been refreshed in months, MFA exceptions that were granted but never revoked, configuration baselines that no longer reflect deployed systems.
Thirdsentry maps your control environment to all 18 CIS Controls and 153 safeguards. The platform supports Implementation Group selection — IG1 for organizations with limited security resources, IG2 for those handling sensitive data, IG3 for mature programs facing targeted threats — and scopes assessments to the safeguards relevant at your IG level.
Assessments evaluate safeguard implementation status, identify gaps, and generate findings with remediation tasks. Evidence collected in the vault links to specific safeguards, providing a continuous record of implementation rather than a point-in-time snapshot.
For organizations using CIS as the operational layer beneath a higher-order framework, Thirdsentry maps CIS safeguards to NIST CSF subcategories and 800-53 controls. One implemented safeguard satisfies multiple framework requirements simultaneously — and the audit trail proves it.
Full CIS v8.1 catalog pre-mapped, ready to assess at your selected Implementation Group level.
Select IG1, IG2, or IG3 — assessments scope to safeguards relevant to your maturity and threat profile.
Findings ordered by CIS prioritization — the highest-impact safeguards rise to the top of the remediation queue.
CIS safeguards mapped to NIST CSF subcategories and 800-53 controls — one safeguard, multiple framework wins.
Evidence vault tracks asset and software inventory documentation supporting Controls 1 and 2.
Reassess safeguard implementation on a defined cadence — drift between assessments becomes visible.
IG1 is the basic cyber hygiene baseline — recommended for organizations with limited resources and lower risk profiles. IG2 adds safeguards for organizations handling sensitive enterprise data. IG3 is the comprehensive set for organizations facing sophisticated, targeted threats. Most mid-market organizations operate at IG2.
Yes — and most organizations do. CIS Controls work well as the prescriptive operational layer beneath outcome-based frameworks like SOC 2 or NIST CSF. Thirdsentry maps CIS safeguards to those frameworks so one implementation satisfies multiple compliance obligations.
CIS Controls are voluntary, but they're increasingly referenced in cyber insurance underwriting, state regulations, and contractual requirements. Many organizations adopt them as a prescriptive baseline because they translate framework outcomes into specific actions.
See how Thirdsentry automates CIS Controls v8.1 control mapping, evidence collection, and gap analysis — so your team focuses on risk decisions, not compliance overhead.