CIS® Hardened Images Now Available in AWS GovCloud (US)
March 7, 2018
East Greenbush, NY
CIS, an Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) Technology Partner Within the AWS Partner Network (APN), Delivers AMIs Configured to the Trusted CIS BenchmarksTM
CIS Hardened Images, which are types of Amazon Machine Image (AMI) offerings that are securely configured based on the CIS Benchmarks, are now available in the Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) Marketplace in AWS GovCloud (US). CIS Hardened Images have been available in the AWS Marketplace since 2015.
“A single operating system can have over 200 configuration settings, so hardening an image manually can be a tedious process, especially across multiple virtual machine environments,” said Brig. Gen. USAF (Ret.) Steve Spano, CIS President and COO. “To save time without compromising cybersecurity, AWS GovCloud (US) users should consider spinning up a CIS Hardened Image. In fact, frequent AWS users should start with the CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark, which helps an organization build a set of security policies and processes to protect data and assets in the AWS Cloud. We’re excited to now be available on AWS GovCloud (US), and CIS is proud to collaborate with AWS to soon provide secure configurations in all AWS regions.”
CIS Hardened Images are securely configured, or hardened, based on the CIS Benchmarks, a set of consensus-based recommendations developed by cybersecurity experts around the world. The CIS Benchmarks are an internationally recognized set of secure configuration standards used by over 1,500 businesses to improve their cybersecurity defenses.
CIS hardened AMIs are configured with the majority of the relevant CIS Benchmark recommendations. These hardened images include exception reports and CIS-CAT Pro reports showing conformance to applicable CIS Benchmarks. CIS Hardened Images are available for Linux, Microsoft® Windows Server, CentOS Linux, RHEL, and more.
“Security and compliance are principal factors for customers when considering moving workloads into the cloud. Organizations need trusted security configurations to reduce risk, and to save time and money,” said Troy Bertram, General Manager, Worldwide Public Sector Business Development, AWS. “CIS’ security hardened Amazon Machine Images streamline security configuration, and add value for customers who are looking to move workloads into the AWS GovCloud (US) Region with low-friction procurement.”
AWS GovCloud (US) is an AWS region designed to allow U.S. government agencies at the federal, state, and local level, along with contractors, educational institutions, and other U.S. customers, to host sensitive workloads in the cloud by addressing their specific regulatory and compliance requirements. Launching an image hardened according to the trusted security configuration baselines prescribed by CIS will strengthen security, reduce security costs, and help accelerate workload deployment time. CIS Hardened Images will help organizations start secure and stay secure.
About CIS
CIS® (Center for Internet Security, Inc.®) 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. Our CIS Controls™ and CIS Benchmarks™ are the global standard and recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data against the most pervasive attacks. These proven guidelines are continuously refined and verified by a volunteer, global community of experienced IT professionals. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), the go-to resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities. To learn more, visit CISecurity.org or follow us on Twitter: @CISecurity.