Building a Zero Trust Foundation with CIS Hardened Images

The Problem: Transition to the Cloud with Emphasis on Zero Trust

A large government defense organization faced the challenge of transitioning from traditional IT infrastructure to a more modern, cloud-based environment capable of supporting critical missions. With the organization's shift toward a Zero Trust security model, it became essential to ensure the highest levels of baseline security and compliance. The organization needed an operating system solution that would meet rigorous security standards and enable the rapid deployment of new infrastructure and capabilities. Additionally, they required a product that could operate within the secure AWS GovCloud region to provide scalability for future growth.

The Solution: Pre-configured VMIs with Zero Trust Security Model

To address these challenges, the organization partnered with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to use CIS Hardened Images for Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2). These pre-configured, secure virtual machine images meet top security standards, providing a solid foundation for a Zero Trust security model in the cloud. Available in AWS GovCloud, the images enable automated security control assignments, with continuous monitoring through AWS Security Hub to ensure compliance with government security standards. This solution allowed the organization to quickly deploy cloud workloads while maintaining a secure, compliant infrastructure baseline.

The Impact: Agility in the Cloud with Robust Security

By adopting CIS Hardened Images for Amazon EC2, the organization successfully moved away from traditional IT systems and embraced a cloud infrastructure that enhanced both security and agility. The automation of onboarding processes and workflows reduced manual effort and sped up the deployment of new capabilities, allowing the team to focus on mission-critical tasks. Furthermore, the scalable nature of the solution allowed the organization to grow and adapt to evolving mission requirements, while enforcing robust Zero Trust controls that met stringent security standards. This collaboration ultimately empowered the organization to harness the power of emerging technologies while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance.