Starting Secure in the Cloud with CIS Hardened Images
Previously aired on Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Cloud misconfigurations remain a leading cause of security incidents, even as organizations continue to accelerate the migration of critical workloads to public cloud platforms. In this presentation, which was part of the Cloud Security Track during the recent SANS Spring Cyber Solutions Fest, we’ll show how teams can reduce risk from the start by deploying CIS Hardened Images®, pre-configured virtual machine images built to the consensus-based recommendations of the CIS Benchmarks®.
By viewing this webinar recording, you'll learn:
- How CIS Hardened Images help organizations take ownership of their responsibilities within the cloud shared responsibility model
- How CIS Hardened Images and other cloud security resources from the Center for Internet Security® (CIS®) help organizations like yours to avoid insecure default configurations and support compliance-aligned security practices without slowing deployment
- Which practical guidance you can begin using today to incorporate CIS Hardened Images into your cloud environment along with security workflows for starting secure, scaling consistently, and reducing the operational burden of manual hardening
About Our Presenters
David Kalish
Cybersecurity Solutions Engineer
David Kalish is a seasoned Cybersecurity Solutions Engineer at the Center for Internet Security (CIS), bringing over 20 years of diverse experience in the tech industry. He holds multiple cloud certifications, including AWS Solutions Architect and SysOps Administrator, showcasing his expertise in cloud technologies. David's exceptional contributions have been recognized with multiple Team MVP awards at AWS re:Invent, across three different companies.
Nick Rust
Director of Distribution
Nick Rust is the Director of Distribution at the Center for Internet Security (CIS), where he works with hyperscalers, channel partners, and end users to support secure cloud adoption. He focuses on helping organizations deploy and operationalize CIS Hardened Images in the cloud, enabling customers to start secure and maintain a strong security posture across their environments.