A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering CIS Controls; A Step-by-Step Guide to Enterprise Security Operations
A complete guide to implementing and operationalizing the CIS Controls framework in complex, global environments.
$199 one-time
24-hour access provisioning
30-day money-back guarantee
Hand-built implementation playbook
12 modules. 12 chapters per module. 144 chapters total.
12 modules, each with 12 chapters (144 chapters total), text-based, plus downloadable templates and a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Control deployment stuck in review cycles?
The situation this course is for
Even with strong policies, enterprise security teams face delays when rolling out controls across regions and functions. Misalignment on scope, timing, and ownership creates rework, last-minute changes, and weakened execution, especially under audit or regulator cycles.
Who this is for
Enterprise security leaders in global organizations responsible for translating standards into action across IT, operations, and compliance teams.
Who this is not for
Individual contributors focused only on checklist compliance, teams without cross-functional deployment responsibilities, or practitioners outside of security operations and control governance.
What you walk away with
- Own final approval on scope and timing for enterprise-wide control rollouts
- Lock down deployment timelines without last-minute stakeholder reversals
- Produce control implementation packages that pass cross-functional review the first time
- Establish clear handoff points between central security and regional operations
- Document execution playbooks that survive leadership transitions
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. The CIS Controls Framework and Its Role in Modern Security Operations
Understand the structure and priority of the CIS Controls, how they align with other standards like NIST CSF, and where they create leverage in enterprise deployment.
12 chapters in this module
- Overview of the 20 CIS Controls and their implementation groups
- How the framework supports risk-based prioritization in security
- Mapping CIS Controls to NIST CSF and ISO 27001 domains
- The role of implementation groups in phased rollout planning
- Prioritizing controls based on threat landscape and asset criticality
- How CIS Controls reduce audit findings compared to generic checklists
- Integration points with enterprise risk management processes
- Common gaps in early-stage CIS Controls adoption
- Benchmarking maturity against peer organizations
- The role of automation in accelerating control deployment
- How to avoid over-scoping in initial rollout phases
- Establishing ownership boundaries between security and IT teams
Module 2. Control 1: Inventory and Management of Enterprise Assets
Deploy complete asset discovery and classification as the foundation for all other controls, with clear handoffs to network and systems teams.
12 chapters in this module
- Automated discovery methods for hardware and software assets
- Classifying assets by criticality and business function
- Integrating CMDB data with asset inventory workflows
- Handling asset classification in hybrid cloud environments
- Establishing ownership for asset records and updates
- Mapping assets to business units and geographic locations
- Resolving discrepancies between discovery tools and manual records
- Using asset data to prioritize patching and monitoring
- Maintaining inventory accuracy across dynamic environments
- Documenting asset lifecycle processes for audit readiness
- Integrating asset data into change management workflows
- Reporting on asset coverage metrics to leadership
Module 3. Control 2: Inventory and Management of Software Assets
Implement software standardization and approval workflows that scale across global environments.
12 chapters in this module
- Software categorization by risk and business purpose
- Establishing approved software lists and whitelisting policies
- Automating software inventory using endpoint tools
- Handling exceptions for specialized engineering software
- Integrating software inventory with procurement systems
- Mapping software to vulnerability management processes
- Controlling software installation rights across user groups
- Enforcing software removal for unsupported versions
- Reporting on software compliance across regions
- Using software data to reduce licensing costs
- Documenting software standards for audit evidence
- Managing software inventory in virtual and containerized environments
Module 4. Control 3: Data Protection and Classification
Design and deploy enterprise-wide data classification and handling rules with clear enforcement mechanisms.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying critical data repositories across the organization
- Developing data classification levels and handling rules
- Implementing DLP policies aligned with classification tiers
- Tagging and labeling sensitive data across systems
- Integrating data classification with access controls
- Monitoring for unauthorized data movement
- Handling data in cloud storage and collaboration platforms
- Training users on data handling responsibilities
- Auditing data access and transfer behaviors
- Responding to data discovery findings
- Maintaining classification accuracy over time
- Reporting on data protection posture to leadership
Module 5. Control 4: Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets
Establish and enforce secure baselines for hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure.
12 chapters in this module
- Developing secure configuration baselines for operating systems
- Hardening standards for servers, workstations, and mobile devices
- Using CIS Benchmarks to align with control requirements
- Integrating configuration management with patch deployment
- Automating compliance checks using configuration tools
- Handling exceptions for legacy systems
- Enforcing secure configurations in cloud environments
- Monitoring for configuration drift in real time
- Reporting on compliance status across asset groups
- Integrating with change management to prevent drift
- Documenting secure baseline policies for audit
- Updating baselines in response to new threats
Module 6. Control 5: Account Management and Access Control
Implement centralized identity management and access review processes at scale.
12 chapters in this module
- Designing role-based access control structures
- Implementing automated provisioning and deprovisioning
- Conducting regular access reviews across systems
- Integrating IAM with HR and organizational changes
- Managing service accounts and shared credentials
- Enforcing multi-factor authentication policies
- Monitoring for privileged account misuse
- Handling access requests and approvals
- Auditing access changes for compliance
- Reporting on access control effectiveness
- Managing access in third-party and contractor environments
- Documenting access control policies for external review
Module 7. Control 6: Continuous Vulnerability Management
Operationalize scanning, prioritization, and remediation workflows across global teams.
12 chapters in this module
- Scheduling regular vulnerability scans across environments
- Prioritizing vulnerabilities by exploitability and asset criticality
- Integrating scan data with ticketing and remediation systems
- Assigning ownership for vulnerability remediation
- Tracking remediation progress across teams
- Validating fixes with follow-up scanning
- Handling exceptions for unpatchable systems
- Integrating with change management for deployment
- Reporting on vulnerability trends to leadership
- Reducing false positives in scanning results
- Automating remediation for high-severity findings
- Documenting vulnerability management for audit
Module 8. Control 7: Malware Defense and Endpoint Protection
Deploy and manage anti-malware solutions with centralized oversight and response integration.
12 chapters in this module
- Selecting endpoint protection platforms for enterprise use
- Configuring real-time scanning and behavior monitoring
- Managing signature and heuristic updates
- Integrating EDR with SIEM and incident response
- Handling false positives and user impact
- Enforcing protection policies across device types
- Monitoring for evasion techniques and persistence
- Responding to malware incidents using playbooks
- Conducting regular effectiveness testing
- Reporting on malware detection rates and trends
- Managing protection in remote and hybrid work environments
- Documenting malware defense for compliance
Module 9. Control 8: Network Defense and Segmentation
Design and enforce network segmentation and filtering rules to limit lateral movement.
12 chapters in this module
- Mapping network architecture and data flows
- Identifying critical network zones and boundaries
- Implementing firewall rules aligned with segmentation
- Using VLANs and microsegmentation for isolation
- Monitoring for unauthorized network connections
- Integrating network logs with SIEM systems
- Enforcing egress filtering and DNS controls
- Handling exceptions for business-critical traffic
- Auditing firewall rule changes for compliance
- Reporting on network defense posture
- Updating segmentation in response to new applications
- Documenting network architecture for external review
Module 10. Control 9: Logging and Monitoring
Establish centralized logging, correlation, and alerting at enterprise scale.
12 chapters in this module
- Identifying critical systems for log collection
- Configuring log forwarding and retention policies
- Integrating logs with SIEM and analytics platforms
- Developing detection rules for suspicious activity
- Prioritizing alerts based on severity and impact
- Automating alert triage and enrichment
- Conducting regular log review and analysis
- Integrating with incident response workflows
- Reporting on monitoring coverage and effectiveness
- Handling log volume and performance challenges
- Maintaining log integrity for audit purposes
- Documenting logging policies for compliance
Module 11. Control 10: Incident Response and Playbook Execution
Build and operationalize incident response playbooks with clear ownership and escalation paths.
12 chapters in this module
- Developing incident response playbooks for common scenarios
- Defining roles and responsibilities during incidents
- Establishing communication protocols for response teams
- Integrating with external partners and legal teams
- Conducting tabletop exercises and simulations
- Handling data preservation and evidence collection
- Managing public disclosure and customer notifications
- Reporting on incident metrics and trends
- Updating playbooks based on lessons learned
- Integrating with threat intelligence sources
- Documenting response procedures for audit
- Maintaining readiness across global time zones
Module 12. Enterprise Deployment and Cross-Team Coordination
Orchestrate control rollout across regions and functions with clear ownership and timelines.
12 chapters in this module
- Developing enterprise-wide rollout timelines
- Assigning ownership for control implementation
- Integrating with existing change management processes
- Managing dependencies between control deployments
- Conducting readiness assessments before rollout
- Handling regional variations in implementation
- Tracking progress across business units
- Reporting deployment status to leadership
- Managing stakeholder feedback and escalation
- Documenting deployment decisions for audit
- Sustaining controls through operational handover
- Optimizing processes for future cycles
How this maps to your situation
- Global enterprise security operations
- Cross-functional control deployment
- Audit and regulator readiness
- Leadership-level reporting on control effectiveness
Before vs. after
Before
Control deployment delayed by cross-team misalignment and repeated revisions.
After
Final approval on enterprise-wide control rollout with minimal rework and predictable timelines.
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: Approximately 6 hours of focused learning, designed to be consumed in short sessions over 2-3 weeks.
If nothing changes
Without a structured approach, control deployments remain reactive, inconsistent, and vulnerable to delay , reducing security effectiveness and increasing audit findings.
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike generic compliance courses, this program focuses on operational deployment , giving you ownership over rollout decisions, timelines, and cross-team coordination.
Frequently asked
How is this different from general cybersecurity training?
This course focuses specifically on implementing the CIS Controls in complex, global environments, with templates and playbooks for real-world deployment.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Is this relevant if we use other frameworks?
Yes , the CIS Controls integrate with NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, making it a practical layer on top of any existing framework.
$199 one-time. Approximately 6 hours of focused learning, designed to be consumed in short sessions over 2-3 weeks..
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.
30-day money-back guarantee·
144 chapters·
Hand-built playbook included·
Account access within 24 hours