A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering CIS Controls for Business Development Specialists
Build defensible, source-backed security narratives that hold up in technical review cycles
$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.
Losing credibility in cross-functional security reviews due to shallow rationale
The situation this course is for
Business development leaders are increasingly expected to defend security commitments during vendor due diligence, but often lack structured, source-grounded responses when technical teams push back. This leads to delayed approvals, weakened positioning, and reliance on over-simplified checklists that don’t reflect real-world tradeoffs.
Who this is for
Business development or growth strategy professionals who engage in technical diligence cycles and need to justify security posture decisions with depth and precision
Who this is not for
Individuals focused solely on internal IT operations or hands-on cybersecurity implementation without a business-facing role
What you walk away with
- Reference NIST CSF and SOC 2 alignment for each CIS Control with confidence
- Deploy a documented rationale library for common control exceptions
- Walk stakeholders through decision trees used by Fortune 500 security teams
- Leverage pre-built control justification templates for vendor assessments
- Respond to technical pushback using annotated examples from regulated industries
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Introduction to CIS Controls in Business Context
Understand how the CIS Controls bridge technical security and business development in vendor due diligence cycles.
12 chapters in this module
- Origins of the CIS Controls
- Role in vendor assessments
- Mapping to NIST CSF
- Integration with SOC 2
- Control prioritization logic
- Benchmarking adoption rates
- Common misconceptions
- Control vs. sub-control
- Documentation standards
- Industry-specific adaptations
- Audit readiness path
- Vendor negotiation leverage
Module 2. Control 1 Inventory and Asset Management
Master the business implications of hardware and software asset tracking in due diligence reviews.
12 chapters in this module
- Hardware inventory standards
- Software inventory methods
- Cloud asset discovery
- Orphaned account risks
- License compliance linkage
- Third-party SaaS tracking
- Asset tagging policies
- Decommissioning workflows
- Patch status transparency
- Vendor self-reporting gaps
- Control exception rationale
- Due diligence red flags
Module 3. Control 2 Secure Configuration Management
Translate secure configuration baselines into defensible business decisions during technical review.
12 chapters in this module
- Hardening benchmarks
- OS configuration standards
- Server vs. workstation
- Cloud configuration drift
- Change control process
- Golden image use
- Compliance verification
- Remediation timelines
- Deviation acceptance
- Audit trail requirements
- Vendor configuration reviews
- Configuration debt cost
Module 4. Control 3 Continuous Vulnerability Management
Articulate a repeatable vulnerability response framework that reassures technical stakeholders.
12 chapters in this module
- Scanning frequency norms
- Critical vulnerability thresholds
- Patch deployment windows
- Third-party dependency risks
- Zero-day response protocols
- Vulnerability scoring systems
- False positive handling
- Remediation tracking
- Risk acceptance workflows
- Escalation paths
- Vendor vulnerability reporting
- Public disclosure readiness
Module 5. Control 4 Controlled Use of Administrative Privileges
Explain least privilege and admin access controls with real-world implementation examples.
12 chapters in this module
- Privileged account types
- Just-in-time access
- Break-glass procedures
- Session monitoring
- Password vaulting
- Multi-factor enforcement
- Admin role review
- Emergency access logs
- Vendor admin access
- Privileged user training
- Access revocation
- Blast radius reduction
Module 6. Control 5 Secure Authentication
Defend multi-factor and identity management decisions with documented tradeoffs and precedents.
12 chapters in this module
- MFA enforcement policies
- Phishing-resistant methods
- SSO integration
- Passwordless transition
- Identity provider trust
- Biometric use cases
- Recovery workflows
- Session timeout rules
- FIDO2 adoption
- Legacy system challenges
- User experience balance
- Vendor authentication reviews
Module 7. Control 6 Audit Log Management
Justify logging scope and retention with regulatory and forensic readiness context.
12 chapters in this module
- Critical log sources
- Centralized logging
- Retention requirements
- Log integrity protection
- Search and retrieval
- SIEM integration
- Third-party access logs
- Anomaly detection
- Log review frequency
- Chain of custody
- Vendor log access
- Incident investigation
Module 8. Control 7 Email Protection
Ground email security decisions in documented phishing and compromise trends.
12 chapters in this module
- DMARC enforcement
- SPF and DKIM
- URL rewriting
- Attachment filtering
- Brand impersonation
- Employee training
- Quarantine review
- Sandboxed execution
- Executive targeting
- Vendor email risks
- Compromise indicators
- Incident response
Module 9. Control 8 Endpoint Detection and Response
Explain EDR deployment choices with reference to incident containment outcomes.
12 chapters in this module
- Agent coverage
- Threat visibility
- Behavioral baselining
- Automated response
- False positive tuning
- Incident triage
- Containment workflows
- Forensic readiness
- Vendor tool evaluation
- Integration complexity
- User impact
- Detection gap analysis
Module 10. Control 9 Network Defense
Describe segmentation and firewall rules with real-world breach prevention examples.
12 chapters in this module
- Network segmentation
- Firewall rule management
- DMZ architecture
- Cloud security groups
- Traffic monitoring
- Encrypted traffic inspection
- Zero trust transition
- Vendor network access
- Micro-segmentation
- Blast radius limits
- Penetration testing
- Incident isolation
Module 11. Control 10 Data Protection
Articulate encryption and data handling policies with compliance and breach cost context.
12 chapters in this module
- Data classification
- Encryption at rest
- Encryption in transit
- DLP systems
- Tokenization use
- Data retention
- Backup security
- Cloud data risks
- Vendor data access
- Breach notification
- Data sovereignty
- Incident impact reduction
Module 12. Integration and Continuous Improvement
Demonstrate how to maintain and evolve control narratives across review cycles.
12 chapters in this module
- Control testing
- Gap assessment
- Improvement roadmap
- Benchmarking
- Audit preparation
- Stakeholder reviews
- Policy update cycle
- Incident learning
- Vendor reassessment
- Regulatory changes
- Maturity models
- Knowledge transfer
How this maps to your situation
- Defending security posture in vendor due diligence
- Responding to technical peer challenges
- Justifying control exceptions to compliance teams
- Maintaining credibility during audit cycles
Before vs. after
Before
Reactive responses to technical challenges, relying on checklists without deep rationale
After
Proactive, source-backed articulation of security control decisions with concrete examples and documented tradeoffs
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 45 hours total, designed for self-paced completion over 6 weeks with 7, 8 hours per week.
If nothing changes
Continuing to rely on surface-level security narratives risks loss of influence in technical reviews, delayed deal cycles, and diminished standing when justifying vendor security commitments.
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike generic cybersecurity overviews or technical certification prep, this course is tailored for business-facing professionals who must defend security posture decisions with depth, not implement controls themselves.
Frequently asked
Is this course technical?
No. It assumes no technical implementation role. It builds the ability to defend decisions with sources, examples, and structured reasoning.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Who is this course for?
Business development, sales engineering, and growth strategy professionals who engage in security diligence cycles and need to respond confidently to technical scrutiny.
$199 one-time. Approximately 45 hours total, designed for self-paced completion over 6 weeks with 7, 8 hours per week..
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