A tailored course, built for your situation
Mastering CIS Controls for Senior Lead Consultants
Build defensible, repeatable security outcomes that escalate directly to leadership
$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.
Spending cycles re-proving control ownership instead of advancing trusted influence
The situation this course is for
Skilled practitioners often stay in delivery mode, producing excellent work that never escalates. Without structured artefacts and documented decision chains, even strong controls get re-reviewed, delayed, or reassigned. The bottleneck isn’t skill; it’s traceability.
Who this is for
Senior Lead Consultant with 6+ years in financial technology and compliance delivery, working across regulatory frameworks and client-facing audits
Who this is not for
Entry-level analysts, tool-specific administrators, or teams focused on point-in-time certification rather than sustained control ownership
What you walk away with
- Own the pre-acquisition security assessment package for M&A due diligence
- Produce regulator-facing review documents with embedded justification chains
- Create control mappings that survive team reshuffles and leadership changes
- Structure peer escalations so they route to you first by design
- Build a referenceable control library that compounds across engagements
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
Module 1. Foundations of CIS Controls Ownership
Establish the core principles of control ownership, focusing on traceability, accountability, and leadership escalation paths.
12 chapters in this module
- Defining ownership vs. responsibility
- The 18 CIS Controls at a glance
- Mapping controls to business outcomes
- Establishing baseline documentation standards
- Identifying escalation triggers
- Linking controls to regulatory expectations
- Documenting decision rationale
- Versioning control ownership
- Integrating stakeholder input
- Avoiding common implementation traps
- Benchmarking against peer teams
- Setting up your control repository
Module 2. Control 1 Inventory and Asset Management
Build a defensible inventory of hardware and software assets using CIS Benchmarks.
12 chapters in this module
- Asset classification frameworks
- Automating hardware discovery
- Software inventory best practices
- Maintaining accurate asset records
- Linking assets to business units
- Handling shadow IT
- Regular review cycles
- Integrating with CMDB
- Tracking cloud instances
- Managing virtual assets
- Reporting asset completeness
- Audit trail for changes
Module 3. Control 2 Software Inventory and Management
Ensure only authorized software runs across the environment.
12 chapters in this module
- Approved software list creation
- Whitelisting implementation
- Change management integration
- User privilege management
- Application discovery tools
- Legacy software handling
- Patch management linkage
- Decommissioning tracking
- Cloud-based app governance
- SaaS inventory control
- Mobile application oversight
- Enforcement reporting
Module 4. Control 3 Data Protection
Secure sensitive data throughout its lifecycle.
12 chapters in this module
- Data classification models
- Sensitive data discovery tools
- Encryption standards
- Data-at-rest protection
- Data-in-transit safeguards
- Data loss prevention setup
- DLP policy enforcement
- Backup security
- Third-party data sharing
- Regulatory alignment
- Audit logging
- Incident response linkage
Module 5. Control 4 Secure Configuration
Establish and maintain secure configurations for systems and software.
12 chapters in this module
- Baseline configuration creation
- CIS Benchmarks adoption
- Hardening checklists
- Change control process
- Configuration drift detection
- Automated remediation
- Cloud configuration standards
- Container security
- Server hardening
- Workstation settings
- Mobile device policies
- Compliance validation
Module 6. Control 5 Account Management
Ensure only authorized accounts exist and are properly managed.
12 chapters in this module
- User provisioning process
- Role-based access control
- Privileged account oversight
- Regular access reviews
- Shared account policies
- Service account management
- Password policy enforcement
- Multi-factor authentication
- Account deactivation
- Emergency access procedures
- Access recertification
- Audit trail retention
Module 7. Control 6 Access Control Management
Enforce least privilege and ensure access aligns with roles.
12 chapters in this module
- Principle of least privilege
- Role definition process
- Access approval workflow
- Segregation of duties
- Temporary access controls
- Remote access security
- VPN access policies
- Cloud access governance
- Third-party access
- Vendor access reviews
- Access logging
- Incident linkage
Module 8. Control 7 Continuous Vulnerability Management
Proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
12 chapters in this module
- Vulnerability scanning schedule
- Patch prioritization
- Critical system patching
- Automated patch deployment
- Zero-day response
- Third-party risk
- Cloud vulnerability tools
- Reporting severity levels
- Remediation tracking
- Stakeholder communication
- Escalation paths
- Trend analysis
Module 9. Control 8 Malware Defense
Prevent, detect, and respond to malware threats.
12 chapters in this module
- Antivirus policy
- Endpoint protection
- Malware signature updates
- Behavioral analysis tools
- Email attachment scanning
- Web filtering
- Phishing detection
- Incident containment
- Quarantine procedures
- Threat intelligence sources
- User training integration
- Post-infection review
Module 10. Control 9 Incident Response
Prepare for and respond to security incidents effectively.
12 chapters in this module
- Incident response planning
- Response team roles
- Communication protocols
- Evidence preservation
- Escalation matrices
- Legal and regulatory reporting
- Third-party coordination
- Post-mortem process
- Playbook maintenance
- Simulation exercises
- Tool integration
- Continuous improvement
Module 11. Control 10 Penetration Testing
Proactively test defenses through authorized attacks.
12 chapters in this module
- Test scope definition
- Internal vs external tests
- Red team coordination
- Reporting findings
- Remediation tracking
- Executive summary creation
- Regulator-facing reports
- Third-party test oversight
- Frequency determination
- Threat modeling integration
- Lessons learned
- Follow-up validation
Module 12. Sustaining and Scaling CIS Controls
Maintain and evolve your control framework over time.
12 chapters in this module
- Annual review process
- Leadership reporting
- Team training
- New hire onboarding
- Framework updates
- Regulatory change adaptation
- Cross-functional alignment
- Budget justification
- Vendor alignment
- Audit preparation
- Lessons repository
- Continuous feedback
How this maps to your situation
- M&A due diligence
- Regulator-facing reviews
- Peer team escalations
- Leadership reporting
Before vs. after
Before
Delivering compliance work that gets re-reviewed or escalated downstream
After
Producing trusted, referenceable artefacts that initiate escalation to you
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 3 hours per module, designed for completion over 12 weeks with flexible pacing
If nothing changes
Continuing to execute excellent work that doesn’t compound , where each engagement resets credibility instead of building influence
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike certification prep or generic compliance courses, this course focuses on producing leadership-grade artefacts that directly enable trusted handoffs and peer recognition.
Frequently asked
Is this course aligned with other frameworks like ISO 27001 or NIST CSF?
Yes, CIS Controls map directly to NIST CSF and ISO 27001 domains, and the course includes crosswalk templates.
How is the course structured?
12 modules, each containing 12 chapters (144 chapters total).
Can I use this for client engagements?
Yes, the templates and playbooks are designed for repeatable use across client audits and internal reviews.
$199 one-time. Approximately 3 hours per module, designed for completion over 12 weeks with flexible pacing.
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