# CIS Controls v8 12.3 — Securely Manage Network Infrastructure - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/12-3-securely-manage-network-infrastructure - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [CIS Critical Security Controls v8](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8) › Control 12 — Network Infrastructure Management - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **CIS Controls v8**·Control `12.3`·high·Component: **Protect** ## What this control requires > Securely manage network infrastructure. Example implementations include version-controlled-infrastructure-as-code, and the use of secure network protocols, such as SSH and HTTPS. > > — CIS Controls v8, Control 12.3 ### In plain English Securely manage network infrastructure. In practice, this means you can prove you securely network-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters The CIS Controls are an industry-vetted, prioritised defence: skipping a safeguard widens the attack surface that the safeguards above and below it assume is closed. Audit frameworks (FedRAMP, PCI DSS, HIPAA) all cite CIS as evidence of due care. This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation. ## What an auditor looks for A CIS-aligned reviewer wants to see (a) which Implementation Group you are targeting, (b) a documented owner for the safeguard, and (c) a tooling or process artefact (config, scan output, ticket) that proves the safeguard runs on the cadence the control demands. Within **Protect**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control 12.3) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Cloud Posture **CSPM.** Run Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center over every account; auto-ticket findings above your accepted-risk threshold. #### Network Security **AWS.** VPC Flow Logs to S3, default-deny security groups, AWS Network Firewall for north-south, and Transit Gateway for hub-and-spoke segmentation. **Azure.** NSGs with deny-by-default, Azure Firewall Premium with TLS inspection, Private Endpoints for PaaS, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud's secure score for drift. **GCP.** VPC Service Controls perimeters around sensitive APIs, Cloud NGFW Enterprise for L7 inspection, Private Service Connect for managed services. #### Configuration Management **Policy-as-code.** Codify the control as Service Control Policies (AWS), Azure Policy initiatives, or Organisation Policy (GCP) so the platform enforces what the document promises. **IaC.** Gate Terraform / Pulumi / CloudFormation changes with Checkov / tfsec / OPA so misconfigurations never reach production. **Drift.** Run a CSPM (Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center) over every account and route findings to a single risk register. ### Operational checklist - **Securely.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Securely Manage.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Protect.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** network, version, ssh, https, network infrastructure, encryption. ## Evidence to collect - **Infra Scan.** Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings. Infrastructure posture tooling (AWS Config, Azure Policy, Nessus) verifies platform hardening. Focus: Securely Manage Network Infrastructure. ## Common pitfalls - Treating CSPM findings as a backlog instead of a hot queue: findings older than the policy SLA accumulate until the auditor asks why. - Default-allow egress rules; East-West traffic with no segmentation; jump hosts on the public internet with password auth. - Manual cloud-console changes that never make it back to Terraform — drift accumulates until the next outage forces a reconciliation. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**BSI C5:2020 COS-07** — Documentation of the network topology](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/cos-07-documentation-of-the-network-topology) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.21** — Security of network services](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-21-security-of-network-services) ## Related controls in CIS Controls v8 - [**Control 3.10** — Encrypt Sensitive Data in Transit](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/3-10-encrypt-sensitive-data-in-transit) - [**Control 12.1** — Ensure Network Infrastructure is Up-to-Date](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/12-1-ensure-network-infrastructure-is-up-to-date) - [**Control 14.8** — Train Workforce on the Dangers of Connecting to and Transmitting Enterprise Data Over Insecure Networks](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/14-8-train-workforce-on-the-dangers-of-connecting-to-and-transmitting-enterprise-data) - [**Control 4.6** — Securely Manage Enterprise Assets and Software](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/4-6-securely-manage-enterprise-assets-and-software) - [**Control 13.4** — Perform Traffic Filtering Between Network Segments](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/13-4-perform-traffic-filtering-between-network-segments) - [**Control 12.6** — Use of Secure Network Management and Communication Protocols](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/12-6-use-of-secure-network-management-and-communication-protocols) ## References - [Center for Internet Security — CIS Controls v8](https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/v8) - Catalogue identifier: `Control 12.3` Topics: network securitycloud infrastructurecloud postureencryption in transitconfiguration management ## Related compliance guidance - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.