CIS Controls v8 13.7 — Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Prevention Solution

What this control requires

Deploy a host-based intrusion prevention solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported. Example implementations include use of an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) client or host-based IPS agent.

In plain English

Deploy a host-based intrusion prevention solution on enterprise assets, where appropriate and/or supported. In practice, this means you can prove you deploy response-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.

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 13.7) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

How to implement

Endpoint Protection

MDM. Make MDM enrollment a hard gate for device access (Intune compliance + Conditional Access, or Jamf + Okta device trust). Unmanaged devices simply don't get a session token.

EDR. Deploy CrowdStrike / SentinelOne / Defender for Endpoint to every server and laptop; alert on any host that stops sending telemetry for >24h.

Operational checklist

• Deploy. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
• Protect. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
• Scope: response, edr, client, enterprise.

Evidence to collect

• Edr Scan. edr_scan evidence

EDR telemetry (CrowdStrike, Defender for Endpoint) confirms threat detection. Focus: Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Prevention Solution.

Common pitfalls

• Pilot MDM rollouts that quietly exclude executives or engineers; carving out the highest-risk users is the most common audit failure.

Related controls in CIS Controls v8

• Control 10.1 — Deploy and Maintain Anti-Malware Software
• Control 13.2 — Deploy a Host-Based Intrusion Detection Solution
• Control 10.6 — Centrally Manage Anti-Malware Software
• Control 13.11 — Tune Security Event Alerting Thresholds
• Control 8.6 — Collect DNS Query Audit Logs
• Control 8.7 — Collect URL Request Audit Logs

References

• Center for Internet Security — CIS Controls v8
• Catalogue identifier: Control 13.7

Topics: endpoint securityedr xdrendpoint protectionthreat intelligence