# CIS Controls v8 2.3 — Address Unauthorized Software - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/2-3-address-unauthorized-software - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [CIS Critical Security Controls v8](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8) › Control 2 — Inventory and Control of Software Assets - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **CIS Controls v8**·Control `2.3`·critical·Component: **Respond** ## What this control requires > Ensure that unauthorized software is either removed from use on enterprise assets or receives a documented exception. Review monthly, or more frequently. > > — CIS Controls v8, Control 2.3 ### In plain English Ensure that unauthorized software is either removed from use on enterprise assets or receives a documented exception. In practice, this means you can prove you address software-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 **critical** in the source catalogue. Treat gaps here as production incidents in the risk register, not housekeeping. ## 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 **Respond**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control 2.3) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Policy Management **Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA. ### Operational checklist - **Address.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Ensure.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** software, enterprise. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Address Unauthorized Software. ## Common pitfalls - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. ## 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. - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.19** — Installation of software on operational systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-19-installation-of-software-on-operational-systems) - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.4.8** — Authorized Software - Allow by Exception](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-8-authorized-software-allow-by-exception) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC2.3** — External Communication on Internal Control Matters](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc2-3-external-communication-on-internal-control-matters) - [**GDPR Article 83** — General conditions for imposing administrative fines](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-83-general-conditions-for-imposing-administrative-fines) - [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.3.15** — Independent review](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-3-15-independent-review) ## Related controls in CIS Controls v8 - [**Control 17.3** — Establish and Maintain an Enterprise Process for Reporting Incidents](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/17-3-establish-and-maintain-an-enterprise-process-for-reporting-incidents) - [**Control 1.2** — Address Unauthorized Assets](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/1-2-address-unauthorized-assets) - [**Control 2.2** — Ensure Authorized Software is Currently Supported](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/2-2-ensure-authorized-software-is-currently-supported) - [**Control 2.6** — Allowlist Authorized Libraries](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/2-6-allowlist-authorized-libraries) - [**Control 7.7** — Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/7-7-remediate-detected-vulnerabilities) - [**Control 14.7** — Train Workforce on How to Identify and Report if Their Enterprise Assets are Missing Security Updates](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/14-7-train-workforce-on-how-to-identify-and-report-if-their-enterprise-assets-are-missing) ## References - [Center for Internet Security — CIS Controls v8](https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/v8) - Catalogue identifier: `Control 2.3` Topics: governance riskpolicy 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.