# CIS Controls v8 3.11 — Encrypt Sensitive Data at Rest - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/3-11-encrypt-sensitive-data-at-rest - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [CIS Critical Security Controls v8](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8) › Control 3 — Data Protection - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **CIS Controls v8**·Control `3.11`·high·Component: **Protect** ## What this control requires > Encrypt sensitive data at rest on servers, applications, and databases containing sensitive data. Storage-layer encryption, also known as server-side encryption, meets the minimum requirement of this Safeguard. Additional encryption methods may include application-layer encryption, also known as client-side encryption, where access to the data storage device(s) does not permit access to the plain-text data. > > — CIS Controls v8, Control 3.11 ### In plain English Encrypt sensitive data at rest on servers, applications, and databases containing sensitive data. In practice, this means you can prove you encrypt 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 3.11) 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. #### 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. #### 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. ### Operational checklist - **Encrypt.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Protect.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** network, sensitive, sensitive data at rest, application layer encryption, servers, applications, client. ## 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: Encrypt Sensitive Data at Rest. ## 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. - Manual cloud-console changes that never make it back to Terraform — drift accumulates until the next outage forces a reconciliation. - Default-allow egress rules; East-West traffic with no segmentation; jump hosts on the public internet with password auth. ## Related controls in CIS Controls v8 - [**Control 11.3** — Protect Recovery Data](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/11-3-protect-recovery-data) - [**Control 3.10** — Encrypt Sensitive Data in Transit](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/3-10-encrypt-sensitive-data-in-transit) - [**Control 3.9** — Encrypt Data on Removable Media](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/3-9-encrypt-data-on-removable-media) - [**Control 9.4** — Restrict Unnecessary or Unauthorized Browser and Email Client Extensions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/9-4-restrict-unnecessary-or-unauthorized-browser-and-email-client-extensions) - [**Control 3.12** — Segment Data Processing and Storage Based on Sensitivity](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/3-12-segment-data-processing-and-storage-based-on-sensitivity) - [**Control 13.10** — Perform Application Layer Filtering](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/13-10-perform-application-layer-filtering) ## References - [Center for Internet Security — CIS Controls v8](https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/v8) - Catalogue identifier: `Control 3.11` Topics: data protectioncloud postureconfiguration managementnetwork securityapi security ## 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.