CIS Controls v8 3.13 — Deploy a Data Loss Prevention Solution

What this control requires

Implement an automated tool, such as a host-based Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tool to identify all sensitive data stored, processed, or transmitted through enterprise assets, including those located onsite or at a remote service provider, and update the enterprise's sensitive data inventory.

In plain English

Implement an automated tool, such as a host-based Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tool to identify all sensitive data stored, processed, or transmitted through enterprise assets, including those located onsite or at a remote service provider, and update the enterprise's sensitive data inventory. In practice, this means you can prove you deploy data inventory-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 3.13) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

How to implement

Asset Inventory

AWS. AWS Config Aggregator across every account + region gives a real-time inventory; ship the daily snapshot to S3 and surface drift in Security Hub.

Azure. Azure Resource Graph plus Defender for Cloud's inventory blade enumerates every subscription; export to Log Analytics for retention and Workbooks for reporting.

GCP. Cloud Asset Inventory exports a daily feed of every resource and IAM binding; query via BigQuery and alert on appearance/disappearance.

Endpoints. Pipe MDM telemetry (Intune / Jamf / Workspace ONE) into your CMDB so laptops and phones are inventoried with the same rigour as cloud resources.

Operational checklist

• Deploy. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
• Implement. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
• Protect. Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
• Scope: data inventory, sensitive, data loss prevention solution, dlp, service, enterprise.

Evidence to collect

• Vendor Risk Management. vendor_risk_management evidence
• Policy Document. A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.

Third-party risk management evidence (assessments, contracts, due diligence) shows supplier oversight. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Deploy a Data Loss Prevention Solution.

Common pitfalls

• Inventories that exclude SaaS, shadow IT and ephemeral cloud resources (Lambda, Cloud Run, K8s pods) miss the assets where most modern incidents start.

Related controls in CIS Controls v8

• Control 15.1 — Establish and Maintain an Inventory of Service Providers
• Control 3.8 — Document Data Flows
• Control 15.2 — Establish and Maintain a Service Provider Management Policy
• Control 15.7 — Securely Decommission Service Providers
• Control 3.2 — Establish and Maintain a Data Inventory
• Control 16.4 — Establish and Manage an Inventory of Third-Party Software Components

References

• Center for Internet Security — CIS Controls v8
• Catalogue identifier: Control 3.13

Topics: governance riskvendor riskvendor managementdata loss preventionsupply chain securityasset inventory