The Center for Internet Security (CIS) serves as a guardian of cybersecurity standards across a diverse array of internet-connected technologies. Notably, cloud platforms represent the pinnacle of internet-connected innovations. In this domain, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) shines as a preeminent choice, boasting widespread recognition. It's plausible that GCP stands as a prominent vendor within your technological landscape, offering a spectrum of renowned SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS services like App Engine, BigQuery, Cloud IoT Core, and Edge.
For those benefiting from CloudDefense CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management), the understanding of the cloud's expansive potential as a cyber attack surface is evident. Given the perpetually evolving cyber threat landscape, adept management of this landscape is imperative. In this context, I advocate for the utilization of CIS Benchmarks to assess your GCP security configurations, ideally on a biannual basis. CIS facilitates this process through a simple form on their website, culminating in the dispatch of a customized PDF containing your selected Benchmarks. While CIS extends a comprehensive list, below is a sampling of pivotal settings warranting attention:
By embracing these guidelines, you fortify your GCP infrastructure against potential threats and align with contemporary cybersecurity practices.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a fundamental pillar of security in any cloud environment. In GCP, proper IAM settings are essential to protect your sensitive data and critical systems from cyber threats. Here are some crucial IAM settings to consider:
Logging and monitoring are critical for timely detection of security incidents and for compliance purposes. Properly configured logging ensures that your security team can respond effectively to potential threats. Here are essential settings for logging and monitoring in GCP:
Networking settings are crucial to ensure that networked services are appropriately configured and secure. Outdated cryptographic technologies should be avoided, and access should be restricted to minimize attack surfaces. Key networking recommendations include:
Virtual machines are a significant use case within GCP, and their security is paramount. Properly configuring security controls and access is essential. Here are key settings for securing VMs:
These are some of the essential CIS Benchmarks for Google Cloud Platform. Regularly reviewing and implementing these recommendations will significantly enhance the security of your GCP environment.
To ensure you're not missing any benchmarks, you can request a PDF directly from the CIS website. Remember, cybersecurity is an ongoing effort, and staying informed about the latest best practices is essential to safeguard your cloud infrastructure.
Those are most of the crucial CIS Benchmarks for GCP. To make sure that you don’t miss any, you can request your own PDF here.