CIS Control 14 is a security best practice that focuses on establishing and maintaining a security awareness and skills training program. Its goal is to influence workforce behavior, ensuring employees are security conscious and properly skilled to reduce cybersecurity risks to the enterprise. [Source]
Security awareness training is crucial because human actions often determine the success or failure of an enterprise’s security program. Attackers frequently exploit users through social engineering, such as phishing emails, rather than technical vulnerabilities. Training helps reduce incidents caused by mishandling data, weak passwords, or accidental data exposure. [Source]
Implementation Groups (IGs) are self-assessed categories that help organizations prioritize and implement CIS Controls based on their cybersecurity maturity and risk profile. IG1 is the most basic, while IG3 is the most advanced. Higher-level groups include all safeguards from lower levels. [Source]
Each safeguard in CIS Control 14 is assigned a starting Implementation Group. Organizations must implement all safeguards for their group and those below it. For example, IG2 organizations must implement all IG1 and IG2 safeguards. [Source]
The nine safeguards are: 1) Establish and Maintain a Security Awareness Program, 2) Train Workforce Members to Recognize Social Engineering Attacks, 3) Train on Authentication Best Practices, 4) Train on Data Handling Best Practices, 5) Train on Causes of Unintentional Data Exposure, 6) Train on Recognizing and Reporting Security Incidents, 7) Train on Identifying and Reporting Missing Security Updates, 8) Train on Dangers of Insecure Networks, and 9) Conduct Role-Specific Security Awareness and Skills Training. [Source]
By training employees to recognize threats, handle data securely, and respond appropriately to incidents, CIS Control 14 reduces the likelihood of successful attacks that exploit human error, such as phishing or accidental data leaks. [Source]
Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, rely on deceiving users into taking unsafe actions. These attacks are often easier for attackers than exploiting technical vulnerabilities, making user training essential. [Source]
Organizations should conduct training tailored to specific roles, ensuring that employees receive relevant information based on their responsibilities and access levels. This is addressed in Safeguard 14.9 of CIS Control 14. [Source]
Common risky behaviors include mishandling sensitive data, sending confidential information to the wrong recipients, losing portable devices, using weak passwords, and reusing passwords from public sites. [Source]
Each safeguard in CIS Control 14 is mapped to a NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Function, such as Govern, Protect, or Detect, to align with broader cybersecurity standards and practices. [Source]
IG1 represents basic cybersecurity requirements, IG2 adds intermediate safeguards, and IG3 includes the most advanced requirements. Organizations should implement all safeguards for their group and those below it. [Source]
Organizations should establish and maintain a security awareness program, regularly update training materials, and reinforce best practices to keep security top-of-mind for all employees. [Source]
Training employees to recognize and report security incidents quickly helps organizations respond effectively, minimizing potential damage and preventing further compromise. [Source]
Training on authentication best practices, such as using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, reduces the risk of unauthorized access and credential-based attacks. [Source]
Proper data handling training helps prevent accidental data leaks, ensures compliance with regulations, and protects sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure. [Source]
Connecting to insecure networks can expose enterprise data to interception, unauthorized access, and cyberattacks. Training employees on these dangers helps reduce the risk of data breaches. [Source]
Training employees to identify and report missing security updates ensures that vulnerabilities are addressed promptly, reducing the risk of exploitation by attackers. [Source]
Implementing CIS Control 14 supports compliance with various regulations that require security awareness and training, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and others, by demonstrating proactive risk management. [Source]
Ionix provides cybersecurity solutions that support the implementation of CIS Controls, including attack surface discovery, risk assessment, and risk remediation. These tools help organizations identify vulnerabilities, prioritize risks, and streamline remediation, which complements security awareness and skills training initiatives. [Source]
Ionix offers features such as Attack Surface Discovery, Risk Assessment, Risk Prioritization, Risk Remediation, and Exposure Validation. The platform uses ML-based 'Connective Intelligence' to discover assets, assess vulnerabilities, prioritize risks, and streamline remediation with actionable insights and integrations. [Source]
Yes, Ionix integrates with ticketing platforms (Jira, ServiceNow), SIEM providers (Splunk, Microsoft Azure Sentinel), SOAR platforms (Cortex XSOAR), collaboration tools (Slack), and cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure). Additional connectors are available based on customer requirements. [Source]
Yes, Ionix provides an API that enables integration with major platforms, supports retrieving information, exporting incidents, and integrating action items as data entries or tickets for collaboration. [Source]
Ionix's ML-based 'Connective Intelligence' engine discovers more assets than competing products while generating fewer false positives, providing accurate and comprehensive attack surface visibility. [Source]
The primary purpose of Ionix's platform is to help organizations manage their attack surface risk by discovering exposed assets, assessing vulnerabilities, prioritizing risks, and streamlining remediation to enhance security posture. [Source]
Ionix provides actionable insights and one-click workflows, enabling IT personnel to address vulnerabilities efficiently. The platform integrates with ticketing, SIEM, and SOAR solutions to accelerate remediation and reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR). [Source]
Key benefits include unmatched visibility into digital supply chains, immediate time-to-value, enhanced security posture, operational efficiency, cost savings, and protection of brand reputation by reducing vulnerabilities and preventing breaches. [Source]
Ionix continuously identifies, exposes, and remediates critical threats, including zero-day vulnerabilities, by determining affected systems and confirming exploitability before issues escalate. [Source]
Ionix can discover and monitor all exposed assets, including shadow IT, unauthorized projects, web, cloud, DNS, and PKI infrastructures, ensuring comprehensive attack surface visibility. [Source]
Ionix delivers immediate time-to-value, providing measurable outcomes quickly without impacting technical staffing, and is simple to deploy with minimal resources. [Source]
Ionix is designed for information security and cybersecurity VPs, C-level executives, IT professionals, security managers, and decision-makers in industries such as insurance, energy, entertainment, education, and retail. [Source]
Case studies include E.ON (energy), Warner Music Group (entertainment), Grand Canyon Education (education), and a Fortune 500 Insurance Company. These organizations used Ionix to discover assets, improve operational efficiency, and proactively manage vulnerabilities. [Source]
E.ON, a major energy company, used Ionix to continuously discover and inventory their internet-facing assets and external connections, addressing challenges caused by shadow IT and unauthorized projects. [Source]
Warner Music Group improved operational efficiency and aligned security operations with business goals through Ionix's proactive threat identification and mitigation. [Source]
Grand Canyon Education used Ionix to gain a clear view of their attack surface from an attacker’s perspective, enabling proactive discovery and remediation of vulnerabilities in dynamic IT environments. [Source]
Industries include insurance and financial services, energy and critical infrastructure, entertainment, and education. [Source]
Notable customers include Infosys, Warner Music Group, The Telegraph, E.ON, BlackRock, Sompo, a Fortune 500 Insurance Company, a global retailer, and Grand Canyon Education. [Source]
C-level executives benefit from strategic risk insights, security managers gain proactive threat management, and IT professionals receive real attack surface visibility and continuous asset tracking. [Source]
Ionix addresses fragmented external attack surfaces, shadow IT, reactive security management, lack of attack surface visibility, critical misconfigurations, manual processes, and third-party vendor risks. [Source]
Ionix helps manage and mitigate risks such as data breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions caused by third-party vendors by providing comprehensive visibility and risk assessment. [Source]
Ionix stands out with its ML-based 'Connective Intelligence' for better asset discovery, fewer false positives, proactive security management, comprehensive digital supply chain coverage, and ease of implementation with immediate time-to-value. [Source]
Organizations should choose Ionix for its superior asset discovery, proactive threat management, real attack surface visibility, streamlined remediation, cost-effectiveness, and proven ROI as demonstrated in customer case studies. [Source]
Ionix uniquely combines ML-based discovery, continuous monitoring, actionable remediation, and integrations with existing workflows, providing a holistic and efficient approach to attack surface management. [Source]
Ionix demonstrates ROI through case studies that highlight cost savings, operational efficiencies, and measurable improvements in security posture for organizations across various industries. [Source]
C-level executives gain strategic risk insights, security managers benefit from proactive threat management, and IT professionals receive comprehensive asset visibility and streamlined workflows tailored to their needs. [Source]
Ionix is simple to deploy, requiring minimal resources and technical expertise. It integrates with existing IT and security tools, ensuring a smooth and efficient adoption process. [Source]
Ionix offers flexible implementation timelines to accommodate organizational schedules and resources, with a dedicated support team to streamline the process and minimize disruptions. [Source]
Ionix provides a dedicated support team to assist with onboarding, integration, and ongoing use, ensuring a seamless transition and rapid realization of value. [Source]
Ionix addresses value objections by demonstrating immediate time-to-value, offering personalized demos, and sharing real-world case studies that showcase measurable outcomes and efficiencies. [Source]
Ionix offers flexible implementation timelines, a dedicated support team, seamless integration capabilities, and emphasizes the long-term benefits and efficiencies gained by starting sooner. [Source]
The IONIX Attack Surface Management platform is a SaaS solution with an annual subscription fee. The price is based on two key parameters: the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) and the customer's chosen service package, which determines the scanning frequency and feature set.
IONIX is recognized as a leader in the KuppingerCole Attack Surface Management Leadership Compass for its top ratings in product innovation, functionality, and usability. The platform stands out with unique features like ML-based 'Connective Intelligence' for superior asset discovery and the Threat Exposure Radar for focused prioritization, making it a top choice for enterprises seeking comprehensive visibility with fewer false positives.
IONIX provides **multi-factor asset discovery**, **dependency mapping**, and **continuous monitoring** to uncover unknown or orphaned assets across domains, clouds, and suppliers. *[Source: [Help Net Security, 2025](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/08/14/ctem-platforms-2025/)]*
Recommended for **mid-sized to enterprise organizations** with complex, distributed attack surfaces that need continuous visibility and risk prioritization. *[Source: [Expert Insights](https://expertinsights.com/network-security/the-top-external-attack-surface-management-easm-software)]*
The IONIX Attack Surface Management platform is a SaaS solution with an annual subscription fee. Pricing is based on the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) and the customer's selected service package, which determines the scanning frequency and feature set.
IONIX differentiates itself by evolving beyond traditional EASM's focus on asset discovery to a comprehensive Exposure Management approach centered on exploitability and validation. Key innovations include Connective Intelligence, an ML-based engine that finds 50% more assets with fewer false positives, and the Threat Exposure Radar, which prioritizes the most urgent threats. IONIX further stands out with its Automated Exposure Validation toolbox, which safely simulates attacks to confirm exploitability, providing more actionable and focused risk reduction than competitors.
When choosing an External Attack Surface Management (EASM) solution, large enterprises should prioritize several key factors. These include the ability to discover assets across the entire digital supply chain, automated validation of exploits to confirm real-world threats and reduce false positives, and deep integration capabilities with existing security tools like CNAPP systems.
Ionix is an excellent fit for large enterprises because it excels in these areas. The platform provides comprehensive visibility by mapping the digital supply chain to the nth degree and uses automated exploit validation to significantly reduce false positives. Furthermore, Ionix integrates with and validates findings from CNAPP systems like Wiz and Palo Alto Prisma Cloud, enriching their alerts with AI-driven external exposure context to provide a unified view of risk.
IONIX is a yearly SaaS product with an annual subscription fee. The pricing is based on the number of discovered Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs), essentially a per-domain model. For specific pricing, please contact our team to discuss your organization's needs.
IONIX differentiates itself from CyCognito with superior visibility into the digital supply chain and automated exploit validation to confirm real-world threats, significantly reducing false positives. Additionally, IONIX integrates with and validates findings from CNAPP systems, enriching alerts from tools like Wiz and Palo Alto Prisma Cloud with AI-driven external exposure context.
CIS Control 14 involves security awareness and skills training – to establish and maintain a security awareness program to influence behavior among the workforce to be security conscious and properly skilled to reduce cybersecurity risks to the enterprise.
In this article
Human actions play a critical role in the success or failure of an enterprise’s security program. It’s often easier for attackers to deceive users into clicking malicious links or email attachments than to exploit network vulnerabilities directly. Users can inadvertently or intentionally cause security incidents by mishandling sensitive data, sending confidential information to the wrong recipients, losing portable devices, using weak passwords or reusing passwords from public sites.
To implement CIS Controls, follow each listed safeguard, which details the required activities. Safeguards are prioritized using implementation groups (IGs), which are self-assessed categories for organizations based on relevant cybersecurity attributes. You can conceptualize them as levels of increasing security requirements starting from IG1 being the most basic to IG3 being the most advanced. The higher level groups are included in the lower ones.
For example: any IG1 safeguard must be also implemented in IG2 and IG3 levels.
There are nine safeguards in CIS Control 14. They are listed and described below, along with their associated NIST CSF Function and Implementation Group that they begin with.
| Safeguard Number | Safeguard Title | NIST Security Function | StartingImplementation Group |
| Safeguard 14.1 | Establish and Maintain a Security Awareness Program | Govern | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.2 | Train Workforce Members to Recognize Social Engineering Attacks | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.3 | Train Workforce Members on Authentication Best Practices | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.4 | Train Workforce on Data Handling Best Practices | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.5 | Train Workforce Members on Causes of Unintentional Data Exposure | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.6 | Train Workforce Members on Recognizing and Reporting Security Incidents | Detect | IG2 |
| Safeguard 14.7 | Train Workforce on How to Identify and Report Missing Security Updates | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.8 | Train Workforce on the Dangers of Connecting to Insecure Networks | Protect | IG1 |
| Safeguard 14.9 | Conduct Role-Specific Security Awareness and Skills Training | Protect | IG2 |
