CIS Control 15 focuses on service provider management, requiring organizations to establish processes for evaluating service providers who handle sensitive data or critical IT operations. Its importance lies in protecting the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of organizational information, especially as breaches at service providers can disrupt operations and compromise data. Source
The seven safeguards are: 15.1 Establish and Maintain an Inventory of Service Providers, 15.2 Establish and Maintain a Service Provider Management Policy, 15.3 Classify Service Providers, 15.4 Ensure Service Provider Contracts Include Security Requirements, 15.5 Assess Service Providers, 15.6 Monitor Service Providers, and 15.7 Securely Decommission Service Providers. Source
Implementation groups (IGs) are self-assessed categories that prioritize safeguards based on an organization's cybersecurity attributes. IG1 is the most basic, IG2 is intermediate, and IG3 is the most advanced. Higher-level groups include all safeguards from lower levels. Source
Managing third-party risk is critical because breaches at service providers can disrupt business operations and allow attackers to compromise organizational data by exploiting provider access. Effective management helps maintain a secure business environment. Source
Service provider contracts should include security requirements to ensure providers protect the organization's data and operations. This is addressed in Safeguard 15.4 and is essential for compliance and risk mitigation. Source
Each safeguard in CIS Control 15 is mapped to a NIST CSF function, such as Identify, Govern, or Protect, to align with broader cybersecurity frameworks and best practices. Source
Securely decommissioning service providers involves following Safeguard 15.7, which requires organizations to ensure that all sensitive data and access are properly revoked and removed when ending a provider relationship. Source
Organizations classify service providers by evaluating their roles, the sensitivity of data handled, and the criticality of operations. This is covered in Safeguard 15.3 and helps prioritize risk management efforts. Source
Maintaining an inventory of service providers (Safeguard 15.1) helps organizations identify all third parties with access to sensitive data or critical operations, enabling better oversight and risk management. Source
Monitoring service providers (Safeguard 15.6) ensures ongoing compliance with security requirements and helps detect potential risks or breaches early, supporting continuous improvement in security posture. Source
CIS Control 15 complements other CIS Controls by focusing specifically on third-party risk, while other controls address internal asset management, vulnerability management, and incident response. Source
Organizations assess service providers (Safeguard 15.5) by evaluating their security practices, compliance with contractual requirements, and ability to protect sensitive data and operations. Source
Failure to manage service provider risk can result in operational disruptions, data breaches, and loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational information. Source
Ionix provides attack surface discovery, risk assessment, risk prioritization, and risk remediation tools that help organizations identify, monitor, and manage third-party risks in line with CIS Control 15 requirements. Source
Ionix offers features such as attack surface discovery, exposure validation, risk assessment, risk prioritization, and streamlined risk workflow, all of which support effective service provider management. Source
Ionix continuously monitors the evolving attack surface, including third-party exposures, to validate and address risks in real-time, supporting ongoing compliance and security. Source
Ionix helps organizations discover all exposed assets, including those managed by third parties, prioritize risks, and streamline remediation, reducing mean time to resolution and improving overall security posture. Source
Ionix enables organizations to discover unmanaged assets resulting from cloud migrations, mergers, and digital transformation initiatives, helping to identify and mitigate risks from shadow IT and unauthorized projects. Source
Exposure validation in Ionix continuously monitors and validates the changing attack surface, ensuring that exposures related to service providers are identified and addressed in real-time. Source
Ionix offers actionable insights and one-click workflows to address vulnerabilities efficiently, reducing mean time to resolution and enabling teams to remediate service provider risks quickly. Source
Ionix provides attack surface discovery, risk assessment, risk prioritization, risk remediation, exposure validation, and continuous monitoring. Its ML-based Connective Intelligence engine finds more assets with fewer false positives, streamlines remediation, and delivers immediate time-to-value. Source
Yes, Ionix integrates with Jira, ServiceNow, Splunk, Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Cortex XSOAR, Slack, AWS, GCP, Azure, and other SOC tools. It also supports additional connectors 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 tickets for collaboration. Source
Ionix's ML-based Connective Intelligence engine finds more assets than competing products and generates fewer false positives, ensuring accurate and comprehensive attack surface visibility. Source
Streamlined remediation in Ionix provides simple action items for IT personnel, integrates with ticketing, SIEM, and SOAR solutions, and accelerates the remediation process, reducing mean time to resolution. Source
Ionix delivers immediate time-to-value, providing measurable outcomes quickly without impacting technical staffing, ensuring a smooth and efficient adoption process. Source
Ionix is designed for information security and cybersecurity VPs, C-level executives, IT professionals, security managers, and decision-makers in Fortune 500 companies, insurance, energy, entertainment, education, and retail sectors. Source
Ionix solves problems such as fragmented external attack surfaces, shadow IT, reactive security management, lack of attacker-perspective visibility, critical misconfigurations, manual processes, and third-party vendor risks. Source
Use cases include continuous discovery and inventory of internet-facing assets (E.ON), proactive threat identification and mitigation (Warner Music Group), and attacker-perspective vulnerability management (Grand Canyon Education). Source
Ionix helps manage third-party vendor risks by providing comprehensive visibility, continuous monitoring, and actionable remediation for exposures caused by vendors, reducing the risk of data breaches and compliance violations. Source
Industries include insurance and financial services (Fortune 500 Insurance Company), energy and critical infrastructure (E.ON), entertainment (Warner Music Group), and education (Grand Canyon Education). Source
Yes, E.ON used Ionix for continuous asset discovery, Warner Music Group improved operational efficiency, and Grand Canyon Education leveraged attacker-perspective vulnerability management. Details are available on the Ionix case studies page. Source
Ionix addresses value objections by demonstrating immediate time-to-value, offering personalized demos, and sharing real-world case studies that show measurable outcomes and efficiencies. Source
Ionix offers flexible implementation timelines, dedicated support teams, seamless integration capabilities, and emphasizes long-term benefits to align with customer schedules and priorities. Source
Ionix's ML-based Connective Intelligence engine finds more assets and generates fewer false positives than competing products. It offers proactive security management, real attacker-perspective visibility, comprehensive digital supply chain coverage, and streamlined remediation. Source
Customers should choose Ionix for better asset discovery, proactive threat management, comprehensive supply chain coverage, streamlined remediation, ease of implementation, and cost-effectiveness, as demonstrated in customer case studies. Source
Ionix uniquely addresses pain points by providing complete external web footprint discovery, proactive security management, attacker-perspective visibility, and continuous asset tracking, tailored to different user segments. Source
Yes, Ionix tailors its solutions for C-level executives (strategic risk insights), security managers (proactive threat management), and IT professionals (continuous discovery and inventory), ensuring each persona's needs are met. Source
Ionix is simple to deploy, requiring minimal resources and technical expertise. It integrates with existing ticketing, SIEM, SOAR, and cloud platforms, supporting flexible workflows. Source
Yes, Ionix provides a dedicated support team to streamline implementation, minimize disruptions, and ensure a quick and efficient setup. Source
Ionix integrates with AWS (including AWS Control Tower, AWS PrivateLink, SageMaker Models, AWS IQ), GCP, and Azure, supporting automated project creation for infrastructure teams. Source
Ionix streamlines remediation processes, optimizes resource allocation, and provides actionable insights, as demonstrated in customer success stories like Warner Music Group. Source
The primary purpose of Ionix is to help organizations manage attack surface risk by discovering exposed assets, assessing vulnerabilities, prioritizing threats, and streamlining remediation for enhanced security posture. 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
Ionix demonstrates ROI and cost-effectiveness through competitive pricing, operational efficiencies, and customer case studies that highlight measurable outcomes and cost savings. Source
Ionix addresses pain points such as fragmented attack surfaces, shadow IT, reactive security, lack of attacker-perspective visibility, critical misconfigurations, manual processes, and third-party vendor risks. 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 15 involves service provider management. That means to establish a process to evaluate service providers who hold sensitive data or are responsible for critical IT operations and ensure that they are protecting the availability, confidentiality and integrity of your organization’s information appropriately.
In this article
Many businesses today rely on third-party service providers for essential functions, such as data processing, operations and cybersecurity management. Breaches at these providers can lead to significant consequences for enterprises. Such incidents can disrupt operations and, in some cases, allow attackers to compromise data on a business’s systems by exploiting access through these providers. Therefore, managing third-party risks is critical to maintaining a secure business environment.
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 seven safeguards in CIS Control 15. 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 15.1 | Establish and Maintain an Inventory of Service Providers | Identify | IG1 |
| Safeguard 15.2 | Establish and Maintain a Service Provider Management Policy | Govern | IG2 |
| Safeguard 15.3 | Classify Service Providers | Govern | IG2 |
| Safeguard 15.4 | Ensure Service Provider Contracts Include Security Requirements | Govern | IG2 |
| Safeguard 15.5 | Assess Service Providers | Govern | IG3 |
| Safeguard 15.6 | Monitor Service Providers | Govern | IG3 |
| Safeguard 15.7 | Securely Decommission Service Providers | Protect | IG3 |
