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Security Baseline

What is Security Baseline?

A set of minimum security standards and configurations that all systems within an organisation must meet. Security baselines provide a consistent foundation for security across the environment and are often based on CIS Benchmarks or vendor hardening guides.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as security baseline. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on security baseline

Requirements naming security baseline across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

Define and keep current the minimum security requirements each class of application must satisfy before it is built or released.

CCM-AIS-02 · Application Security Baseline Requirements

Personnel security + insider threat for aviation cybersecurity covers: (a) FAA Order 1370.123A insider threat program for FAA employees + contractors;

FAA-CSA-Personnel · Personnel Security Training and Insider Threat
FISMA1 control

FISMA coordination with CIRCIA + Zero Trust + Executive Orders + OMB Memoranda. CIRCIA (Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022): Final Rule effective 2026;

FISMA-CIRCIA-ZTA-EO14028 · CIRCIA, Zero Trust Architecture, EO 14028 + 14110 + OMB Memoranda

ITU-T Recommendation X.805 (10/2003) Security architecture for systems providing end-to-end communications is a foundational network security architecture standard published by the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector...

X805-Scope-Architecture-3Layers-3Planes-8Dimensions-5Threats-72Cells-X.800-Series-Heritage · ITU-T X.805 Scope + Security Architecture Overview + 3 Security Layers x 3 Security Planes (9 Modules) x 8 Security Dimensions = 72 Security Perspectives + 5 Threat Categories + X.800-Series Heritage + End-to-End Network Communications

Per IC 24-15-4-5 and IC 24-15-4-10 plus the separate Indiana Personal Information Disclosure Statute IC 24-4.9 (Indiana data breach notification law) controllers and processors must implement security + breach response + and records discipline.

INCDPA-Security-ReasonablePractices-Breach-Notification-Records-Encryption-Pseudonymisation · Indiana CDPA Security + Reasonable Practices + Breach Notification + Indiana Breach Notification Law (IC 24-4.9) + Records + Encryption + Pseudonymisation + De-Identification

Per Iowa Code 715D.5-1 and Iowa Personal Information Security Breach Notification Law (Iowa Code 715C separate statute) controllers and processors must implement security + breach response + records discipline.

ICDPA-Security-ReasonablePractices-Breach-Notification-Iowa-Code-715C-Records-Encryption-Pseudonymisation · Iowa CDPA Security + Reasonable Practices + Iowa Personal Information Security Breach Notification Law (Iowa Code 715C) + Records + Encryption + Pseudonymisation

Questions people ask about security baseline

What is Security Baseline?
A set of minimum security standards and configurations that all systems within an organisation must meet. Security baselines provide a consistent foundation for security across the environment and are often based on CIS Benchmarks or vendor hardening guides.
Why is Security Baseline important for compliance?
Security Baseline is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding security baseline helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Security Baseline?
Security Baseline appears in the requirement text of Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v4.0.1, FAA Cybersecurity Framework for Aviation, FISMA, ITU-T X.805 - Security Architecture for End-to-End Communications, Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act. Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Security Baseline?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how security baseline applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Security Baseline applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.