18.2 Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests
Perform periodic external penetration tests based on program requirements, no less than annually. External penetration testing must include enterprise and environmental reconnaissance to detect exploitable information. P
4
artefacts
1
held by a system
2
at each review
moderate
to go live
Cloud console / configuration management
where the evidence lives
teal = a system already holds it · olive = produced at each review
system holds itEvidence a system already holds
- Configuration / tooling output demonstrating the safeguard · Cloud console / configuration management
periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review
- Evidence the safeguard is implemented: Perform Periodic External Penetration Tests · Vulnerability scanner / patch tooling
- Records showing the safeguard is operating (logs, reports, reviews) · SIEM / log platform
governing documentDocuments that govern the control
- Policy/standard covering CIS Control 18 (Penetration Testing) · Policy repository / GRC workspace
First move
Start with the 1 of 4 artefacts that already live in a system (Cloud console / configuration management); keep the periodic reviews but log each one as a dated record with a named reviewer.
Common gaps auditors find
- Safeguard implemented for some assets but not all in scope
- No evidence of ongoing operation (point-in-time only)
- Implementation Group IG2 baseline not met
Do this for your whole sheet
Paste the rows you run your controls from and get this mapping for every control at once, with the periodic-review ones flagged and a first move per row. No account for the first run.
Build my evidence sheet18.1 Establish and Maintain a Penetration Testing Program · 18.3 Remediate Penetration Test Findings