CIS Expands Hardened Images to Support AI and High-Performance Computing
New secure-by-design cloud images help organizations deploy AI infrastructure without sacrificing security
CLIFTON PARK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) today announced the launch of CIS Hardened Images® for AI, expanding its secure by design cloud offerings to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and high performance computing (HPC) across the cloud.
Now available in AWS Marketplace, CIS Hardened Images for AI deliver pre-configured, CIS Benchmark-aligned operating system baselines optimized for graphics processing unit (GPU)-driven AI workloads and distributed computing. These images help organizations build AI infrastructure with security built in from the start, reducing risk, improving consistency, and speeding up deployment.
“Organizations are moving quickly to adopt AI, but security often lags behind that pace,” said Curtis Dukes, Executive Vice President of Security Best Practices and Automation Group at CIS. “With CIS Hardened Images for AI, we’re helping teams start from a secure foundation so they can innovate confidently, without introducing unnecessary risk.”
The launch introduces two hardened images based on Amazon Linux 2023 and Ubuntu 24.04 aligned to CIS Benchmarks®, globally recognized security best practices. One image supports GPU based AI workloads such as machine learning, model training, and inference. The other supports HPC and distributed computing, including large-scale simulations and parallel processing.
“These images take the complexity out of securing AI infrastructure,” said Erin Haggerty, Cloud Team Director at CIS. “Instead of configuring security controls manually, teams can deploy trusted, CIS Benchmark-aligned systems from day one.”
CIS designed these images to support both commercial and public sector needs. Enterprises can deploy AI systems more quickly and securely at scale, while government and defense organizations can align AI environments with established security standards and compliance frameworks, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance.
To learn more, visit CIS Hardened Images® for AI. For media inquiries, please contact media@cisecurity.org.
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About CIS Hardened Images
CIS Hardened Images® are pre-configured virtual machine images built to CIS Benchmarks, providing secure-by-default operating system environments across major cloud platforms. They help organizations reduce misconfigurations, simplify compliance, and accelerate secure cloud adoption.
About CIS
The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) makes the connected world a safer place for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit, responsible for the CIS Critical Security Controls® and CIS Benchmarks® guidelines, globally recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and provide products and services to proactively safeguard against emerging threats. Our CIS Hardened Images® provide secure, on-demand, scalable computing environments in the cloud. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®) organization, the trusted resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (EI-ISAC®) organization, which supports the rapidly changing cybersecurity needs of U.S. election offices To learn more, visit cisecurity.org or follow us on X: @CISecurity.
Kelly Wyland
Center for Internet Security
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