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    CIS Hardened Image Level 1 on SUSE Linux Enterprise 15

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    Deployed on AWS
    AWS Free Tier
    This product has charges associated with the pre-built hardening to the CIS Benchmarks™ and recurring maintenance. The CIS Hardened Images® are hardened in accordance with the associated CIS Benchmarks, an industry best practice for secure configuration. Reduce cost, time, and risk by building your AWS solution with CIS AMIs.

    Overview

    The CIS Hardened Image Level 1 on SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 is a pre-configured image built by the Center for Internet Security (CIS®) for use on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). It is a pre-configured, security-hardened image that aligns with the robust security recommendations, the CIS Benchmarks, making it easier for organizations to meet regulatory requirements.

    Not only is this image pre-hardened to the CIS Benchmarks guidance, but it is also patched monthly in alignment with the updates from the software vendor.

    Key Benefits

  • Enhanced Security: Mitigates risks like malware, denial of service, and authorization issues by following globally-recognized secure configuration guidance to support your cloud security posture management (CSPM) program.
  • Compliance Readiness: Helps your organization comply with PCI DSS, FedRAMP, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, FISMA, select NIST publications, and more.
  • Faster Deployment: Pre-configured according to CIS Benchmarks, allowing you to deploy secure virtual machine images.
  • Consistency Across Environments: Ensures consistent security configurations across development, testing, and production environments, reducing drift and compatibility risks.
  • Cost Efficiency: Lowers remediation efforts, reduces attack surface, and minimizes business loss from security incidents.
  • Easier Maintenance: Regular updates ensure that your systems are always in line with the latest security standards and software patches.

    This image is hardened against the corresponding Level 1 profile which is intended to be practical and prudent, provide a clear security benefit, and not inhibit the utility of the technology beyond acceptable means. No packages are installed on or removed from this image outside of those already present on the base image or as recommended in alignment with the corresponding CIS Benchmark recommendations.

    To demonstrate conformance to the CIS SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 Level 1 Benchmark, industry-recognized hardening guidance, each image includes an HTML report from CIS Configuration Assessment Tool (CIS-CAT® Pro). Each CIS Hardened Image contains the following files:

  • Base_CIS-CAT_Report.html - this provides a report of CIS-CAT Pro run against the instance before any change is made by CIS (e.g., software updates, CIS hardening).
  • basevm.txt - this provides a list of the packages resident on the instance prior to any change being made by CIS (e.g., software updates, CIS hardening).
  • CIS-CAT_Report.html - this provides a report of CIS-CAT Pro run against the instance after the corresponding CIS Benchmark was applied to the image.
  • Exceptions.txt - this provides a list of recommendations that are not applied because the configuration of those recommendations may inhibit the use of this image in this CSP, require environment-specific expertise, or hinder the integration of this image with CSP services or extensions.
  • afterhardening.txt - this provides a list of packages resident on the instance after the corresponding CIS Benchmark was applied to the image.

    These reports are located in /home/CIS_Hardened_Reports.

    For customized pricing options or private offers, reach out to us at cloudsecurity@cisecurity.org .

    To learn more or access the corresponding CIS Benchmark, please visit https://www.cisecurity.org/cis-benchmarks  or sign up for a free account on our community platform, CIS WorkBench, https://workbench.cisecurity.org/ .

  • Highlights

    • Hardened according to a Level 1 CIS Benchmark that is developed in a consensus-based process and that is accepted by government, business, industry, and academia.
    • Helps with compliance to PCI DSS, FedRAMP, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, FISMA, select NIST publications, and more.
    • Pre-configured to align with industry best practices that are developed and supported by CIS, this image has hardened account and local policies, firewall configuration, and computer-based and user-based administrative templates.

    Details

    Delivery method

    Delivery option
    64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

    Latest version

    Operating system
    Suse 15

    Deployed on AWS

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    Pricing

    CIS Hardened Image Level 1 on SUSE Linux Enterprise 15

     Info
    Pricing is based on actual usage, with charges varying according to how much you consume. Subscriptions have no end date and may be canceled any time. Alternatively, you can pay upfront for a contract, which typically covers your anticipated usage for the contract duration. Any usage beyond contract will incur additional usage-based costs.
    Additional AWS infrastructure costs may apply. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator  to estimate your infrastructure costs.

    Usage costs (628)

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    • ...
    Dimension
    Cost/hour
    t3.small
    Recommended
    $0.022
    t3.micro
    AWS Free Tier
    $0.022
    t2.micro
    AWS Free Tier
    $0.02
    r7a.8xlarge
    $0.05
    m6i.4xlarge
    $0.035
    r5dn.16xlarge
    $0.06
    m6idn.24xlarge
    $0.06
    x2iedn.4xlarge
    $0.035
    m5d.large
    $0.022
    hpc7a.96xlarge
    $0.06

    Vendor refund policy

    Refunds through AWS are not available at this time. You will only be billed for actual time of instance use. As with all CIS security products, our aim is always 100 percent customer/member satisfaction.

    Custom pricing options

    Request a private offer to receive a custom quote.

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    Legal

    Vendor terms and conditions

    Upon subscribing to this product, you must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the vendor's End User License Agreement (EULA) .

    Content disclaimer

    Vendors are responsible for their product descriptions and other product content. AWS does not warrant that vendors' product descriptions or other product content are accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free.

    Usage information

     Info

    Delivery details

    64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

    Amazon Machine Image (AMI)

    An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.

    Version release notes

    NA

    Additional details

    Usage instructions

    Once the instance is running, connect using SSH. Use "ec2-user" as the username. Immediately apply latest security updates after launching the instance.

    Support

    Vendor support

    Questions, feedback, and support accessing CIS-developed AMIs is provided by contacting

    AWS infrastructure support

    AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.

    Product comparison

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    Accolades

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    Top
    25
    In Compliance and Auditing, Operating Systems

    Overview

     Info
    AI generated from product descriptions
    Security Hardening
    Pre-configured image hardened according to CIS Benchmarks Level 1 security recommendations
    Configuration Assessment
    Includes CIS Configuration Assessment Tool (CIS-CAT Pro) reports for verifying hardening compliance
    Benchmark Compliance
    Aligns with industry security standards including PCI DSS, FedRAMP, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, and FISMA
    System Reporting
    Provides comprehensive reports including base VM package list, hardening exceptions, and post-hardening package inventory
    Monthly Security Patching
    Regularly updated with software vendor patches to maintain current security configurations
    Cryptographic Compliance
    FIPS 140-2 certified kernel and cryptographic modules with out-of-the-box compliance
    Security Patch Coverage
    Comprehensive security updates for over 23,000 open source packages across Ubuntu Universe repository
    Compliance Hardening
    Integrated hardening profiles from CIS and DISA-STIG security implementation guidelines
    Kernel Security
    FIPS-certified kernel with ongoing security updates for cryptographic components
    Security Tooling
    Ubuntu Security Guide (USG) for automated compliance and security configuration management
    Security Configuration
    Pre-configured security safeguards with minimized attack surfaces and default protective measures
    Compliance Framework
    Vendor-neutral security configuration aligned with multiple cybersecurity compliance standards
    System Optimization
    Preconfigured Linux system tailored for system administrators, security experts, and platform deployment professionals
    Security Standard Adherence
    Image developed through consensus-based approach following industry-recognized security benchmarks

    Contract

     Info
    Standard contract
    No
    No

    Customer reviews

    Ratings and reviews

     Info
    4.7
    3 ratings
    5 star
    4 star
    3 star
    2 star
    1 star
    67%
    33%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    3 AWS reviews
    |
    12 external reviews
    Star ratings include only reviews from verified AWS customers. External reviews can also include a star rating, but star ratings from external reviews are not averaged in with the AWS customer star ratings.
    MoezCHEBBI

    Has delivered expert training and enabled smooth migrations using automated deployment tools

    Reviewed on Sep 22, 2025
    Review from a verified AWS customer

    What is our primary use case?

    My main use case for SUSE Linux Enterprise  involves deploying SUSE Linux Enterprise  and using it with the YaST installer to guide, set up the system, partition, and select the packages.

    I also use SUSE Linux Enterprise to deliver training on SUSE Linux administration and Linux administration in general, teaching how to create users, partition the system, browse the file system, create symbolic links or hard links, and create VMs on AWS  with the SUSE flavor.

    How has it helped my organization?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise has positively impacted my organization by resulting in more contracts signed, including a recent customer from Austria working on SUSE Rancher , which means having employees skilled in SUSE Rancher  gives us the opportunity to bring this workload to our company and grow our revenue.

    For my team, there are more than 10 contracts signed for SUSE products; however, I don't have much insight about the global contracts signed or a summary since I do not occupy a management position.

    What is most valuable?

    The best features SUSE Linux Enterprise offers include a streamlined installation process with the YaST installer, thorough documentation, and tools such as AutoYaST that enable automated, repeatable deployment; however, a new user may face a learning curve, especially if unfamiliar with SUSE-specific tools.

    The need to register a system for updates and support can complicate deployment in an isolated environment. SUSE Linux Enterprise is recognized for its stability and reliability in production environments, with YaST providing a centralized interface for managing system settings, updates, and services, making routine administration straightforward.

    Performance is strong out of the box, and the system is optimized for enterprise workloads; nevertheless, the official repositories prioritize stability, so some newer or less common packages may not be immediately available. Advanced configuration may still require command line expertise, and while SUSE Linux Enterprise is designed for scalability with built-in support for high availability, clustering, and seamless integration with major cloud platforms, leveraging advanced features requires careful planning and expertise, and some management tools can introduce resource overhead, particularly on smaller systems.

    What needs improvement?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise is a mature and reliable platform, but there are areas where it can be improved. Modernizing the system management tools is important as many users appreciate YaST for its centralized management, but there is a growing demand for more modern, web-based, and modular tools. The introduction of tools such as Agama, a web-based installer, and Cockpit in newer releases is a step in the right direction.

    SUSE has made progress with multi-Linux support, allowing organizations to manage and support not just SUSE systems but also other distributions such as Red Hat and CentOS ; continuing to expand these capabilities, especially for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, will help organizations manage diverse infrastructure more effectively.

    Security is a top concern, and further strengthening default security policies, simplifying compliance management, and integrating advanced vulnerability management tools would be a valuable improvement.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for more than six years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise is widely recognized for its strong scalability, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to global enterprises. It can scale horizontally or vertically, horizontally by adding more servers and vertically by increasing resources on an existing instance.

    How are customer service and support?

    Vendor support is another strong point of SUSE Linux Enterprise, with the support team generally being responsive and knowledgeable, offering 24/7 assistance for critical issues. There is a wealth of resources available, including a comprehensive knowledge base and proactive support options.

    Initial support interaction may follow a scripted process before more complex issues are escalated to specialized engineers. The quality of support can vary depending on the region.

    SUSE Linux Enterprise provides a stable, secure, and well-supported platform for enterprise workloads, with powerful management tools and robust support for clustering, cloud, and containers. The main challenges include the initial learning curve for SUSE-specific tools, the need for system registration, and limited availability of the latest packages in the official repositories. Customer support is really super.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We are actually using both SUSE Linux Enterprise and Red Hat Enterprise Linux , so we didn't switch; rather, we are using both, and it's ultimately the customer who decides to choose, although we try to provide them with ideas.

    Before choosing SUSE Linux Enterprise, we evaluated other options; however, in our environment, particularly production and customer production environments, we prefer enterprise versions, and for Linux, it is either SUSE or Red Hat, leaving us with limited choices for deploying Linux in an enterprise setting.

    What was our ROI?

    We have seen a return on investment from using SUSE Linux Enterprise, with more people engaged on projects needing SUSE skills and more revenue for the company.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate SUSE Linux Enterprise a 10 out of 10 because it keeps improving, with great products such as SUSE Rancher, and it stands out as the best product in the market.

    I advise others looking into using SUSE Linux Enterprise to clearly define their requirements, such as workload types, scalability needs, compliance standards, and integration with existing infrastructure before committing, as SUSE Linux Enterprise excels in regulated, mission-critical, and hybrid environments. They should also invest in learning SUSE tools and take advantage of vendor support.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    G Srivastava

    Has provided robust support for critical application workloads and ensured uninterrupted availability

    Reviewed on Sep 16, 2025
    Review provided by PeerSpot

    What is our primary use case?

    My main use case for SUSE Linux Enterprise  is for installing SAP clusters, HANA , on HANA  systems, and creating LVMs and daily system admin tasks.

    A specific example of how I use SUSE Linux Enterprise  for SAP clusters or HANA systems is that we have installed the cluster on newly built SAP HANA servers, tested those clusters by stopping one server, and checked if HANA is operational on the other system. After this successful testing, we handed over the system to the SAP team.

    How has it helped my organization?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise has positively impacted my organization because it is a very robust flavor of Linux we are currently using for SAP systems. Since I'm more into Azure  cloud, SAP has collaborated with Azure  to configure SAP systems mainly on SUSE Linux, resulting in better performance compared to other flavors.

    What is most valuable?

    In my experience, the best features SUSE Linux Enterprise offers are that while all Linux systems are similar, SUSE is more robust with a different kind of commands, and the LVM is very easy to configure, along with simple disk scanning compared to other systems.

    The YaST facility on SUSE Linux, which is the GUI provided, helps in my daily work by allowing us to check logs whenever we face logging issues, and for LVM, it enables us to scan the disk and add data to the file systems easily.

    What needs improvement?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise can be improved by having more documentation or logging systems available on the internet, as we face difficulties troubleshooting issues without sufficient resources.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise for the last two and a half years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise is stable. When HANA is utilized by many applications, I notice that while utilization does increase, we have never faced lagging or server unresponsiveness. The servers work properly, provide alerts for high CPU and memory usage, but do not encounter CPU or memory issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Its scalability is quite good since we are using Azure, which allows us to easily scale up or down our resources as needed.

    How are customer service and support?

    Support for SUSE Linux Enterprise is good; we have logged several cases, and they have provided troubleshooting steps through email and calls, but real-time support when opening a case could be better.

    The customer support is good; whenever we have opened a case, they have provided detailed explanations of the issues and resolutions.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We have started our SAP HANA systems on SUSE Linux only, and based on experiences from other organizations, we decided it works very effectively, so we haven't considered other flavors.

    How was the initial setup?

    We deploy SUSE Linux Enterprise using public cloud, Azure, primarily, and all our SAP HANA systems are installed on SUSE Linux running on the public cloud, utilizing images provided by the Azure Marketplace .

    What about the implementation team?

    For these deployments, we use Azure as our cloud provider.

    What was our ROI?

    I have seen a return on investment by switching our clusters from on-prem to Azure public cloud, using our same Bring Your Own Licenses, which saved costs on licensing.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for SUSE Linux Enterprise is that while the licensing cost is a bit high, I believe it is justified due to the quality of service provided for SAP and heavy systems.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Before choosing SUSE Linux Enterprise, we did not evaluate other options.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate SUSE Linux Enterprise an eight out of ten because SUSE works really effectively for SAP systems, and since I am mainly working on these SAP servers to provide continuous support and availability, our clients are satisfied, with no extra downtime or performance issues.

    My advice for others looking into using SUSE Linux Enterprise is to not have any doubts and start working on it, as installing your applications on SUSE will stabilize them compared to other Linux flavors, where issues such as kernel, memory, or CPU hung problems can arise which you won't see on SUSE Linux servers.

    I think there are too many questions; it would be helpful to receive information ahead of time about the number of questions expected, as I hadn't anticipated the interview would take 13-14 minutes during my working day.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Microsoft Azure
    reviewer2754477

    Stable OS supports SAP landscape but licensing changes required

    Reviewed on Sep 03, 2025
    Review from a verified AWS customer

    What is our primary use case?

    I use it for the corporate SAP landscape.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It provides a stable and reliable OS. I recommended it based on its stability and functionality.

    What is most valuable?

    It has a stable and reliable OS. I recommended it based on its stability and functionality.

    What needs improvement?

    The functionality is good, but the licensing subscription model needs improvement. The license we subscribed to should carry over within the same instance family. Why are we required to re-subscribe when upgrading within the same family? Why are we effectively paying double fees during an upgrade?

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for three years.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We chose this solution because it was recommended by our managed service provider and it is known to be a good OS for SAP.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We are facing an issue with licensing usage. The subscription does not carry over within the same instance family, so upgrading an instance results in overlapping or double subscription fees.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We did not consider alternate solutions because it was highly recommended by the managed service vendor.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are facing an issue with licensing usage. The subscription does not carry over within the same instance family, so upgrading an instance results in overlapping or double subscription fees.

    Charles White Jr

    Clean user interface and efficient personal use pave the way for running essential applications

    Reviewed on Feb 25, 2025
    Review provided by PeerSpot

    What is our primary use case?

    I used SUSE Linux personally, not on an admin level or for advanced purposes, but for regular use. I would play around and experiment with different Linux distros, including SUSE Linux, Debian , and Fedora. I also attempted to use it for work purposes in a hospital setting, primarily to see if it could support applications like Teams and Outlook.

    What is most valuable?

    SUSE Linux had a clean user interface, which was a valuable feature for me. It allowed me to use the software manager differently compared to Ubuntu . Eventually, I was able to get essential applications like Teams and Outlook running on it. I primarily used it for personal desktop use, and it was solid for that.

    What needs improvement?

    The software management side was a bit difficult, especially compared to Ubuntu . The software manager was different, making it challenging to install certain applications. 

    Additionally, I encountered issues when setting it up on newer model laptops, possibly due to hardware incompatibility, such as the solid-state drive.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I used SUSE Linux over a number of years as part of my exploration of various Linux distributions.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux was stable for me. I did not experience any problems with its stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux was scalable to my needs. I did not encounter any issues with scalability.

    How are customer service and support?

    I did not reach out to customer service or tech support. I found the needed information easily on community forums and through online research.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have used a variety of Linux distributions, including Debian , Fedora, and Ubuntu, but I did not use them specifically as a replacement for SUSE Linux.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was straightforward. However, I encountered trouble when reclaiming space on the hard drive later on, which might have been an issue with the computer I used.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I used the open-source version, so there were no setup costs.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I evaluated other Linux distributions like Fedora and Ubuntu. Fedora's ISO is small, but I found the system itself to be annoying after a while.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would not recommend SUSE Linux in environments where users are not tech-savvy, yet it is solid for workstations. SUSE Linux worked well on older model computers but not as effectively on newer models. 

    Overall, I would rate SUSE Linux a solid nine out of ten for my purposes.

    Naveen Venugopal

    Efficient IT management with crucial automatic updates but needs developer-friendly configuration

    Reviewed on Sep 24, 2024
    Review provided by PeerSpot

    What is our primary use case?

    We are working with SUSE Enterprise Edition.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It is good for IT teams and business efficiency. For maintainability and all, it is good.

    What is most valuable?

    The most important feature is the automatic kernel lifecycle subscription, which is critical for us because the server cannot go down once we start offering any services on the cluster.

    What needs improvement?

    Sometimes it is a bit of work for developers to change the configurations. Some kernels will not fit with some packages, and this aspect could be improved. Furthermore, the system's rigidity when updating packages and services needs improvement. Additionally, there should be more loosely bound functionalities to improve developer experience.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using SUSE Linux Enterprise  for more than five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SUSE Linux Enterprise  is good for IT and maintainability. However, it can be rigid, especially with kernel and package compatibility.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Some kernel versions do not fit well with certain packages, creating compatibility issues that affect scalability.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support for IT and kernel-level OS issues is very good. However, it is less effective for development-level issues. The IT department handles technical support, and I cannot comment directly on its effectiveness.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We are considering alternatives for our new machine learning infrastructure and have worked with Ubuntu  in the past.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The pricing is slightly higher than expected, but it is manageable for our current project. For the upcoming projects, we are looking for cost-effective solutions.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We are considering Linux instead of SUSE and want to check some cost-effective measures, like Rocky Linux .

    What other advice do I have?

    For developers, some flexibility and reducing dependency on specific kernel versions would be better.

    I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Other
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