Sold by: Center for Internet Security
Deployed on AWS
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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.
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Overview
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The CIS Hardened Image Level 1 on Microsoft Windows Server 2016 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
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 components 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 Microsoft Windows Server 2016 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:
These reports are located in C:\CIS Hardening Reports.
If this instance is used in a domain environment where policies are managed globally, the majority of the security settings will be changed and managed by domain policies.
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
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Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Win2016 10.0.14393
Deployed on AWS
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AWS Marketplace now accepts line of credit payments through the PNC Vendor Finance program. This program is available to select AWS customers in the US, excluding NV, NC, ND, TN, & VT.
Pricing
Free trial
Try this product free for 30 days according to the free trial terms set by the vendor. Usage-based pricing is in effect for usage beyond the free trial terms. Your free trial gets automatically converted to a paid subscription when the trial ends, but may be canceled any time before that.
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.
If you are an AWS Free Tier customer with a free plan, you are eligible to subscribe to this offer. You can use free credits to cover the cost of eligible AWS infrastructure. See AWS Free Tier for more details. If you created an AWS account before July 15th, 2025, and qualify for the Legacy AWS Free Tier, Amazon EC2 charges for Micro instances are free for up to 750 hours per month. See Legacy AWS Free Tier for more details.
Dimension | Cost/hour |
|---|---|
t3.medium Recommended | $0.02 |
t2.micro | $0.02 |
t3.micro | $0.022 |
r5dn.xlarge | $0.024 |
m7a.8xlarge | $0.05 |
c7a.xlarge | $0.024 |
g5.12xlarge | $0.055 |
t2.nano | $0.02 |
c6id.12xlarge | $0.055 |
g6.24xlarge | $0.06 |
Dimensions summary
You pay by the hour for this hardened Windows Server 2016 image, billed per running instance. Pricing has no upfront commitment and follows usage. The hourly software rate depends on which EC2 instance type you launch. Hundreds of instance types are available, spanning general purpose, compute, memory, storage, accelerated computing, and high-performance families, from small sizes to bare metal. Larger instances with more compute, memory, or specialized hardware carry higher hourly rates. You add standard AWS infrastructure charges on top. Choose the instance size that matches your workload to control cost.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
You pay the hourly software rate for each running instance launched from this image. The rate is tied to the EC2 instance type you choose. Stopped or powered-off instances do not accrue software charges. Underlying AWS storage fees may still apply while the instance is stopped.
The charge covers a virtual machine image of Windows Server 2016 that comes pre-configured to a security benchmark. This hardening limits weaknesses that make systems vulnerable to attack and supports compliance with recognized configuration standards. You get the secure configuration built in, ready to deploy immediately.
Each instance type carries its own hourly software rate. Moving to a type with more compute, memory, or specialized hardware raises the hourly rate you pay. The change applies from the moment the new instance runs. You also pay separate AWS infrastructure charges that scale with the instance size.
www.cisecurity.org
Helpful?
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.
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.
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
Monthly updates
Additional details
Usage instructions
Once the instance is running, choose Get Windows Password in the EC2 console then connect using a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) client. The RDP client MUST be able to authenticate using NTLMv2. See https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc738867%28v=ws.10%29.aspx for more information. 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.
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AI generated from product descriptions
Security Hardening Framework
Image hardened according to CIS Benchmark Level 1 profile developed through consensus-based process and accepted by government, business, industry, and academia.
Configuration Assessment and Reporting
Includes CIS-CAT Pro HTML reports documenting baseline configuration, post-hardening configuration, and exceptions to benchmark recommendations.
Regulatory Compliance Support
Supports compliance requirements for PCI DSS, FedRAMP, DoD Cloud Computing SRG, FISMA, and select NIST publications.
Security Policy Configuration
Pre-configured hardened account and local policies, firewall configuration, and computer-based and user-based administrative templates.
Patch Management
Monthly patching aligned with software vendor updates to maintain security standards and system currency.
FIPS 140-2 Certification
FIPS 140-2 certified kernel and cryptographic modules included out of the box with ongoing security updates
Extended Security Coverage
Security patches available for over 23,000 packages in the Ubuntu Universe repository with 10 years of support through Expanded Security Maintenance
Compliance Hardening Profiles
CIS and DISA-STIG hardening profiles accessible through Ubuntu Security Guide tooling for guided compliance configuration
Cryptographic Module Updates
Security updates provided for all packages including FIPS-certified cryptographic modules
Long-term Support
10 years of security coverage and maintenance for the operating system and included packages
Operating System Hardening
Amazon Linux 2 configured with STIG Benchmark High security standards developed by Defense Information System Agency (DISA) for system hardening and security posture improvement
EMR Compatibility
Tested and compatible with Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR) for distributed processing workloads
Security Configuration Standards
Implementation of Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) configuration standards for system hardening
Continuous Security Updates
Availability of continuous security updates through new versions of the hardened image
Multi-Application Support
Capability to function with various applications beyond EMR deployments
Standard contract
No
No
Customer reviews
Rahul
How to perform inplace upgrade for CIS benchmark Windows server 2016 to Windows server 2022
Reviewed on Jan 28, 2025
Review from a verified AWS customer
How to perform in-place upgrade for CIS benchmark Windows server 2016 to Windows server 2022, can you please help us with this ask.