Primary references
Use the original standards below to check terminology and requirements. These references explain the standards; they do not endorse CISGuard or independently verify its product coverage.
All answers
What is the CIS hardening checklist for Windows Server 2022?
The CIS Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Benchmark is the authoritative hardening checklist for Windows Server 2022. It covers account and password policies, local security options, audit policy, Windows Defender settings, remote-access restrictions, and hundreds of administrative-template settings, each rated Level 1 (essential) or Level 2 (defense-in-depth), with separate profiles for member servers and domain controllers. Automated scanning verifies the checklist far faster than manual GPO review.
The longer answer.
Each recommendation in the benchmark includes the required setting value, the rationale, the operational impact, and audit and remediation procedures, so the same document serves as both the hardening guide and the audit reference. Most organizations apply Level 1 across all Windows Server 2022 instances and reserve Level 2 for servers handling regulated or sensitive data.
Because the checklist runs to hundreds of individual settings per profile, verifying it by hand does not scale. CISGuard scans Windows Server against the CIS benchmark continuously and maps each result to NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 so one hardening effort produces evidence for every framework in scope.
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