CIS Critical Security Control 5: Account Management Fundamentals

Weak credentials and unmanaged accounts remain the primary entry points for modern cyberattacks. Securing user, administrator, and service identities is critical to protecting organizational data. This text-based course guides you through implementing CIS Critical Security Control 5 to build a robust identity and access management strategy. By completing this course, you will understand how to manage the full account lifecycle, enforce least privilege, and prevent unauthorized access using industry-standard frameworks. What you'll learn: • Understand the core terminology and foundational principles of CIS Critical Security Control 5. • Establish secure processes for creating, modifying, and terminating user and administrative accounts. • Configure multi-factor authentication and modern credential policies. • Manage privileged access and service accounts to minimize your organization's attack surface. • Apply zero-trust principles to access control and credential management. • Audit and monitor account activity to quickly identify anomalous behavior. The course begins with foundational concepts of identity governance before moving into practical workflows for account creation, credential enforcement, and privilege restriction. You will conclude by exploring continuous monitoring and access review techniques to maintain a secure environment. This course is designed for beginner cybersecurity analysts, IT support specialists, and systems administrators who want to master identity security. No prior security compliance experience is required. Start reading today to secure your organization's accounts and defend against identity-based threats.