Product Name
Windows Build Kits
Product Version
Windows Server and Workstation
Date
Problem
We have successfully deployed all of the CIS L* GPOs to all computers running windows 10 20Hx.
Now we’re upgrading those computers to Windows 21Hx.
Is there any easy way to apply the updates on the current GPO.
Solution
The Window’s GPO updating process should be easily maintainable. There are a small number of Recommendations to update yearly.
We highly recommend making backups, using test OUs before placing anything in the Production Environments, and fully reading and understanding the Impact and Rational behind the recommendations before taking it to production.
Once you have applied a set of CIS Build Kit GPOs, per your Organizational needs, the best method to keep the GPOs up-to-date and in-accordance with new Benchmark publications is going to be to manually update, test, and apply anything from the Change Log into the existing GPOs.
At the end of all Benchmarks there is a Change Log. The Log shows if Recommendations have been removed, added or updated.
You’ll look at the Change Log Appendix
Go to that updated/ added/ removed Recommendation and remediate per the updated Recommendations.
If the Recommendation is for Level 1 Member Server, adjust that within the L1 Member Server GPO
or copy the existent GPO, edit it, test it, and then go into production with it. Whichever your SysAdmin prefers.
Examples of what you’d approximately need to change/ add/ update in a year
The Server and Workstation Benchmark publications are always 2nd point releases**, and a typical year’s worth of Change Logs is about 15 entries.
These 3 Benchmark publications account for roughly a year of Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise Benchmark publications.
Between CIS_Microsoft_Windows_10_Enterprise_Release_20H2_Benchmark_v1.9.0 & v1.9.1 - there was 1 change.
1 adjusted Recommendation
Between CIS_Microsoft_Windows_10_Enterprise_Release_20H2_Benchmark_v1.9.1 & v1.10.0 there were 6 changes:
4 recommendations added & 2 updated.
Between Between CIS_Microsoft_Windows_10_Enterprise_Release_20H2_Benchmark_v1.10.0 & CIS_Microsoft_Windows_10_Enterprise_Release_21H1_Benchmark_v1.11.0 there were 9 changes:
4 recommendations were removed
3 recommendations were updated
2 recommendations were added
**Meaning that these specific Benchmarks don’t start from scratch, but build on each other until a completely new OS is released, such as Server 2022, which is its own unique BM from Server 2019.
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