I've just wrapped up a review of workstation STIGs, and honestly, it was such a grueling process! I can't fathom how GRC folks do this every day. Now that I'm done, I'm looking to automate some parts of the process. Here's what I want to achieve:
- Batch process STIGs monthly (that part is already sorted).
- Create a PowerShell script to compare the new CKL files against an established "golden baseline."
- Generate a report highlighting the differences, allowing us to focus on specific vulnerabilities instead of sifting through a mountain of CKL files in the STIG viewer.
I plan to dive into XML parsing since CKL files are XML-based, but I'd love to hear if anyone is aware of existing modules or tools that could help. So far, I haven't had much luck finding anything, so I might end up building a solution myself. Any tips or recommendations to streamline this process? I could definitely use some guidance as I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with this PowerShell endeavor!
5 Answers
Have you considered using Desired State Configuration (DSC) instead? It might be a more straightforward option for managing compliance over time.
Check out Stigmanager; it works well alongside Evaluate-STIG and can help you manage reviews at scale. Also, look into SCAP; their benchmarks should be helpful, and they have an answer files feature!
You might find Microsoft’s PowerStig useful. It’s designed to help with STIG compliance specifically. Also, if you're focusing on workstations, don’t overlook OSConfig; it’s catered toward Windows Server 2025 and has the controls you might find useful.
Look into using HardeningKitty! It currently supports Windows 10 configurations, but the differences with Windows 11 are minimal. The tool can save results as a CSV, which makes it easy to compare them later.
You can check out the PowerShell Gallery; there are a few useful blog posts and maybe even some GitHub repos on STIG automation. It's usually better not to reinvent the wheel if there's a tool that fits your needs—it'll save you maintenance headaches later!
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