Bottom line: The August 2026 update to the CIS Benchmarks brings new security controls for Microsoft Defender Application Guard, marking a significant enhancement to the security posture of organizations using Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019.
What's happening: The updates were implemented as part of the August 2026 security patch cycle, which included over 150 security patches for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019. The CIS Benchmarks now reflect the new controls for Microsoft Defender Application Guard, which were added to the Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019 benchmarks.
What to do: Security leaders should review the updated benchmarks to ensure their organizations are taking advantage of the new security controls for Microsoft Defender Application Guard, and apply the necessary patches to their systems to ensure compliance with the updated benchmarks.