diff --git a/cmd/util.go b/cmd/util.go
index 87b13f0..0bc40be 100644
--- a/cmd/util.go
+++ b/cmd/util.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aquasecurity/kube-bench/check"
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -83,6 +84,37 @@ func ps(proc string) string {
 	return string(out)
 }
 
+// getBinaries finds which of the set of candidate executables are running
+func getBinaries(v *viper.Viper) map[string]string {
+	binmap := make(map[string]string)
+
+	for _, exeType := range v.AllKeys() {
+		bin, err := findExecutable(v.GetStringSlice(exeType))
+		if err != nil {
+			exitWithError(fmt.Errorf("looking for %s executable but none of the candidates are running", exeType))
+		}
+
+		binmap[exeType] = bin
+	}
+	return binmap
+}
+
+// getConfigFiles finds which of the set of candidate config files exist
+func getConfigFiles(v *viper.Viper) map[string]string {
+	confmap := make(map[string]string)
+
+	for _, confType := range v.AllKeys() {
+		conf := findConfigFile(v.GetStringSlice(confType))
+		if conf == "" {
+			printlnWarn(fmt.Sprintf("Missing kubernetes config file for %s", confType))
+		} else {
+			confmap[confType] = conf
+		}
+	}
+
+	return confmap
+}
+
 // verifyBin checks that the binary specified is running
 func verifyBin(bin string) bool {
 
@@ -110,6 +142,21 @@ func verifyBin(bin string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// fundConfigFile looks through a list of possible config files and finds the first one that exists
+func findConfigFile(candidates []string) string {
+	for _, c := range candidates {
+		_, err := statFunc(c)
+		if err == nil {
+			return c
+		}
+		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			exitWithError(fmt.Errorf("error looking for file %s: %v", c, err))
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
 // findExecutable looks through a list of possible executable names and finds the first one that's running
 func findExecutable(candidates []string) (string, error) {
 	for _, c := range candidates {
diff --git a/cmd/util_test.go b/cmd/util_test.go
index 659dd2e..d5192a6 100644
--- a/cmd/util_test.go
+++ b/cmd/util_test.go
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
 func TestCheckVersion(t *testing.T) {
@@ -78,10 +82,19 @@ func TestVersionMatch(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 var g string
+var e []error
+var eIndex int
 
 func fakeps(proc string) string {
 	return g
 }
+
+func fakestat(file string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
+	err := e[eIndex]
+	eIndex++
+	return nil, err
+}
+
 func TestVerifyBin(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		proc  string
@@ -145,6 +158,41 @@ func TestFindExecutable(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetBinaries(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		config map[string]interface{}
+		psOut  string
+		exp    map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			config: map[string]interface{}{"apiserver": []string{"apiserver", "kube-apiserver"}},
+			psOut:  "kube-apiserver",
+			exp:    map[string]string{"apiserver": "kube-apiserver"},
+		},
+		{
+			config: map[string]interface{}{"apiserver": []string{"apiserver", "kube-apiserver"}, "thing": []string{"something else", "thing"}},
+			psOut:  "kube-apiserver thing",
+			exp:    map[string]string{"apiserver": "kube-apiserver", "thing": "thing"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	v := viper.New()
+	psFunc = fakeps
+
+	for id, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(id), func(t *testing.T) {
+			g = c.psOut
+			for k, val := range c.config {
+				v.Set(k, val)
+			}
+			m := getBinaries(v)
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(m, c.exp) {
+				t.Fatalf("Got %v\nExpected %v", m, c.exp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMultiWordReplace(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		input   string
@@ -166,3 +214,64 @@ func TestMultiWordReplace(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestFindConfigFile(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		input       []string
+		statResults []error
+		exp         string
+	}{
+		{input: []string{"myfile"}, statResults: []error{nil}, exp: "myfile"},
+		{input: []string{"thisfile", "thatfile"}, statResults: []error{os.ErrNotExist, nil}, exp: "thatfile"},
+		{input: []string{"thisfile", "thatfile"}, statResults: []error{os.ErrNotExist, os.ErrNotExist}, exp: ""},
+	}
+
+	statFunc = fakestat
+	for id, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(id), func(t *testing.T) {
+			e = c.statResults
+			eIndex = 0
+			conf := findConfigFile(c.input)
+			if conf != c.exp {
+				t.Fatalf("Got %s expected %s", conf, c.exp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		config      map[string]interface{}
+		exp         map[string]string
+		statResults []error
+	}{
+		{
+			config:      map[string]interface{}{"apiserver": []string{"apiserver", "kube-apiserver"}},
+			statResults: []error{os.ErrNotExist, nil},
+			exp:         map[string]string{"apiserver": "kube-apiserver"},
+		},
+		{
+			config:      map[string]interface{}{"apiserver": []string{"apiserver", "kube-apiserver"}, "thing": []string{"/my/file/thing"}},
+			statResults: []error{os.ErrNotExist, nil, nil},
+			exp:         map[string]string{"apiserver": "kube-apiserver", "thing": "/my/file/thing"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	v := viper.New()
+	statFunc = fakestat
+
+	for id, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(strconv.Itoa(id), func(t *testing.T) {
+			for k, val := range c.config {
+				v.Set(k, val)
+			}
+			e = c.statResults
+			eIndex = 0
+
+			m := getConfigFiles(v)
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(m, c.exp) {
+				t.Fatalf("Got %v\nExpected %v", m, c.exp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}