Prioritise Your Cyber Security with A Plan for Your Essential Eight Maturity Level
The increased reliance on technology in business today, has opened the door to a host of cyber threats, making cybersecurity a paramount concern for individuals, businesses, and governments alike. Preventing cyber attackers from breaching your business is critical to not only safeguard your sensitive data, financial stability, and operational continuity, but maintaining trust and reputation amongst your team and customers.
Recognising the crucial need to fortify the digital defence of Australian businesses against ever-evolving cyber threats, the Australian Government is taking a proactive stance. By mandating adherence to the Essential Eight, the government aims to enhance cyber resilience in organisations across the nation.
The increased reliance on technology in business today, has opened the door to a host of cyber threats, making cybersecurity a paramount concern for individuals, businesses, and governments alike. Preventing cyber attackers from breaching your business is critical to not only safeguard your sensitive data, financial stability, and operational continuity, but maintaining trust and reputation amongst your team and customers.
Recognising the crucial need to fortify the digital defence of Australian businesses against ever-evolving cyber threats, the Australian Government is taking a proactive stance. By mandating adherence to the Essential Eight, the government aims to enhance cyber resilience in organisations across the nation.
When partnering with Tango IT, you’ll receive completely unbiased, tailored guidance when assessing the Essential Eight framework. Our team will:
Developed by the Australian Signals Directorate, the Essential Eight framework and maturity model improves your cyber resilience.
Level One is the minimum criteria for many companies working in the federal government supply chain. The Essential Eight framework and maturity model is based around the following:
Restrict Administrative
Privileges
Restrict Microsoft
Office Macros
User Application
Hardening
Multi-Factor
Authentication
Patch Operating
Systems
Application
Control
Patch
Applications
Regular
Data Backups
At Level Zero, your business is at the weaknesses point in the Essential Eight framework and your overall cyber security is in a vulnerable state. When exploited, you compromise the confidentiality of your data, or the integrity or availability of your systems.
At Level One, your business is at risk from malicious actors who are opportunistically seeking weaknesses. These malicious actors will employ common social engineering techniques to trick users into weakening the security of a system and launch malicious applications. Depending on their intent, malicious actors may also destroy data (including backups).
At Level Two, malicious actors will operate at a modest step-up in capability from Level One. They are willing to invest more time and tools to bypass the measures you’ve implemented and evade detection. This includes actively targeting credentials using phishing and employing technical and social engineering techniques to circumvent weak multi-factor authentication. Depending on their intent, they may also destroy all data (including backups) accessible to an account with special privileges.
At Level Three, malicious actors are more adaptive and much less reliant on public tools and techniques. They’re able to exploit opportunities provided by weaknesses in your cyber security posture, such as the existence of older software or inadequate logging and monitoring. They do this to not only extend their access once initial access has been gained, but to evade detection and solidify their presence. Implementing the Essential Eight proactively can be more cost-effective in terms of time, money, and effort than having to respond to a large-scale cyber security incident.
The Australian Signals Directorate’s Cyber Security Partnership Program enables Australian organisations and individuals to engage with the ASD as well as fellow partners, drawing on collective experience, understanding, skills, and capability to lift cyber resilience across the Australian economy.
Tango IT is proudly a recognised partner of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), a division of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).
As of 2021, the federal government recommended the Essential Eight framework for all non-corporate Commonwealth entities (NCCEs).
To ensure the Essential Eight security controls are implemented and maintained, all NCCE’s should comply with the cybersecurity framework and, in addition, will undergo a comprehensive audit every five years.
State Government entities provide unique and essential services that increasingly rely on information and operational technology systems. Securing these systems is vital to protect the social and economic wellbeing of the people of this state and Australia’s national security interests. State Governments should comply with (at minimum) Maturity Level One of the Essential Eight Maturity framework.
State Governments have access to the Digital Capability Fund (DCF) to digitally transform with upgrades of legacy ICT systems, environments, and controls. This can include becoming Essential Eight compliant.
Alongside State Government, Local Governments should comply with good cyber controls. With their internet-facing systems compliance with (at minimum) Maturity Level Two of the Essential Eight framework is a prudent start. Essential Eight audits are completed by the Office of the Auditor General.
Defence force contractors providing services for security and weapons transport are required to be compliant with (at minimum) Maturity Level One for four of the Essential Eight Framework specifically application control, patch applications, restrict administrative privileges, and patch operating systems.
At Tango IT, we do not develop or sell technology, nor do we partner with technology providers. We simply help you find the best possible technology solutions to meet your business needs. Our absolute independence is not only our most valuable tool, but also your greatest ally in your technology journey. Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you on your journey to implementing the Essential Eight framework.
