Essential Eight - Technicalities

Cyber Security and the Essential Eight

In order to create an acceptable baseline security level for businesses, Technicalities closely aligns our security strategy with the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Essential Eight’ model.

While no single mitigation strategy is guaranteed to prevent cyber security incidents, organisations are recommended to implement eight essential mitigation strategies as a baseline. This baseline, known as the Essential Eight, makes it much harder for adversaries to compromise systems.

The Essential Eight Explained:

Application Control

Application control is essential for managing applications on a network. It blocks unauthorised software, reduces cyber threats, enhances system integrity, and protects sensitive data, thus improving compliance and maintaining business efficiency and security.

Application Patching

Application patching updates software to fix vulnerabilities, enhance performance, and protect systems. Regular updates improve compatibility and user experience. An effective patch management strategy is crucial for security, helping organisations protect data and reduce downtime. Prioritising patching helps manage risks and maintain secure technology.

Patch Operating Systems

Patching operating systems is crucial for fixing vulnerabilities, enhancing performance, and ensuring security compliance. Regular updates protect against cyber threats and prevent data breaches, optimising user experience. Keeping systems current is essential for safeguarding digital assets and maintaining efficiency.

Configure Office Macros

Restricting office macros is essential for data and IT security. While automation has advantages, unmanaged macros pose risks. Implementing restrictions limits malware infections and data breaches by permitting only trusted macros. Businesses must educate employees on safe macro use and frequently review settings to ensure productivity and security.

Application Hardening

Application hardening improves software security against threats by implementing code reviews, limiting user permissions, applying patches, and using security tools. It safeguards sensitive data, lowers breach risks, ensures regulatory compliance, and builds user trust.

Restrict Admin Privileges

Restricting administrator privileges is essential for IT security. Limiting access to sensitive settings prevents unauthorised changes and malicious activities, ensuring only trained personnel can make critical adjustments. This protects data, promotes security, and aids regulatory compliance for IT management and end-users.

Multi Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances online security by requiring two or more verification factors, such as a password, a smartphone or hardware token, and biometric data. MFA reduces unauthorised access risks and protects sensitive information from cyber threats, making it essential for digital security.

Regular Backups

Regular backups protect data by reducing risks from hardware failures, deletions, and cyber threats. A consistent strategy ensures quick recovery and less disruption. Use cloud storage or external drives for security and prioritise data for a safe future.

Audit, Implementation and Monitoring

Audit: Our security audit process provides insights into the current status of your network security. Our Engineers will undertake a detailed review of your IT infrastructure and systems. During this process we will assess your maturity against the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Essential Eight’.

Implementation: Our Engineers have been implementing the Essential Eight controls since their inception in 2017, so we have the knowledge and skills to advise on how your business aligns to the Essential 8. We then work with you to implement the controls you require, with the operational impact on your business at the forefront of our planning.

Monitoring: We have partnered with an award winning Australian software company to provide a platform that continuously measures the effectiveness of your organisation’s security controls against the Essential 8 Framework. The platform provides an objective, ongoing, quantitative measure of your security controls’ performance, enabling management of dynamic cyber risk.

Our Security Core Competencies

Cyber Security Auditing

Network Security (Endpoint Detection, Email, Firewalls)

Essential 8 Implementation, Audit and Monitoring

Incident Response, Threat Hunting and Forensic Analysis

Security Incident & Event Monitoring

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning

Secure Remote Access

Security Awareness Training