Australian Cyber Security Centre Essential 8

ACSC Essential 8  Mitigation Strategies

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Essential 8 (E8) is a set of baseline mitigation strategies designed to protect organisations from cyber threats. These strategies, when implemented effectively, can significantly reduce an organisation's risk of being compromised.

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Why Essential 8?

While organisations differ in operations and risk profiles, implementing the ACSC's Essential 8 (E8) mitigation strategies serves as a crucial baseline. These strategies make it tougher for adversaries to compromise systems. The ACSC has found that effectively implementing the Essential 8 strategies can mitigate up to 85% of cyber threats. Proactive implementation is more cost-effective than reacting to cyber incidents.

ACSC's Essential 8 Controls

The Essential Eight strategies aim to enhance cybersecurity by mitigating malware delivery, limiting incident impact, and ensuring efficient recovery. The mitigation strategies that constitute the Essential Eight are:
Control 01

Patch Applications

Regularly update software to protect against known vulnerabilities and cyber threats.
Control 02

Patch Operating
Systems

Manage the use of applications to prevent unauthorised or malicious software from running.
Control 03

Multi-factor
Authentication

Add an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity with two or more factors.
Control 04

Restrict Admin
Privileges

Limit administrative access to reduce the impact of potential security breaches.
Control 05

Application Control

Manage the use of applications to prevent unauthorized or malicious software from running.
Control 06

Restrict Microsoft Office Macros

Configure Microsoft Office to block macros from the internet and only allow trusted macros to run.
Control 07

User Application
Hardening

Secure applications by disabling unnecessary features that could be exploited by attackers.
Control 08

Regular
Backups

Backup critical data regularly to ensure it can be restored in the event of data loss or a cyberattack.
Essential 8

Maturity Level

Organisations implementing the Essential 8 should begin by defining a target maturity level suitable for their environment.

These levels range from Maturity Level Zero to Maturity Level Three, each addressing progressively higher levels of trade craft (tools, tactics, techniques, and procedures) and targeting. Malicious actors may vary in their tradecraft depending on the operation and target, underscoring the need for flexible security measures.
Maturity Level Zero
It indicates weaknesses in an organisation's cybersecurity posture, which, if exploited, could compromise data confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
Maturity Level One
It involves malicious actors using readily available tradecraft to gain system access and control.
Maturity Level Two
It involves malicious actors with slightly higher capabilities, willing to invest more time and effort into their tools.
Maturity Level Three
It involves adaptive malicious actors who rely less on public tools, exploiting weaknesses in the target’s postures.
ACSC E8 Process

Essential 8 Maturity Assessment Approach

Risk Associates offers a thorough Essential 8 maturity assessment, helping organisations evaluate their alignment with these critical cybersecurity controls. Our process includes the following steps:

Evaluate the organisation's current cybersecurity posture and identify potential vulnerabilities.

Compare the current state with the desired maturity level to determine areas needing improvement.

Develop a customised plan to address identified gaps and enhance cybersecurity measures.

Assist in implementing the plan, ensuring effective deployment of security measures.

Continuously monitor the implemented measures and conduct regular reviews to ensure alignment with the Essential Eight framework.

Provide detailed reports on the assessment findings, mitigation strategies, and progress tracking.

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