In the current digital era, cybersecurity is becoming a major concern for companies of all kinds. Cyberattacks are growing more frequent and sophisticated, and they can have disastrous results if successful. Because of this, companies must implement a strong cybersecurity plan.
In an attempt to dramatically increase the cyber resilience of Australian enterprises, the Australian federal government, in collaboration with the Australian Cyber Security Center (ACSC), established the Essential Eight Standard framework. This data security standard was launched in February 2017 by the ACSC and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and is considered the best baseline for maintaining the cyber resilience of companies in Australia.
In this blog, we will highlight the eight controls of ACSC’s Essential Eight framework, talk about their maturity model, and walk you through the process so you can meet the data security requirements for your Australian business.
What is ACSC’s Essential Eight Framework?
The Essential Eight risk management framework, developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), ranks eight cyber risk mitigation methods in order of importance. These strategies are drawn from the suggested methods to mitigate cybersecurity incidents for organizations and are intended to assist companies in strengthening their cybersecurity posture.
Before 2017, the Australian Federal Government had previously mandated federal government agencies’ top four mitigation techniques. The Attorney-General’s Department’s Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) mandated the remaining four strategies, now applicable to every Australian company, irrespective of size or industry.
Why Should You Comply with ACSC’s Essential Eight Framework?
The strategies suggested in the Essential Eight framework defend your company’s information security system against various recognized cyber threats and maintain the security of important and sensitive customer data.
By putting the Essential Eight into practice, your company can also avoid wasting the time, resources, and labor frequently required to handle a major cyber security issue.
The latest NSW Government Cyber Security Policy, enacted in February 2019, keeps your organization safe. According to the policy (section 1.5), each department must provide a report by August 31st of each year, including a maturity evaluation of the ACSC Essential Eight.
What are the Controls in ACSC’s Essential Eight Framework?
The eight controls in ACSC’s Essential Eight framework are as follows:
- Application Whitelisting: The process of preventing all other programs from running on a system and only permitting authorized apps to do so is known as application whitelisting. This can lessen the chance that a machine will become infected with malware and other harmful software. Businesses can restrict the potential damage caused by cyberattacks and minimize their attack surface by whitelisting.
- Application Patching: Updating software programs regularly to fix known security flaws is known as patching. Hackers frequently use vulnerabilities in out-of-date software to breach systems and take private data. Businesses can greatly lower their risk of cyberattacks by maintaining software applications up to date.
- Configuring Microsoft Office Macros: Attackers using malware frequently target Microsoft Office Macros. Malicious macros are a tool that hackers can use to run code on a victim’s computer and obtain private data. Office Macros should be turned off by default and only enabled when necessary, according to Essential 8.
- User Application Hardening: User application hardening sets up programs, including email and web browsers, to thwart popular attack vectors. This can lessen the success rate of cyberattacks on businesses and potentially damaging consequences.
- Restricting Administrative Privileges: Users with administrative privileges have more access to system resources, which makes them more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Limiting the usage of administrative privileges to individuals who need them to carry out their job responsibilities is advised by Essential 8.
- Operating Systems Patching: Similar to patching apps, working system patching is crucial for lowering the danger of cyberattacks. Cybercriminals frequently use operating system flaws to breach systems and steal confidential data. By maintaining up-to-date operating systems, businesses can dramatically reduce their attack surface and limit the possible harm caused by cyberattacks.
- Multi-Factor Authentication: To access a system or application, users must give two or more types of authentication, known as multi-factor authentication. This can contain both something the user owns and something they know, such as a smart card or password. Cybercriminals can be prevented from accessing sensitive data, and the risk of unwanted access can be greatly decreased using multi-factor authentication.
- Daily Backups: The foundation of any cybersecurity plan should be daily backups. Businesses may minimize the loss of important data and recover faster from cyberattacks by frequently backing up their data. Daily backups of important data with a minimum three-month retention time are advised by Essential 8.
What is the Essential Eight Maturity Model?
Organizations may gradually apply the Essential Eight security controls by following the guidelines provided by the Essential Eight Maturity Model.
Three maturity levels have been established for every mitigation approach to help companies assess how well they are implementing the Essential Eight.
These maturity levels are defined as:
- Maturity Level One: Complies partially with the mitigation strategy’s objectives;
- Maturity Level Two: Generally in line with the mitigation strategy’s objectives; and,
- Maturity Level Three: Completely in line with the mitigation strategy’s objectives.
According to the ACSC, Australian businesses should strive to achieve Maturity Level Three for any mitigation approach as a starting point. Nonetheless, certain companies may function in a more hazardous setting where they are frequently the target of highly competent assailants.
Last but not least, let’s evaluate whether implementing ACSC’s Essential Eight framework can be enough to mitigate cyber risks in your business.
Is Implementing ACSC’s Essential Eight Framework Worth It?
While putting the Essential Eight security measures in place is a wonderful approach to keep your company cyber-fit, it shouldn’t be your only line of defense because it doesn’t guarantee protection against all cyber threats.
Effective policy procedures and continuous human risk management are two more security measures necessary for any Australian company to implement for sufficient security against cyber attacks in today’s fast-paced business environment.
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