The Essential Eight

The Essential Eight is a set of baseline strategies recommended by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to help organizations mitigate cybersecurity risks and protect against common cyber threats. These strategies are designed to improve security in a structured way and are primarily aimed at reducing the risk of attacks like ransomware, malware, and phishing. The Essential Eight includes the following measures:

  1. Application Whitelisting: Only allow approved and trusted software to run on systems, blocking unauthorized or harmful applications.
  2. Patch Applications: Regularly update software applications to fix vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
  3. Configure Microsoft Office Macro Settings: Disable or restrict the use of macros, which can be exploited to deliver malware.
  4. User Application Hardening: Block or disable unnecessary features like Adobe Flash, Java, and web advertisements that can be exploited by malicious actors.
  5. Restrict Administrative Privileges: Limit the use of administrative accounts to reduce the risk of compromising sensitive systems.
  6. Patch Operating Systems: Keep operating systems up to date with the latest patches and security updates to close any security gaps.
  7. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Implement MFA to ensure that users need more than just a password to access sensitive systems and information.
  8. Daily Backups: Regularly back up important data to recover from attacks such as ransomware and ensure business continuity.

By implementing the Essential Eight, organizations can significantly enhance their cybersecurity posture and reduce the risk of cyber incidents. These strategies are designed to be scalable and adaptable based on the organization’s size and risk profile.