The Essential Eight is a set of eight fundamental cybersecurity strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to help organisations protect themselves against the most common and damaging cyber threats. While it was created for Australian organisations, its principles are widely recognised and can be applied by businesses globally as a strong baseline for cyber defence.
What Is the Essential Eight?
The Essential Eight is a prioritised list of mitigation strategies designed to make it much harder for cybercriminals to compromise systems. These strategies focus on preventing malware infections, limiting the impact of attacks, and ensuring organisations can recover quickly if something goes wrong.
The Eight Strategies
- Application Control – Only allow approved and trusted applications to run on your systems. This prevents unauthorised or malicious software from executing, reducing the risk of malware infections.
- Patch Applications – Regularly update and patch all software applications to fix security vulnerabilities. Unpatched applications are a common way for attackers to gain access to systems.
- Configure Microsoft Office Macro Settings – Restrict the use of macros in Microsoft Office documents, as these are often used to deliver malware. Only allow macros from trusted sources and disable them where possible.
- User Application Hardening – Strengthen the security settings of applications, such as web browsers and PDF readers, to block risky features like Flash, ads, and Java, which are often exploited by attackers.
- Restrict Administrative Privileges – Limit admin rights to only those who need them and review these privileges regularly. This reduces the risk of attackers gaining full control if they compromise a user account.
- Patch Operating Systems – Keep operating systems up to date with the latest security patches to close vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Require users to provide two or more forms of identification before accessing systems. MFA makes it much harder for attackers to gain access, even if they have a password.
- Regular Backups – Perform frequent backups of important data and systems, and store them securely offline. This ensures you can recover quickly from ransomware or other destructive attacks.
Why Is the Essential Eight Important?
Implementing the Essential Eight significantly reduces the risk of cyber incidents such as ransomware, data breaches, and unauthorised access. It is considered the minimum baseline for cyber protection and is mandatory for many Australian government organisations. The framework also includes a maturity model, allowing organisations to assess and improve their security posture over time.
Conclusion
The Essential Eight provides a clear, practical, and effective approach to cybersecurity. By following these eight strategies, organisations can build strong defences, protect sensitive data, and ensure business continuity in the face of evolving cyber threats.
