Meet and Exceed Every Requirement
Excite Cyber’s ASD Essential Eight Consulting Service is designed to assist organisations in implementing and optimising the crucial Australian Signals Directorate’s Essential Eight strategies to protect against cyber threats.
These strategies are foundational to securing internet-connected information technology networks and include application patching, operating system patching, multi-factor authentication, administrative privilege restrictions, application control, Microsoft Office macro restrictions, user application hardening, and regular backups.
Who Needs This Service
- Organisations seeking to implement or improve their adherence to the ASD Essential Eight.
- Australian Government, State Governments and Local Governments.
- Businesses are looking to assess their cybersecurity maturity and identify areas for enhancement.
- Any organisation aiming to bolster its defences against cyber threats through proven mitigation strategies.
What We Deliver
Conduct thorough assessments to determine your current maturity level and identify areas for improvement.
Develop customised implementation plans to systematically address the Essential Eight strategies tailored to your organisation’s needs.
Optimise existing security controls and processes to enhance effectiveness and compliance with the Essential Eight.
Deliver targeted training sessions to ensure your team understands the importance of the Essential Eight and how to implement these strategies effectively.
Provide ongoing support to review and adjust the implementation of the Essential Eight strategies to adapt to evolving cyber threats and organisational changes.
The Benefits to Your Business
Robust Cyber Defence
Strengthen your defences against various cyber threats.
Compliance and Best Practices
Align with recognised cybersecurity best practices and improve your organisation’s security posture.
Strategic Risk Management
Enhance your ability to effectively identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks.
Operational Efficiency
Streamline security processes and controls for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Case Study: Essential 8 Assessment and M1 Implementation for Data Storage and Processing Asset (Data Centre)
Executed an ASD Essential Eight assessment and a Maturity Level One implementation for our client’s data processing and storage assets. Initially, we evaluated the Essential Eight maturity model, which involved analysing the client’s existing cybersecurity controls against the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) benchmarks.
Following the assessment, we identified gaps and fortified their security posture by implementing Maturity Level One controls. This included the deployment of application whitelisting, the application of the latest security patches, and the restriction of administrative privileges, among other fundamental strategies. We also streamlined their backup processes to ensure the integrity and availability of data.
We enhanced the organisation’s defence mechanisms against malicious cyber incidents by embedding these critical controls. We laid a foundation for progressing to higher maturity levels, i.e. M2 and M3 in their cybersecurity journey.
Case Study: AESCSF, ISO27001 and ASD Essential 8 for a national Energy Generator
Our strategy commenced with a rigorous assessment to align the power generator’s cyber infrastructure with the AESCSF. Concurrently, we integrated ISO 27001’s best practices to establish a robust Information Security Management System (ISMS), ensuring a systematic approach to managing sensitive company and customer information.
We further bolstered the organisation’s cyber defences by implementing the ASD Essential Eight strategies, enhancing mitigation techniques against cybersecurity incidents. This multi-faceted implementation focused on protecting the critical energy infrastructure (Information Technology and Operational Technology), safeguarding against potential cyber threats, and ensuring resilience, all while maintaining compliance with national and international (parent company) Security standards.
Excite Cyber provide formal ongoing cybersecurity leadership, secops, ITops (Azure, Windows, macOS, IOS, Fortinet, Aruba) and managed detection and response services for this customer.
Case Study: Energy Generator - Essential Eight Maturity Level One alongside the NIST Cybersecurity Framework version 1.1
The engagement commenced with an in-depth assessment to benchmark the company’s existing cyber defence mechanisms against the Essential
Eight, prioritising strategies such as application control, patch applications, and restricting administrative privileges to mitigate cyber threats effectively.
After establishing a baseline maturity level, we crafted a customised action plan to elevate the company’s practices to meet Maturity Level One requirements. Simultaneously, we adopted the NIST Cybersecurity Framework’s structured methodology, enhancing their overall cybersecurity posture through its Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover functions.
This dual-framework adoption streamlined their security processes, strengthened system integrity, and bolstered resilience against cyber-attacks.
The work provided a solid foundation for progressing to higher maturity levels and an enhanced cybersecurity infrastructure.
About Excite Cyber
We are cyber, technology and business experts who asked ourselves, what would the world look like if you could be truly fearless with your business, and what if the very best cyber expertise could be integrated into robust, outcome-focused technology solutions?
Our approach is to be deeply consultative and deliver pragmatic and strategic services that work for your business. With an uncompromising approach to cyber security, we deliver solutions that will get you excited about the potential for technology all over again.
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Get Started with Excite
We are ready to collaborate with you every step of the way to protect your business and enable you to benefit from decades of experience in providing managed services.
To get started, schedule a complimentary call using the form below today.
Frequently Asked Questions
This service is ideal for any organisation looking to implement or improve their adherence to the ASD Essential Eight, including Australian Government entities at all levels, businesses assessing their cybersecurity maturity, and any organisation seeking to strengthen its defences against cyber threats.
By adopting the Essential Eight, your business will align with recognised cybersecurity best practices, manage risks more effectively, and achieve operational efficiency. This strategic approach not only enhances your defence against various cyber threats but also supports compliance and fosters a resilient cybersecurity infrastructure.
Yes, the Essential Eight are particularly effective against ransomware. Strategies like application control, restricting administrative privileges, and regular backups are critical in preventing malware from gaining a foothold, spreading within networks, and impacting data availability.
While not mandatory for all organisations, compliance with the Essential Eight is highly recommended, especially for government entities and businesses involved in critical infrastructure or services. It serves as a benchmark for robust cybersecurity practices and can significantly enhance an organisation’s cyber resilience.
