The Essential 8 Key Areas of Defence

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) encourages organisations to implement the following Essential Eight strategies as a starting point (level 1 of 3) for improving their cyber security posture:

To Prevent Attacks:

1. Application Control

Only allowing approved software to run

2. Patch Applications

Regularly updating software to fix known vulnerabilities.

3. Configure Microsoft Office Macros

Restricting the use of macros in Microsoft Office to prevent malware infections.

4. User Application Hardening

Hardening web browser security settings and limiting extensions.

To Limit the Extent of Attacks:

5. Restrict Administrative Privileges

Limiting the number of users who have administrative access to a system.

6. Patch Operating Systems 

Regularly updating the underlying operating system to fix known vulnerabilities.

7. Multi-Factor Authentication

Using more than one form of authentication to confirm a user’s identity.

To Recover Data & System Availability:

8. Daily Backups: 

Regularly creating backups of data.

If you would like to know more about the Essential Eight, or speak to the experts about cyber security, contact Platinum Technology.