Essential Eight Compliance
The Australian Cyber Security Centre's Essential Eight is the benchmark cyber security framework for Australian businesses. We help you achieve and maintain it.
The ACSC's Baseline Cybersecurity Framework
The Essential Eight is a set of eight prioritised mitigation strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to protect organisations from the most common cyber threats.
Together, these eight strategies make it significantly harder for adversaries to compromise systems, execute malicious code, and steal or encrypt your data. Each strategy is measured across three Maturity Levels, giving businesses a clear, achievable path to strong cyber hygiene.
8 Mitigation Strategies
Covering application, operating system, user, and data protection across your entire IT environment.
Maturity Level 1
Partly aligned — mitigates commodity threats such as common malware and opportunistic attacks.
Maturity Level 2
Mostly aligned — mitigates adversaries who invest more effort to exploit targets.
Maturity Level 3
Fully aligned — mitigates adversaries including sophisticated, targeted cyber intrusions.
Why It Matters for Australian Businesses
Regulatory expectations, insurance requirements, and client trust are all driving Essential Eight adoption.
Legal & Professional Services
Allied Health & Medical
Finance & Accounting
Corporate & Enterprise
Cyber insurance providers increasingly require Essential Eight alignment before issuing or renewing policies. Government contracts and supply-chain requirements are also mandating it — making compliance a business necessity, not just best practice.
The Eight Strategies
Each strategy targets a specific attack vector. Together they form a comprehensive baseline defence.
Application Control
Prevent execution of unapproved or malicious programs. Only whitelisted applications can run — blocking ransomware and malware outright.
Patch Applications
Keep internet-facing applications (browsers, Office, PDF readers) up to date. Most breaches exploit known vulnerabilities with available patches.
Configure Microsoft Office Macros
Disable or restrict Office macros to prevent a common malware delivery vector. Only allow macros from trusted, verified sources.
User Application Hardening
Harden web browsers and office applications by disabling unnecessary features like Flash, ads, and Java that attackers exploit.
Restrict Administrative Privileges
Limit admin rights to only those who need them. Compromised admin accounts give attackers unrestricted access to your entire environment.
Patch Operating Systems
Keep Windows and other OS patched and updated. OS vulnerabilities are a primary attack vector for sophisticated threat actors.
Multi-factor Authentication
Require MFA for all remote access, privileged accounts, and critical systems. MFA stops the majority of credential-based attacks.
Regular Backups
Maintain encrypted, tested, offline backups of important data. A robust backup strategy is your last line of defence against ransomware.
How Call IT Solutions Helps
We handle the full Essential Eight journey — from initial assessment through to ongoing compliance management.
Gap Analysis & Assessment
We audit your current environment against all eight strategies and produce a maturity score with prioritised remediation steps.
Implementation & Configuration
Our certified engineers implement the required controls — from MFA rollout and application whitelisting to OS patching and backup configuration.
Ongoing Management & Monitoring
We proactively manage your Essential Eight posture with continuous monitoring, patching schedules, and quarterly reviews.
Documentation & Evidence
We provide audit-ready documentation and evidence packs for regulatory, insurance, and client compliance requirements.