Organisations need to consider that the likelihood of being targeted is influenced by their desirability to adversaries, and the consequences of a cyber security incident will depend on their requirement for the confidentiality of their data, as well as their requirement for the availability and integrity of their systems and data. As such, organisations should consider what level of tradecraft and targeting, rather than which adversaries, they are aiming to mitigate. For example, an adversary capable of advanced tradecraft may use it against one target while using basic tradecraft against another. Depending on an adversary’s overall capability, they may exhibit different levels of tradecraft for different operations against different targets. tools, tactics, techniques and procedures) and targeting, which are discussed in more detail below. With the exception of Maturity Level Zero, the maturity levels are based on mitigating increasing levels of adversary tradecraft (i.e. To assist organisations with their implementation of the Essential Eight, four maturity levels have been defined (Maturity Level Zero through to Maturity Level Three). However, Essential Eight implementations may need to be assessed by an independent party if required by a government directive or policy, by a regulatory authority, or as part of contractual arrangements. As such, additional mitigation strategies and security controls need to be considered, including those from the Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents and the Information Security Manual.įinally, there is no requirement for organisations to have their Essential Eight implementation certified by an independent party. Further, while the Essential Eight can help to mitigate the majority of cyber threats, it will not mitigate all cyber threats.
Note, the appropriate use of exceptions should not preclude an organisation from being assessed as meeting the requirements for a given maturity level.Īs the Essential Eight outlines a minimum set of preventative measures, organisations need to implement additional measures to those within this maturity model where it is warranted by their environment. Subsequently, the need for any exceptions, and associated compensating security controls, should be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. In addition, any exceptions should be documented and approved through an appropriate process. In doing so, organisations should seek to minimise any exceptions and their scope, for example, by implementing compensating security controls and ensuring the number of systems or users impacted are minimised. Organisations should implement the Essential Eight using a risk-based approach. Organisations should then progressively implement each maturity level until that target is achieved.Īs the mitigation strategies that constitute the Essential Eight have been designed to complement each other, and to provide coverage of various cyber threats, organisations should plan their implementation to achieve the same maturity level across all eight mitigation strategies before moving onto higher maturity levels. When implementing the Essential Eight, organisations should identify and plan for a target maturity level suitable for their environment. It is based on the ACSC’s experience in producing cyber threat intelligence, responding to cyber security incidents, conducting penetration testing and assisting organisations to implement the Essential Eight.
The Essential Eight Maturity Model, first published in June 2017 and updated regularly, supports the implementation of the Essential Eight. In such cases, organisations should consider alternative guidance provided by the ACSC.
While the principles behind the Essential Eight may be applied to cloud services and enterprise mobility, or other operating systems, it was not primarily designed for such purposes and alternative mitigation strategies may be more appropriate to mitigate unique cyber threats to these environments. The Essential Eight has been designed to protect Microsoft Windows-based internet-connected networks. The most effective of these mitigation strategies are the Essential Eight. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has developed prioritised mitigation strategies, in the form of the Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents, to help organisations protect themselves against various cyber threats.
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