Essential Eight Compliance.
Not Optional.
Cyber insurers now assess Essential Eight maturity before paying claims. The Privacy Act and Notifiable Data Breaches scheme impose real obligations. If your firm holds client data, you need a defensible security posture — and we deliver it.
What Is the ASD Essential Eight?
The Australian Signals Directorate's Essential Eight is a set of eight baseline mitigation strategies recommended to protect organisations from the most common cyber threats.
The eight controls cover: application whitelisting, patching applications, configuring Microsoft Office macro settings, user application hardening, restricting admin privileges, patching operating systems, multi-factor authentication, and daily backups.
For Melbourne's professional services firms, Essential Eight is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the standard against which cyber insurers, regulators, and clients measure your security posture.
Your Cyber Insurance May Not Pay Out
Most cyber insurance policies now require evidence of Essential Eight implementation at Maturity Level 1 or above before they will pay a claim.
A firm that cannot demonstrate compliance with the Essential Eight controls may find its cyber insurance claim denied after a breach — leaving the firm to bear the full cost of notification, investigation, remediation, and potential regulatory penalties under the Privacy Act.
For law firms, the exposure is amplified by client confidentiality obligations. For accounting practices, it is client financial data. For wealth managers, AFSL compliance adds another layer.
What Security Uplift Delivers
Insurance Defensibility
Demonstrate Essential Eight maturity to your insurer. Ensure your policy will pay when you need it.
Regulatory Compliance
Meet Privacy Act and Notifiable Data Breaches scheme obligations. Protect client confidentiality and your professional reputation.
Practical Hardening
MFA enforcement, endpoint protection, backup verification, and staff security awareness training — not reports that sit on a shelf.
Security Services
Essential Eight Gap Assessment
$2,500
AUD, one-time
A comprehensive audit of your current environment against all eight ASD Essential Eight controls. You receive a clear maturity rating for each control, a prioritised remediation plan, and a confidential executive briefing for your partners or board.
- Full audit against all 8 Essential Eight controls
- Maturity rating per control (Level 0-3)
- Prioritised remediation roadmap
- Confidential executive briefing document
- Google Workspace-specific recommendations
Security Uplift Project
$8,000–$18,000
AUD, scope-dependent
Hands-on remediation to bring your firm to Essential Eight Maturity Level 2. We implement the controls, not just document gaps. Pricing depends on the size and complexity of your environment — we scope and quote after the Gap Assessment.
- MFA enforcement across all accounts
- Endpoint protection deployment
- Backup verification and testing
- Google Workspace security hardening
- Staff security awareness training
- Post-implementation maturity re-assessment
The Eight Essential Controls
We audit and remediate against all eight controls as defined by the Australian Signals Directorate.
Application Whitelisting
Only approved applications can execute on workstations.
Patch Applications
Applications patched within 48 hours of critical vulnerability disclosure.
Office Macro Controls
Macros blocked from the internet; only vetted macros allowed.
Application Hardening
Web browsers and office applications configured to prevent compromise.
Restrict Admin Privileges
Admin access limited, validated, and monitored.
Patch Operating Systems
OS patches applied within 48 hours for critical vulnerabilities.
Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA enforced for all users, all privileged accounts, all remote access.
Daily Backups
Backups tested regularly, stored offline, with proven recovery capability.
Do Not Wait for a Breach to Find Your Gaps.
An Essential Eight Gap Assessment takes two weeks and gives you a clear, prioritised view of your security posture. It is the single most cost-effective step you can take to protect your firm.