The Essential Eight framework is a set of eight strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to help organizations mitigate the most common types of cyberattacks
This is an exclusive article by Vasanth Garimella, AVP – Complaince at Cloud4C Services and edited by Dr Suresh .V. Menon
In today’s digital age, cyber security has become a critical concern for organizations of all sizes and industries. Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, making it difficult for organizations to defend against them. Cyberattacks can cause significant financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities for organizations. Therefore, it is important for organizations to implement effective cyber security measures to protect their assets and data from cyber threats.
Being in a managed services organization, it is always fascinating and challenging to learn new things. When I was given the IRAP (Information Regulatory Assessor Programme) project, I found it to be a unique and dynamic framework.
To provide a brief overview of IRAP:
Background
IRAP (Information Security Registered Assessors Program) is a cybersecurity assessment program developed by the Australian government’s security agency, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). The programme is designed to help organizations assess the information security capabilities of their service providers and suppliers. IRAP assessors are accredited by the ASD and conduct assessments based on a set of security controls and guidelines developed by the agency. The IRAP program is widely used in Australia, especially by organizations in the public sector and other high-risk industries, to ensure their information is secure and protected from cyber threats. The programme is an important part of Australia’s overall cybersecurity strategy and is considered a benchmark for assessing the security posture of service providers.
What is the Essential Eight Framework?
The Essential Eight framework is a set of eight strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) to help organizations mitigate the most common types of cyberattacks. The framework was developed in response to the increasing threat of cyber-attacks, and the recognition that many organizations were not adequately prepared to defend against these threats. The Essential Eight strategies are designed to be flexible and scalable and can be customized to meet the specific needs of different organizations.
What is Essential 8? How does it benefit the organizations?
The Essential 8 framework is designed to benefit organizations across the globe by providing a set of actionable steps that can be taken to improve their cyber security posture. Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated, and organizations need to be prepared to defend against them. By implementing the Essential 8 mitigation strategies, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of cyberattacks and minimize the potential impact of those attacks.
One of the primary benefits of the Essential 8 framework is that it provides a prioritized list of controls that organizations can implement based on the level of risk to the organization. This helps organizations focus their resources on the most critical areas of their cyber security posture rather than trying to implement a comprehensive set of controls that may not be necessary or effective.
Another benefit of the Essential 8 framework is that it is not prescriptive. Organizations can choose to implement the strategies in a manner that best suits their specific needs and circumstances. This allows organizations to tailor their cyber security strategy to their specific risks rather than trying to implement a one-size-fits-all approach.
Implementing the Essential 8 framework can also help organizations comply with various regulations and standards related to cyber security. Many industries are subject to regulations related to cyber security, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the healthcare industry and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) in the financial industry. By implementing the Essential 8 mitigation strategies, organizations can demonstrate compliance with these regulations and standards.
The Essential 8 framework can also help organizations protect their reputation and brand image. Cyberattacks can cause significant reputational damage to organizations, particularly if sensitive data or intellectual property is compromised. By implementing the Essential 8 mitigation strategies, organizations can demonstrate to customers, partners, and stakeholders that they take cyber security seriously and are taking proactive steps to protect their assets and data.
What are the maturity levels that an organization can achieve?
The Essential 8 is divided into two groups: the first four strategies are considered the “essential baseline” and are recommended for all organizations, while the remaining four are considered “advanced” and are recommended for organizations with mature cybersecurity practices.
Each strategy has four maturity levels that an organization can progress through to improve its security posture. The maturity levels range from “Ad Hoc” to “Optimized,” with each level building on the previous one.
The first strategy in Essential 8 is application whitelisting. This strategy involves allowing only authorized applications to run on an organization’s systems. The four maturity levels for this strategy are Ad Hoc, Repeatable, Defined, and Managed.
The second strategy is to patch applications and operating systems. This strategy involves keeping applications and operating systems up-to-date with the latest security patches. The four maturity levels for this strategy are Ad Hoc, Repeatable, Defined, and Managed.
There are four maturity levels in the Essential Eight framework, each representing a higher level of security maturity. The levels are:
Ad-hoc (Maturity Level 0): This is the starting point for most organizations. At this level, cyber security controls are implemented on an ad hoc basis, and there is no formal plan or process in place to manage them.
Emerging (Maturity Level 1): In this level, organizations begin to develop a formal plan and process for implementing cyber security controls. Controls are still implemented on a reactive basis, but there is a greater level of awareness and understanding of the risks and threats.
Established (Maturity Level 2): At this level, cyber security controls are integrated into the organization’s overall risk management framework. There is a proactive approach to implementing controls, and the organization has a formal plan and process for managing cyber security.
Dynamic (Maturity Level 3): This is the highest level of maturity in the Essential Eight framework. At this level, the organization has a mature and comprehensive cyber security programme that is regularly reviewed and updated to address new threats and risks. The organization is proactive in identifying and addressing cyber security issues, and there is a strong culture of cyber security awareness throughout the organization.
Achieving a higher level of maturity in the Essential Eight framework requires a continuous improvement process with regular monitoring and review of the organization’s cyber security controls. By following the Essential Eight framework, organizations can improve their security posture and reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
Essential 8 Framework
We will explore the Essential Eight framework in detail, including the strategies and maturity levels. We will also discuss the importance of the Essential Eight in cybersecurity and how it can benefit organizations. Lastly, we will provide some best practices for implementing the Essential Eight framework.
8 essential strategies
The Essential Eight Strategies:
The Essential Eight framework consists of eight strategies (Fig. 1) that are considered essential for any organization’s cybersecurity defenses. Let’s look at each of these strategies in detail.
Application Whitelisting:
Application whitelisting is a strategy that involves allowing only authorized applications to run on an organization’s systems. This helps prevent malware and other malicious software from running on the systems. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
- Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organization has not yet implemented any application whitelisting measures.
- Planned: At this stage, the organization has a plan in place to implement application whitelisting measures.
- Implemented: In this stage, the organization has implemented application whitelisting measures and is monitoring them.
- Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing application whitelisting measures and is continuously improving these measures.
Patch Applications and Operating Systems:
Patching applications and operating systems is a strategy that involves keeping applications and operating systems up-to-date with the latest security patches. This helps prevent cyberattacks that exploit known vulnerabilities in the software. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Configure Microsoft Office macro settings:
Configuring Microsoft Office Macro Settings is a strategy that involves enabling macro security settings to prevent malicious macros from running in Microsoft Office applications. This helps to prevent attacks that use macros to deliver malware. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organization has not yet implemented any macro-security measures.
Inconsistent: At this stage, the organization has implemented some macro-security measures, but they are not consistently applied across all systems.
Documented: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing macro security measures, and these measures are consistently applied across all systems.
Managed: In this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing macro security measures and is continuously improving these measures.
User Application Hardening:
User application hardening is a strategy that involves restricting user access to certain applications and functions to minimize the risk of a successful cyberattack. This helps prevent attacks that exploit user privileges. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Minimal: At this stage, the organization has implemented some user application hardening measures, but they are not consistently applied across all systems.
Planned: At this stage, the organization has a plan in place to implement user application hardening measures across all systems.
Implemented: At this stage, the organization has implemented user application hardening measures across all systems and is monitoring them.
Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing user application hardening measures and is continuously improving these measures.
Restrict administrative privileges:
Restricting administrative privileges is a strategy that involves limiting the number of users with administrative privileges on an organization’s systems. This helps prevent attacks that exploit administrative privileges. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organisation has not yet implemented any measures to restrict administrative privileges.
Reactive: In this stage, the organization restricts administrative privileges when a vulnerability is identified or an attack occurs.
Proactive: In this stage, the organization is proactively restricting administrative privileges to prevent attacks before they occur.
Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing administrative privileges and is continuously improving these measures.
Patch Operating Systems:
Patching operating systems is a strategy that involves keeping operating systems up-to-date with the latest security patches. This helps to prevent attacks that exploit known vulnerabilities in the operating system. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organization has not yet implemented any operating system patching measures.
Reactive: In this stage, the organization patches systems when a vulnerability is identified or an attack occurs.
Proactive: In this stage, the organization is patching systems on a regular schedule to prevent attacks before they occur.
Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing operating system patching measures and is continuously improving these measures.
Multi-factor Authentication:
Multi-factor authentication is a strategy that involves requiring users to provide multiple forms of authentication to access an organization’s systems. This helps to prevent attacks that exploit weak or stolen passwords. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organization has not yet implemented any multi-factor authentication measures.
Reactive: In this stage, the organization implements multi-factor authentication when a vulnerability is identified or an attack occurs.
Proactive: At this stage, the organization is proactively implementing multi-factor authentication to prevent attacks before they occur.
Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing multi-factor authentication measures and is continuously improving these measures.
Daily Backups:
Daily backups are a strategy that involves regularly backing up an organization’s data to prevent data loss in the event of a cyberattack or other disaster. The Essential Eight model divides the maturity levels for this strategy into four stages:
Ad Hoc: At this stage, the organization has not yet implemented any backup measures.
Reactive: In this stage, the organization is backing up data when a vulnerability is identified or an attack occurs.
Proactive: In this stage, the organization is proactively backing up data on a regular schedule to prevent data loss before it occurs.
Managed: At this stage, the organization has a documented process in place for managing backup measures and is continuously improving these measures.
Importance of the Essential Eight:
The Essential Eight framework is important because it provides organizations with a practical and effective way to improve their cybersecurity defenses. By implementing the strategies outlined in the framework, organizations can reduce their risk of cyberattacks and improve their overall security posture.
Additionally, the Essential Eight framework is based on real-world cyber threats and is continuously updated to reflect new threats and attack methods. This means that organizations that implement the framework can be confident that they are taking measures to protect themselves against the latest cyber threats.
Implementing the Essential Eight:
Implementing the Essential Eight framework can be a complex and challenging process, especially for organizations with limited resources or expertise in cybersecurity. However, there are several steps that organizations can take to make the process more manageable and effective.
Conduct a risk assessment:
The first step in implementing the Essential Eight framework is to conduct a risk assessment. This involves identifying the assets that need to be protected, the potential threats and vulnerabilities, and the potential impact of a cyberattack. A risk assessment can help organizations prioritize their cybersecurity efforts and identify the strategies that are most important for their specific needs.
Develop a security plan:
Once the risk assessment is complete, organizations should develop a comprehensive security plan that outlines the specific measures that will be implemented to address the identified risks and vulnerabilities. This plan should include timelines, budgets, and performance metrics to ensure that the implementation process is well managed and effective.
Implement the Essential Eight Strategies:
After the security plan has been developed, organizations should begin implementing the Essential Eight strategies in a structured and systematic manner. This may involve the deployment of new technologies, the training of staff, and the development of new policies and procedures.
Monitor and evaluate:
Once the Essential Eight strategies have been implemented, organizations should monitor their effectiveness and evaluate their impact on the organization’s overall security posture. This will help to identify any areas for improvement and ensure that the organization’s cybersecurity defenses are continuously evolving to meet new threats.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the Essential 8 is a set of guidelines developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre to help organizations improve their cyber resilience. The guidelines cover eight critical areas of security: application control, patch management, user application hardening, restricting administrative privileges, access control, incident response, and malware defense. Each area has three levels of maturity, providing organizations with a roadmap for improving their security posture.
By implementing the Essential 8, organizations can reduce their exposure to cyber threats and enhance their ability to detect and respond to incidents quickly and effectively. The guidelines provide a flexible framework that can be tailored to the specific needs and resources of each organization, making them accessible to organizations of all sizes and types.
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is essential for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity. The Essential 8 provides a practical and effective roadmap for achieving this goal.
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