The Essential Eight is a set of eight mitigation strategies published by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD): patch applications, patch operating systems, multi-factor authentication, restrict administrative privileges, application control, restrict Microsoft Office macros, user application hardening and regular backups. Together they make it much harder for attackers to break in and to cause damage if they do.
Essential Eight
Essential Eight Compliance
for Perth Businesses
The Essential Eight is the Australian Signals Directorate's baseline of eight cyber security strategies. PC Madness assesses your business against all eight, shows the maturity level you're at today, and closes the gaps with managed patch management, multi-factor authentication, backups and application blocking, so you can answer insurers and clients with confidence.
Why the Essential Eight matters
The Essential Eight is the ASD's list of eight mitigation strategies that make it much harder for attackers to get into, and move around, a business network. It's the Australian baseline that cyber insurers, government contracts and larger clients increasingly ask about.
A PC Madness Essential Eight assessment checks your devices, accounts and settings against all eight strategies, shows the maturity level you're at today, and sets out the changes that close the gaps, most of which our managed security services already cover.
New to the framework? Our plain-English guide, the Essential Eight explained for small business, covers the eight strategies and what each maturity level means.
"Know where you stand against the Australian baseline before an insurer or client asks."
The eight strategies, and how we cover them
Each strategy is assessed, and mapped to the PC Madness managed service that puts it in place.
Patch applications and operating systems
Two of the eight. Our patch management automates operating system and third-party application updates via RMM on scheduled, tested policies.
Multi-factor authentication
Identity management with multi-factor authentication (MFA) stops a stolen password from being enough to get into your accounts.
Regular backups
Automated, encrypted Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace backups plus full device backup, with easy data recovery.
Application control
DNS filtering and application blocking stop unapproved software and malicious sites, and the assessment shows what else your devices allow to run.
User application hardening
Browser protection and monitoring reduce what a malicious web page or download can do, and the assessment checks the rest of your browser and application settings.
Admin privileges and Office macros
Who holds admin rights and how Microsoft Office macros are allowed to run are reviewed, and any gaps are set out in the assessment report with recommended changes.
How an Essential Eight assessment works
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1.
Assess. Your devices, accounts and settings are checked against each of the eight strategies.
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2.
Report. You get the maturity level you're at for each strategy, the gaps, and the changes that close them.
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3.
Uplift. The gaps are closed with managed services such as patch management, MFA, backups and application blocking, starting with the ones that matter most for your business.
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4.
Maintain. 24/7 monitoring and weekly and monthly reports keep the controls in place, so your maturity doesn't slip once the assessment is done.
Part of your layered managed security
The Essential Eight is a baseline, not the whole picture. PC Madness builds on it with EDR / MDR endpoint protection, Check Point Harmony email and collaboration security for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, dark web monitoring and 24/7 monitoring. Whether you're a small business with 1-10 users or an established team of 25-50, we manage it all from our Midland HQ.
Explore our full managed IT services for Perth businesses, or add security awareness training so your staff can spot the phishing emails the eight strategies are there to contain.
Common Questions
Essential Eight FAQs
It's mandatory for non-corporate Commonwealth government entities, not for private businesses. But cyber insurers, government contracts and larger clients increasingly ask how you measure up, so knowing your maturity level puts you in a stronger position when they do.
The ASD's maturity model runs from Maturity Level Zero, where a strategy isn't meaningfully in place, to Maturity Level Three, where it's fully aligned with the strategy's intent and built to stop more determined attackers. Each of the eight strategies is rated separately, and the assessment shows where you sit on each one.
No. An assessment shows where your business stands against the eight strategies and what to change. It isn't a government certification, and the ASD doesn't certify private businesses.
Patching applications and operating systems, multi-factor authentication and regular backups are covered directly by PC Madness managed services, and DNS filtering, application blocking and browser protection contribute to application control and user application hardening. Admin privileges and Office macros are reviewed in the assessment, with recommended changes.
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About PC Madness
Since 2005, PC Madness has been a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP) in Perth, delivering enterprise-grade IT solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. We exist to simplify technology, ensuring your systems are secure, efficient, and aligned with your business goals.
With a dedicated team of technicians based in Midland and mobile support across the Perth metropolitan area, we provide rapid response times and personalized service that big telcos can't match. Whether you need a full cybersecurity audit, Microsoft 365 migration, or reliable 24/7 monitoring, PC Madness is your local partner in technology.
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Service Areas:
Serving businesses in Perth CBD, Midland, Malaga, Wangara, Welshpool, Osborne Park, and surrounding suburbs. See all the areas we serve.
