Essential Eight: Australia’s Cybersecurity Baseline

Learn how ACSC's Essential Eight guidelines translate into practical controls—and how DefenderSuite’s phased approach ensures your business advances confidently through each maturity level.

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Why the Essential Eight Matter

The Essential Eight is widely adopted because it delivers tangible protection, measurable savings, and clear assurance to customers and regulators.

Baseline Breach Defence

Businesses expanding their teams and systems who need to foundational security

Measurable Cost Impact

Cyber-crime incidents costs Australian businesses $49.6 k on average between 2023 and 2024

Clear Risk Benchmarks

Maturity levels give insurers and partners a high-level indicator of your cybersecurity posture

What Are the Essential Eight?

The Act sets clear expectations for how Australian businesses handle cyber incidents. Understanding these duties helps you respond lawfully, protect your organisation’s reputation, and contribute to a safer digital economy.

Application control

Only approved software is allowed to run, stopping malicious code before it starts

Patch applications

Updates fix known flaws in apps—apply them fast to close easy entry points

Macro settings

Block macros from the internet and allow only signed macros to run in Office files

App hardening

Disable or remove browser and reader features attackers often abuse

Limit admin rights

Give administrative privileges only when needed and monitor their use closely

Patch OS

Keep Windows and macOS fully up to date so critical holes are closed promptly

MFA

Baseline Multi-Factor Authentication step on all eligible software

Regular backups

Maintain offline, tested copies of data so you can restore quickly after an incident

Which Maturity Level Fits Your Business?

Maturity
Level 1

Ideal starting point for small and mid-sized businesses, or anyone asked to show an Essential Eight score on supplier questionnaires.

Visit ACSC For More Info

Maturity
Level 2

For small, mid and large-sized businesses handling sensitive data (finance, health, legal) or facing cyber-insurance conditions that reference Essential Eight.

Visit ACSC For More Info

Maturity
Level 3

For businesses with high-risk profiles—such as regulated industries, enterprises handling sensitive data at scale, or organisations frequently targeted by attackers.

Visit ACSC For More Info

Compare DefenderSuite Plans

Foundational
Cybersecurity & Compliance

Small to Medium Businesses

$20.95

per user
per month

Calculate Your Plan

Plan Inclusions
Fundamental Controls Plus

Endpoint Protection & Response (EDR)
24/7 Security Monitoring
Email & Phishing Protection
Automated Patching & Updates
Compliance Alignment
Baseline Cyber Readiness
SMB1001 Alignment Readiness
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Advanced
Cybersecurity & Compliance

Small to Medium Businesses

$35.95

per user
per month

Calculate Your Plan

Plan Inclusions
Everything DefenderBasic Plus

Microsoft 365 Managed Security
1 TB CloudSafe Storage
Secure Access Verification (MFA)
Identity & Access Management
Monthly Security Reporting
Compliance Alignment
Essential Eight Level 1
SMB1001 Alignment Level 2
Microsoft Secure Score
Target of ≥ 40%
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Complete
Cybersecurity & Compliance

Medium to Large Businesses

Most Popular
$45.95

per user
per month

Calculate Your Plan

Plan Inclusions
Everything DefenderCore Plus

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)
2 TB CloudSafe Storage
User Training & Security Testing
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Identity Threat Protection (ITP)
Compliance Alignment
Essential Eight Level 2
SMB1001 Alignment Level 4
Microsoft Secure Score
Target of ≥ 65%
ISM & PSPF Alignment
ASD Hardening & Blueprint for Secure Cloud Alignment
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Comprehensive
Cybersecurity & Compliance

Regulated Industries & Enterprises

$125.95

per user
per month

Calculate Your Plan

Plan Inclusions
Everything DefenderPro Plus

Advanced Threat Hunting
& Forensics
Secure Password Vault
3 TB CloudSafe Storage
Comprehensive Monthly
Security Reporting
Compliance Alignment
Essential Eight Level 3
SMB1001 Alignment Level 5
Microsoft Secure Score
Target of ≥ 80%
ISM & PSPF Fully Aligned
ASD Hardening & Blueprint for Secure Cloud Fully Aligned
Compare Plans in DetailGet Started Today

Compliance-Aligned Cybersecurity Tailored to Industry Demands

For SMBs and enterprises managing sensitive client data, regulated workloads, or complex supply chains, DefenderSuite delivers the visibility, assurance, and compliance alignment to stay secure and audit-ready.

Regulated & Compliance-Driven Sectors

Built for businesses operating in regulated environments where governance, assurance, and control alignment are essential.

Data-Centric & Client-Focused Services

Built for businesses where client trust, data integrity, and uninterrupted service delivery are critical to success.

Operational & Project-Based Industries

Built for businesses where system uptime, collaboration, and delivery reliability are essential to performance.

Let’s Talk About Your Business’s Cybersecurity

Compliance, data protection, or selecting the right plan — whatever your priority, our team will help you take the next step.

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