How to Stay Safe from Cyberattacks in Australia.

What are the Essential Eight?

The Essential Eight:

Patch Applications: Making sure that your apps are always updated can fix problems that hackers can use to break into your systems. Hackers often target old apps, so keeping them up-to-date is very important.

Configure Microsoft Office Macro Settings: Macros are small pieces of code that can do things in Microsoft Office, web browsers, and PDF viewers. Sometimes, macros can be used to spread malware. By changing the settings to block macros from the internet and only allow safe macros to run, you can reduce this risk.

User Application Hardening: This means turning off some features in Microsoft Office, web browsers, and PDF viewers that hackers can use to attack your systems. By making it harder for hackers to attack you, you can lower the chance of getting hacked.

Restrict Administrative Privileges: This means limiting how many users have access to important accounts and making sure that they don’t use these accounts for things like checking emails or browsing the web. This can make it harder for hackers to cause damage if something goes wrong.

Patch Operating Systems: Similar to patching applications, operating systems also need to be updated regularly to fix problems that hackers can use to break into your systems.

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): MFA means asking users for more than one way of proving who they are before they can access an account. For example, they might need a password and a code sent to their phone or email. This adds another layer of security, so even if someone knows their password, they still need another way of proving who they are.

Daily Backups: Making sure that you have copies of your data every day can help you recover it if something bad happens. For example, if someone steals your data or encrypts it with ransomware. These backups should be stored safely and tested often to make sure they work when needed.

Compliance and Implementation: While the Essential Eight is a good start for cybersecurity, it might not be enough for every organization. The ACSC also has some tools that can help you check how well you are doing with cybersecurity and how much more you need to do.

Also, while the Essential Eight is a suggestion, some parts of Australia might have rules or laws that say you have to follow these or similar tips. You should always check if there are any rules or laws that apply to your organization.

The Essential Eight gives you some good tips on how to protect your systems and data from cyberattacks.