The Essential Eight security standards are a group of eight mitigation strategies developed by the Australian Signals Directorate to help organisations reduce the risk of cyberattacks. They are considered the baseline for cyber resilience in Australia because they target the most common techniques used by criminals, including malware, phishing and ransomware.
The eight standards are application control, patching applications, configuring Microsoft Office macros, patching operating systems, restricting administrative privileges, enforcing multi-factor authentication, performing regular backups and hardening user applications. Together, these controls aim to prevent attackers from gaining access, stop malicious software from running and ensure businesses can recover quickly if an incident occurs.
The Essential Eight are not a certification or formal regulation, but they provide a practical, proven framework for organisations that want to strengthen their security without unnecessary complexity. Most Australian businesses utilise these standards as a roadmap for enhancing their cyber maturity and minimising the likelihood and impact of a breach.
