The Australian Cyber Security Centre has issued an urgent advisory

Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC): “Australian organisations are encouraged to urgently adopt an enhanced cyber security position.”

The ACSC issued a high alert (https://www.cyber.gov.au/) on 23^rd February urging organisations to adopt an enhanced cyber security position. It has said that organisations should act now and follow ACSC’s advice to improve their cyber security resilience in light of the heightened threat environment.

We urge you to follow the guidelines laid down by the ACSC and follow the Essential 8 framework. The Essential 8 mitigation strategies are-

• Application control– It is a security approach designed to protect against malware executing on systems.
• Patch applications– Once a patch is released by a vendor, it should be applied in a timely manner to protect the organisation’s exposure to security vulnerability.
• Configure Microsoft Office macro settings– Office applications can execute macros to automate routine tasks. However, macros can contain malicious code resulting in unauthorised access to important information as part of a targeted cyber-attack. By understanding the business requirements for the use of macros, and applying the recommendations in the ACSC guidelines, organisations can effectively manage the risk of allowing macros in their environments.
• User application hardening– This includes implementing certificates, protecting web applications and users, and securing content management systems.
• Restrict administrative privileges– Users with administrative privileges for operating systems and applications can make significant changes to their configuration and operation, bypass critical security settings and access sensitive information.
• Patch operating systems– Similar to applying patches in application software organisations also need to apply System software patches in due time.
• Multi-factor authentication– When implemented correctly, multi-factor authentication makes it harder for an adversary to steal credentials to facilitate further malicious activities on a network.
• Regular backups– Our devices are home to all of our data. If the device is damaged, lost or destroyed, the data may be lost. Recovering data can be expensive or impossible. That’s why it’s important to regularly back up data to the cloud or an external hard drive.

Get in touch with us at contact@protectera.com.au to discuss your cybersecurity strategy.