Essential 8 Cyber Security for Brisbane Businesses

We put the Essential 8 in place for you, from the first check to the level your business needs. It starts with a free consultation, with no obligation.

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(07) 3179 6766

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We do the work, not just advice
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8 stepsset by the Australian Government
Levels 1 to 3we help you pick the right one
SMB1001 Gold Standard certification badgeCertified to the SMB1001 Gold Standard, an Australian cyber security standard
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What Essential 8 Means for You

Two colleagues go through papers together beside a laptop at a white brick office wall

The Australian Government's Essential 8 is a list of eight security steps that make a business much harder to attack. The eight are measured together in levels, so you start where you are and build up.

Why businesses ask for it

  • Cyber insurance. Insurers ask which of the eight steps you have in place.
  • Regulators and customers. Some industries and larger customers ask for a set level before they sign.
  • Knowing where you stand. You see which of the eight are in place and what is left.

The Eight Steps in Plain Words

The government sorts the eight steps into three groups by what they do.

Stop attacks getting in

  1. Only approved programs can run
  2. Apps such as web browsers and office programs are kept up to date
  3. Only trusted macros, the automatic commands inside documents, can run
  4. Web browsers and other programs are locked down

Limit the damage

  1. Admin accounts are limited and used only for admin work
  2. Operating systems on computers and servers are kept up to date
  3. A second check when signing in

Get back up and running

  1. Regular backups you can restore

Backups are tested, so a restore works on the day you need it.

Your maturity level is how far you take all eight together. We set each step up around the programs your team already uses.

Maturity Levels and the One You Need

Each level guards against a more determined attacker. Your insurer, a customer or your industry usually sets the level you need. If nobody has, we help you choose in the free consultation.

Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 1Level 2Level 3

  1. Level 1. Everyday attackers

    Guards against attackers who use common tricks shared online.

  2. Level 2. Determined attackers

    Guards against attackers who spend more time and effort to get in.

  3. Level 3. Skilled attackers

    Guards against skilled attackers who adapt to get past your defences.

How We Get You There

  1. 01

    A free consultation

    We work out with you whether you need it and which level, at no cost.

  2. 02

    The paid assessment

    A report, quoted up front, of what is in place and what is needed.

  3. 03

    The plan to reach your level

    You get the solutions, timeframes and costs, then you decide.

  4. 04

    We put the solutions in place

    We set each one up, with your IT person or provider if you have one.

  5. 05

    Keeping it current

    Your IT person or provider keeps it current unless we manage your IT.

Need an outside assessment?

Some insurers, customers or contracts ask for an independent assessor to check your level. We arrange one when you need it.

Book a free consultation

Moving to ASD Essentials

ASD Essentials is the next version of Essential 8 from the Australian Signals Directorate, the government agency behind both. The work you do now carries into it.

Now

Essential 8 today

  • Businesses are measured in levels 1 to 3.
  • It still applies while the change happens.
  • A level asked for in a contract still counts.
Next

ASD Essentials

  • Levels give way to ratings of how well each action works.
  • No deadline has been set to move across.
  • We move your setup across when you are ready.

We Do the Work for You

A technician in a white shirt works at a desktop computer in a bright open office

You reach your level without your team learning the Essential 8.

We put the fixes in

The updates, sign in checks, backups and settings each level asks for are put in by our team.

We work with your IT person

If you have an IT person or provider, we set it up with them and they keep it running. If you have nobody, we recommend a managed IT plan so it is kept up all year. You can still reach your level without one.

Already with us on a Gold or Platinum managed IT plan? Those plans put much of this in place already, so there is less to do.

What It Costs

There is no certificate fee, because no certificate exists for Essential 8. The cost is our work. How much depends on what your business already has in place.

Consultation
Free, with no obligation
Assessment
Quoted up front, before we start
Reaching your level
Our time, labour and solutions, quoted after the assessment
Keeping it current
Done by your IT person or provider. When we manage your IT, we do it.
Outside assessment
Only if a contract or insurer asks for one, quoted when needed

Essential 8 or SMB1001

With Essential 8 your business reaches a level, not a certificate. When a customer or insurer wants a certificate, SMB1001 is the Australian one built on the same ideas. We take businesses through either.

See SMB1001 certificationRead our Essential 8 guide

LevelEssential 8A level you reachSMB1001A certificate you hold

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Questions About Essential 8

Yes. We sit down with you to work out whether you need Essential 8 and which level, with no cost and no obligation.
It is the Australian Government’s list of eight security steps that make a business much harder to attack, also written Essential Eight. The eight are measured together in maturity levels 1 to 3, so a business can start where it is and build up.
It is moving to a new version. In October 2026 the Australian Signals Directorate released ASD Essentials. During the change the current steps still apply and no deadline has been set. The work you do now carries into the new version.
It depends on your insurer, your customers and your industry. Many will tell you the level they expect. If nobody has, we work out the right level with you in the free consultation.
No. No certificate exists for it. Your business reaches a maturity level instead. If you need a certificate, SMB1001 is an Australian certificate built on the same ideas. We take businesses through that too.
It depends on the level you need and where you start. The plan after the assessment gives you the timeframes before you decide.
It depends on how much your business already has in place. The consultation is free. We quote the assessment up front. After it, we quote the work to reach your level.
Yes. We set everything up together with your IT person or provider. After that, they keep your level current. When we manage your IT, we keep it current for you.
Yes. If an insurer, customer or contract asks for an independent assessor to check your level, we arrange one. It is quoted when you need it.
Reaching your level is a separate project. Our Gold and Platinum plans already cover much of what the levels ask for, so there is less to do. When we manage your IT, we keep your level current as part of it.

Have a different question? Ask us directly.

Book Your Free Consultation

Call (07) 3179 6766 or send the form to arrange a time. Most messages get a reply the same business day.

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Email

support@itstart.com.au

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