Essential 8 Risk Mitigation Management: Secure Your Business, Safeguard Your Success

Regularly update your applications to address known security vulnerabilities, closing the door on potential exploits. Patching keeps your software up-to-date with the latest security fixes, reducing the chances of successful cyber-attacks.

Disable or restrict the use of Microsoft Office macros, preventing malicious code execution. Macros can be exploited to deliver malware, so configuring your settings ensures that macros are used safely and securely.

Limit admin privileges to reduce the impact of cyber-attacks and maintain control over critical systems. By granting admin privileges only to authorised personnel, you minimise the risk of unauthorised access and limit the potential damage caused by compromised accounts.

Keep your operating systems up-to-date to patch vulnerabilities and enhance overall security. Regularly applying patches ensures that your systems are protected against known vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit.

Implement an additional layer of security by requiring multiple factors for system access, ensuring only authorised users gain entry. For instance, by combining a password with an authenticator app that sends a one-time code to the user’s mobile device, multi-factor authentication significantly strengthens your authentication process.

Regularly backup your important data and verify the integrity of backups, protecting against data loss and ransomware attacks. In the event of an incident, such as a system failure or ransomware infection, having up-to-date backups allows you to restore your data and resume normal operations quickly.

Strengthen the security of your applications by applying techniques to reduce vulnerabilities and protect against attacks. Application hardening involves implementing security measures such as code obfuscation, input validation, and encryption to make it more challenging for attackers to exploit your applications.