Secure State

🚨 Australia's First Standalone Cybersecurity Act 🚨 There are big changes are on the horizon for Australian businesses! The newly proposed Cyber Security Act will make ransomware payment reporting mandatory, a significant step toward improving national cybersecurity resilience. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, mandatory reporting will: - Improve transparency - Help authorities track and prevent further attacks - Strengthen our collective defence against cybercrime As we move towards stricter regulations, it’s critical for organisations to stay ahead by enhancing their security posture and aligning with frameworks like ISO 27001. Is your business ready for the new era of cybersecurity? #CyberSecurity #Ransomware #Australia #Compliance #ISO27001 #CyberResilience https://lnkd.in/gNWSU6k7

🚨 Important Changes for the Australian Defence Industry - Focus Shifts to Essential Eight Maturity Level 2 (No more Top 4!) 🚨 If your business is part of the Australian Defence Industry, you've likely been aware of the requirements of #DISP membership. There has however been an update to the #DSPF (27th of September) which brings significant changes to how #EssentialEight (E8) compliance is prioritised, especially with the removal of the Australian Signals Directorate E8 Top 4 option. Here's what you need to know: The previous focus on the Top 4 strategies from the E8 has been removed, and the spotlight is now on achieving E8 at Maturity Level 2 (ML2) across all ICT systems that correspond with Defence. This means: - No more partial compliance based on Top 4. - Full implementation of all Eight mitigation strategies at a defined maturity level - Increased focus on patching, application control, and security configurations that are crucial to defending against modern cyber threats. 🌐 How This Intersects with #CMMC and #NIST SP 800-171 For businesses also dealing with the US Department of Defense (DoD) contracts or handling Controlled Unclassified Information (#CUI), the changes to the Essential Eight create a potential overlap with CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 requirements. While these frameworks have different focal points, the changes bring the following challenges: CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification): For Australian Defence Industry businesses engaged with US DoD, CMMC compliance is becoming a critical requirement. Maturity Level 2 of the Essential Eight aligns well with the CMMC Level 1 requirement of safeguarding Federal Contract Information (#FCI), but these are separate frameworks that need to be managed concurrently. NIST SP 800-171: US contracts often demand compliance with NIST SP 800-171 to protect CUI (CMMC Level 2), and businesses need to ensure they meet these controls. While NIST SP 800-171 doesn’t map directly to the Essential Eight, there are areas of overlap—particularly in access controls, patch management, and configuration management. 📊 What This Means for Your Business These changes mark a shift towards holistic security rather than partial measures. Achieving Essential Eight Maturity Level 2 is now critical for remaining compliant with Australian Defence requirements, but don’t forget the potential impacts of CMMC flow-down or NIST SP 800-171 compliance if you’re working with US DoD contracts. Your organisation may need to: - Review your current cybersecurity practices and fill gaps in your Essential Eight implementation. - Ensure that your compliance frameworks align across Australian DISP requirements and potential US CMMC or NIST SP 800-171 requirements. - Plan for cybersecurity assessments that ensure you are meeting the highest standards of both Defence markets. If you need assistance with DISP and/or CMMC, please reach out to Secure State. We're happy to help 😊