Client Overview
An Australian energy provider operating in a highly regulated environment required compliance with the Essential 8 framework to protect their operational infrastructure while working within budget constraints.
Challenges Identified
- Lack of application control and patch management processes.
- Weak multi-factor authentication (MFA) mechanisms for critical systems.
- Inadequate administrative privilege controls.
CyberKeon’s Approach
- Risk Assessment: Conducted a comprehensive review of the client’s systems against the Essential 8 Maturity Model.
- Affordable Implementation: Recommended cost-effective tools for patch management and application control to meet compliance requirements without overburdening resources.
- Recommendations:
- Implemented application whitelisting and updated patching protocols.
- Strengthened MFA using token-based authentication for critical systems.
- Restricted administrative privileges using role-based access controls.
- Pentest and Validation: Performed penetration testing to verify the implementation of controls and identify residual gaps.
Outcome
- Achieved Essential 8 Level 3 compliance within budget.
- Reduced administrative privilege misuse by 75%.
- Enhanced operational resilience against ransomware threats.
