Intrusted Technology

Client Management – More Than Just Sales At Intrusted Technology, we do things a bit differently. Instead of having salespeople focused on pushing products, we have Client Management dedicated to empowering and fortifying our clients' technology environments. Client Managers are here to provide insights into your business’s technology landscape, identifying areas for improvement and offering tailored recommendations. They’re also your direct line for feedback on service delivery, ensuring that your unique needs and values are always understood. This feedback is then shared with our service delivery team to keep refining and personalising your experience. Every client is different. With our client-first approach, we prioritise your specific needs, so you’re supported in a way that strengthens your business. At Intrusted, you won’t experience a sales pitch. Instead, we’re here to empower you with options and fortify your technology environment to truly support your goals.

Understanding the Essential 8: Regular backups Regular backups are the last line of defense against data loss caused by cyberattacks, hardware failures, or accidental deletions. Backups ensure that in the event of an attack, such as ransomware, you can restore your systems and data to a previous state. However, it's not just about having backups—it's also essential to test them regularly to ensure they work when needed. A robust backup strategy protects your business from operational disruption and ensures business continuity in the face of disaster. If you would like to learn more please contact us at intrusted.com.au

Understanding the Essential 8: Multifactor Authentication (MFA) MFA strengthens security by requiring multiple forms of verification to access accounts. It typically combines something you know (like a password) with something you have (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition). Even if passwords are compromised, MFA acts as an additional barrier to protect your data. By using apps like Microsoft Authenticator, you add that extra layer of defense. The app can securely store your MFA credentials, making it easier and more efficient to protect accounts across apps, websites, and programs. Given its simplicity and effectiveness, MFA is a critical component of the Essential 8, ensuring your business stays one step ahead of cyber threats. If you would like to learn more contact us at intrusted.com.au

Understanding the Essential 8: Operating System Patching Just like application patching, making sure your operating system is always up to date with the latest patches is critical in preventing attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities. Unpatched operating systems provide an easy target for cybercriminals, leaving your business exposed. Keeping your OS current helps close security gaps, reduces your exposure to threats, and ensures the overall health of your IT infrastructure. With Windows 10 nearing End of Life (EOL), it's crucial for businesses to start planning their upgrade to Windows 11. Staying on an unsupported OS could leave you vulnerable to emerging cyber threats. If you haven’t already upgraded to Windows 11 by now, making plans to do so would be advisable so you aren’t caught using the End of Life software and putting your business at risk. Contact us at intrusted.com.au for more information on how we can assist you with this transition. 

Understanding the Essential 8: Restrict Administrative Privileges Limiting administrative access is a crucial step in safeguarding systems from cyberattacks. By ensuring only the necessary personnel hold these privileges, we reduce the risk of privilege escalation attacks—where attackers attempt to gain elevated permissions to move across networks or cause damage. Many cyberattacks thrive on this tactic. Implementing restricted admin access helps contain potential threats, safeguarding sensitive data, and keeping your business systems secure. If you'd like to know more - contact us on our website intrusted.com.au

Understanding the Essential 8: User Application Hardening User application hardening is an important practice in cybersecurity. It involves measures like preventing web browsers from processing Java or web ads from the internet, and ensuring that users cannot change browser security settings. These actions help reduce the attack surface and limit vulnerabilities to threats like ransomware. Leveraging your IT department can be key in understanding and applying these principles effectively, ultimately strengthening your organisation's security posture. If you would like to learn more about User Application Hardening please reach out on our website intrusted.com.au

Understanding the Essential 8: Restrict Microsoft Office Macros Cybercriminals often use Microsoft Office macros to deliver malware through seemingly legitimate documents. Restricting macros—especially from untrusted sources—can dramatically reduce the risk of infection. Macros are a common tool in spear-phishing attacks, allowing malicious code to run once opened. By involving your IT department to implement these restrictions, you ensure only safe macros are allowed, while blocking potential threats. This Essential 8 control helps protect sensitive data, secure internal collaboration, and strengthen your organisation’s overall cybersecurity defenses. Any questions on the essential 8 or macros in general, contact us on our website at intrusted.com.au

Understanding the Essential 8: Patch Applications Patching applications is critical to protecting your systems from vulnerabilities, but it’s far from a "set and forget" process. Your IT department plays a key role in staying actively involved, not only by applying urgent patches but also by monitoring online sources for the latest news on potential security risks. When vendors release updates, your team must act quickly to prevent exposure to cyber threats. Routine patch management, along with proactive monitoring, should be a core part of your IT strategy to ensure your systems remain secure, reduce your attack surface, and keep everything running smoothly and efficiently. Have you heard from your IT department lately about any critical patches that needed to be applied?. Want to know more? Feel free to contact us!

Understanding the Essential 8: Application Control Application control is your first line of defense in the Essential 8 cybersecurity framework. It ensures that only trusted and approved applications run on your systems, blocking potentially harmful software before it can do damage. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of ransomware and other cyber threats, as unapproved programs, often exploited by cyber criminals, are stopped from the start. By implementing strict application control, you can safeguard the integrity of your IT environment, ensuring a more secure and resilient infrastructure If you have further questions regarding Application Control get in contact with us.

Heard of the Essential 8 but not sure what it’s all about? Let us explain! The Australian Government’s Essential 8 is a cybersecurity framework designed to help businesses protect against cyber threats. It offers practical, prioritised strategies to safeguard data, reduce risks, and ensure business continuity. The Essential 8 components:  Application Control  Patch Applications  Restrict Microsoft Office Macros  User Application Hardening  Restrict Administrative Privileges  Patch Operating Systems  Multi-Factor Authentication  Regular Backups There are 3 primary objectives of the Essential 8: Prevent Cyberattacks Limit Cyberattack Impact Data recovery and Availability You can achieve different maturity levels—from Level 1 (minimum requirements) to Level 3 (most restrictive protection). The maturity levels can be used to determine the organisations cyber security posture and identify gaps within the environment that can put it at risk. By identifying these areas you can reduce the attack surface of your business lowering your chance and impact of cyber attacks. Want to learn more? Visit the official website or contact us directly! #Essential8 #CyberSecurity #AUSBusiness #BusinessProtection #CyberResilience