Business outcomes / Stronger security

Improve your cyber security posture, and prove it

Your security posture is how well your business would stand up to an attack today, and how clearly you can show it. We measure it against the Essential Eight, fix the gaps in order of risk and give you the evidence insurers, clients and auditors ask for.

Talk to us See pricing

Your price in two minutes, no email needed. Or call 1300 787 429.

Austin Technology security engineer reviewing alerts in our Perth office

ML2 alignedPowertech, then approved by a new client

$56.6^kAverage cybercrime cost reported by a small business in 2024 to 2025 (ASD)
$97.2^kAverage for a medium business, up 55% on the year before (ASD)
72^hrsTo report a ransom payment if annual turnover is over $3 million
ML1Essential Eight for InterContinental Energy, across the whole business

Trusted by security conscious businesses across WA

01Where posture slips

Signs your security is harder to prove than it should be

Most businesses have some controls in place. The problem is knowing which ones work and showing it when someone asks.

An insurance renewal you cannot answer with confidence
Proposal forms ask about multi factor authentication, backups, patching and admin rights. A guess on the form is a risk if you ever need to claim.
FixAnswers checked against your real settings, with evidence behind each one.
A client wants Essential Eight evidence
Larger clients and government work now check their suppliers, often with a deadline attached.
FixAn Essential Eight score and a plan to reach the level your clients ask for.
Nobody is sure who has admin rights
Old accounts, shared passwords and forgotten admin access build up quietly.
FixAdmin access reviewed and restricted, with multi factor authentication on every account that matters.
Alerts that nobody reads
Security tools raise alerts overnight and at weekends, and they sit unread until Monday.
Fix24/7 managed detection and response, with our team acting on what it finds.

02What we change

How we lift your posture, in order of risk

Each step links to the service that delivers it. Most clients start with the assessment and move up from there.

2.1

Find out where you stand

A security assessment scored against the Essential Eight, with the gaps ranked by risk.

Assessment / Essential Eight score

2.2

Close the Essential Eight gaps

Application control, patching, multi factor authentication, admin rights, macro settings, hardening and backups, lifted to the level you need.

Maturity Level 1 / Level 2 uplift

2.3

Keep it managed

SecureShield plans, from Core to Control, which maintains Maturity Level 1 with central logging and a tested incident response plan, and Command above that.

SecureShield Core / Control / Command

2.4

Train your people

Simulated phishing campaigns and short training, so staff spot the email that gets past the filters.

Phishing simulations / training

2.5

Meet the rules that apply

SMB1001, ISO 27001, cyber insurance and client requirements mapped to the controls you have.

SMB1001 / ISO 27001 / insurance

2.6

Prove it holds

A penetration test with a specialist partner once the controls are in place.

With a specialist partner

03Maturity levels

The Essential Eight, level by level

The Australian Signals Directorate sets three maturity levels. Picking the right target matters more than chasing the highest one.

Essential Eight maturity levels one to three compared
Compare	Maturity Level 1Most start here	Maturity Level 2Sensitive data	Maturity Level 3Targeted risk
Built to stop	Opportunistic attacks using widely available tools	Attackers willing to invest more time in a target and in their tools	Adaptive attackers who rely less on public tools and may focus on you specifically
Usually suits	A first target for most small and medium businesses	Businesses holding sensitive data or supplying larger clients, and DISP members on the corporate systems they use with Defence	Organisations at high risk of a targeted attack
Client example	InterContinental Energy, across the whole business	Powertech, aligned and approved by a new client	Assessed and quoted on request

Swipe the table sideways to compare all three.

Maturity levels as defined in the Australian Signals Directorate's Essential Eight Maturity Model. Cost figures in the hero are from the ASD Annual Cyber Threat Report 2024 to 2025.

Want to know what each strategy means and how to reach the next level?

Essential Eight

Not sure which level you need?

Tell us who is asking about your security. A technical consultant will scope it with you and send a fixed quote.

Talk to us 1300 787 429

04How you will know

Security you can measure every quarter

Security that is measured gets better. These are the numbers you get from us.

Essential Eight maturity, every quarter

Each strategy scored, with the gap to your target level and what closes it.

Quarterly score

Microsoft Secure Score trending up

Microsoft's own measure of your Microsoft 365 settings, tracked month by month.

Monthly trend

Questionnaires answered with evidence

Insurance and client questionnaires answered from real settings and reports.

Evidence on request

05How it runs

From first audit to measurable progress

Quick wins such as multi factor authentication and admin rights come in the first weeks. The larger uplift follows the roadmap.

Week 1
Discovery
We review your security, backups, licensing, devices and support history, and agree which outcomes matter most.
Week 2
Prioritised roadmap
A plan with priorities, costs and owners, written in plain English.
Monthly
Reporting you can read
Service, security and backup reporting you can read in five minutes and take to your board.
Quarterly
Review and adjust
We check progress against the roadmap and your security score, and adjust as your business changes.

06Proof

Posture that clients checked and accepted

Uplifts measured against the Essential Eight, and what they led to.

InterContinental Energy

Reached Essential Eight Maturity Level 1 with five security platforms layered on the Microsoft 365 licensing it already had.

Read the story

Powertech

Aligned with Maturity Level 2 through a SecureShield plan with ThreatLocker, Huntress, conditional access and BitLocker, and was approved to start work with a new client.

Read the story

Palisades

Intune, conditional access, Defender, BitLocker, Secure Score and governance documents aligned to Maturity Level 1. The work met a prospective client's requirements and won the partnership.

Read the story

Related services

Cyber security audit Essential Eight assessment and uplift SecureShield plans and pricing Security awareness training IT compliance, SMB1001 and insurance Penetration testing

Want to compare all six outcomes side by side?

All business outcomes

07Recognised and certified

A top 50 MSP in Australia, three years running

Cloudtango named Austin Technology in its top 50 managed service providers in Australia in 2024, 2025 and 2026. We are also certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 9001, so the way we protect your data and run your service is checked by an independent auditor every year.

Cloudtango Top 50 MSP in Australia 2026, 2025 and 2024

Top 50 MSP in Australia Cloudtango, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Assessed on client satisfaction, growth and the depth of our security, support and infrastructure services. Read our client reviews on Cloudtango

An Austin Technology engineer working through alerts at his desk

ISO 27001

Information security

Our information security management system covers how we handle client data, credentials and access to your systems, certified by Compass Assurance Services and audited every year.

How we protect your data

ISO 9001

Quality management

Support tickets, projects and onboarding follow documented processes, so you get the same standard of work whichever engineer picks up your job. Ask us for our certificates when you run a supplier review or tender.

08Questions

Cyber security posture questions

What owners and managers ask us. Anything else, call 1300 787 429.

What is a cyber security posture?

It is the overall strength of your defences: how your systems are configured, who has access, how quickly threats are spotted and how well you could recover. A good posture is one you can measure and show to someone else, not just one you believe is fine.

Which Essential Eight level should we aim for?

Maturity Level 1 is a sensible first target for most small and medium businesses. Level 2 suits businesses holding sensitive data or supplying larger clients, and DISP members need it on the corporate systems they use to deal with Defence. We recommend a level after the assessment, based on your clients, insurer and data.

Do we have to report a ransomware payment?

Since 30 May 2025, businesses with annual turnover over $3 million must report a ransomware or cyber extortion payment to the Australian Signals Directorate within 72 hours. Smaller businesses can report voluntarily. Your legal adviser can confirm how it applies to you.

Is Microsoft 365 secure out of the box?

It has strong security features, but many are off or only partly set up by default. Multi factor authentication, conditional access, device management and email protection need configuring properly, and Business Premium includes most of what a small or medium business needs.

How much does it cost?

The first security assessment is free. Ongoing protection is on our SecureShield plans, priced per person per month excluding GST: Core is $25, Control is $60 and Command is $100.

Client feedback

What our clients say

1,800+ reviews from the people who call our Perth service desk every day.

1,800+
25
60+

01 / 08

“Turns every IT problem into a non-issue”

Arthur turns every IT problem into a non-issue and does it with real patience and professionalism. He explains things in a way that makes the process easy and always leaves us feeling supported. We appreciate the way he handles every request.

Bronte J.Indian Ocean Hotel
“Patient, capable and a genuine listener”

The support was outstanding. Patient, capable and a genuine listener, which is rare in support calls. He took the time to understand the issue and work through it with care. You are fortunate to have him on your team and the level of service was impressive.

Peter MidgleyPowertech
“Steady, thoughtful and stress free”

Jamie put in a great deal of effort to resolve the problem and it showed in the result. His approach was steady and thoughtful and the support was appreciated. It made the whole experience smooth and stress free.

Jason CavallaroCallidus Process Solutions
“Resolved the issue within minutes”

The consultant knew exactly what to do and resolved the issue within minutes. He talked through each step so I understood what was happening and made the process simple. The clear communication and fast resolution made a real difference.

Kirk LentonPilbara Construction
“The extra guidance made it more valuable”

Brady tracked down an email I could not locate and took the time to show us how to search more effectively in the future. The extra guidance was helpful and made the experience more valuable. His support was straightforward and appreciated.

Tony YoungOptimus Real Estate
“Resolved quickly, with none of my work lost”

They resolved my issue quickly and efficiently, which meant I didn’t lose any of the work I had done today. The support was clear and straightforward, and the outcome made a real difference to my day. Thank you.

Warner PriestInterContinental Energy
“Calm, patient and always willing to help”

Dev Sandhu is outstanding in his knowledge and support. He has a calm and patient way of working through any IT issue and is always willing to help at short notice. His positive attitude makes the whole experience easier and more reassuring. Thank you to Dev and the team at Austin for the consistent support.

Peter AlexanderKoch Solutions
“Refreshing after two unreliable IT providers”

After dealing with two unreliable IT providers in recent years, it has been refreshing to place my trust in Greg and the team at Austin. They have been professional and highly competent, even under pressure. Their support has made a real difference. Thank you, and keep it up.

Mark HutchisonLifewood