The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Essential 8 provides a practical baseline to improve resilience against cyber threats. For many organisations, navigating the maturity model can feel complex. With Microsoft 365, you can accelerate and simplify this journey by leveraging built-in security, compliance, and identity solutions.
1. Understanding Essential 8 Maturity Levels
The Essential 8 model defines three maturity levels:
- Maturity Level 1 – Focuses on foundational security hygiene. Protects against opportunistic attacks by ensuring basic controls (e.g., patching, MFA) are in place.
- Maturity Level 2 – Strengthens protections against more targeted and persistent attacks, requiring more advanced monitoring and configuration hardening.
- Maturity Level 3 – Establishes resilience against sophisticated adversaries, with advanced automation, strict governance, and continuous monitoring.
2. Microsoft 365 Licensing Requirements
To align with the Essential 8, Microsoft 365 licensing plays a crucial role. Here’s how:
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Best for SMBs starting their Essential 8 journey (Maturity Level 1).
- Includes: Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune, Azure AD Premium P1 (Conditional Access, MFA), and endpoint protection.
- Microsoft 365 E3 + Security Add-ons
- Suitable for organisations progressing to Maturity Level 2.
- Add-ons: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Identity, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, and Azure AD Premium P2.
- Microsoft 365 E5
- Provides full coverage to reach and sustain Maturity Level 3.
- Includes: Advanced threat protection across endpoints, email, and identities; Insider Risk Management; Advanced Audit; and Microsoft Defender XDR.
3. Mapping Essential 8 Controls to Microsoft 365 Features
Here’s how Microsoft 365 aligns to each Essential 8 control:
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1. Application Control – Microsoft Intune App Protection & Windows Defender Application Control.
2. Patch Applications – Endpoint Manager automated updates, Windows Update for Business.
3. Configure Microsoft Office Macros – Group Policy / Intune settings to restrict unsigned macros.
4. User Application Hardening – Defender SmartScreen, Microsoft Edge security baselines.
5. Restrict Administrative Privileges – Privileged Identity Management (PIM) in Azure AD P2.
6. Patch Operating Systems– Endpoint Manager and Defender for Endpoint compliance policies.
7. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Conditional Access with Azure AD MFA.
8. Regular Backups – SharePoint/OneDrive retention policies, Microsoft 365 Backup (upcoming), and Azure Backup integration.
4. Adopting the Essential 8 Maturity Levels with Microsoft 365
A structured adoption path helps organisations progressively move up the levels:
Step 1: Establish the Foundation (Maturity Level 1)
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- Enable MFA for all accounts with Conditional Access.
- Deploy Defender for Business or Defender for Endpoint.
- Configure Intune for device compliance and patching.
- Apply baseline policies (Office macros, Edge security).
Step 2: Strengthen & Monitor (Maturity Level 2)
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- Implement Privileged Identity Management (PIM).
- Use Microsoft Defender for Office 365 for phishing and malware protection.
- Apply Conditional Access with risk-based policies (e.g., blocking legacy authentication).
- Automate patching across applications and OS.
Step 3: Achieve Resilience (Maturity Level 3)
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- Deploy Microsoft 365 E5 security stack.
- Enable continuous monitoring with Microsoft Sentinel.
- Implement Insider Risk Management and Advanced Audit.
- Automate incident response workflows with Defender XDR.
5. Why Partner with Us
As a Cloud Consulting partner, we help you:
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- Assess your current maturity level with Microsoft Secure Score and Essential 8 alignment workshops.
- Deploy the right Microsoft 365 licensing and features for your organisation’s needs.
- Optimise your security journey with ongoing governance, automation, and managed services.
With Microsoft 365, you’re not just meeting the Essential 8 — you’re building a resilient, modern security posture that adapts as threats evolve.
👉 Book a Essential 8 Assessment to determine Maturity Level
👉 Talk to Our Security Experts
