A Familiar Situation
We see this pattern often with Melbourne financial planning practices and accounting firms: a business growing quickly, still running on a single IT contractor who fixes things when they break, with no formal cyber security program in place. AFSL obligations and client expectations around data handling mean "we've never had a breach" isn't a good enough answer if a client, an insurer, or a regulator ever asks to see it in writing.
Here's how we typically approach that situation.
How We Approach It
- Run a full technology and security assessment mapped against the Essential 8
- Enforce MFA across every mailbox, cloud service and remote access point
- Deploy managed endpoint detection and response (EDR) across every device
- Roll out application control and centralised patch management
- Document policies the practice can hand to an auditor or a client on request
- Set up 24/7 monitoring and a backup and recovery process that's actually tested, not just running
What You Can Expect
Within a few months, practices typically move from an ad-hoc setup with no documented security posture to a Maturity Level One-aligned environment, unlimited help desk support, and a straight answer for clients who ask how their data is protected.
This page describes our general approach to a common type of engagement, illustrative rather than a specific named client, with results that will vary by business. If you'd like to see how this would apply to your specific environment, get in touch for a free assessment.