Essential 8 and CIS Controls: How They Work Together to Strengthen Cybersecurity

In today's cyber landscape, businesses are spoilt for choice when it comes to frameworks, guidelines, and standards. Two of the most commonly referenced are the Australian Cyber Security Centre's (ACSC) Essential Eight (E8) and the CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls).

Both aim to reduce cyber risk but they differ in scope, detail, and intent. At first glance, it might feel like you need to pick one. But in reality, these two approaches serve different purposes and can actually work together.

If you've ever wondered how to your organisation can best use them, this guide will show you how.

What is the Essential Eight?

Essential 8 is a cybersecurity framework developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). It focuses on eight key mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of cyber threats. Highly prescriptive in nature, it targets the most common attacks and disruptive cyber threats affecting Australian organisations, providing a practical and achievable baseline for improving cybersecurity posture.

The Eight Strategies:

1. Application control
2. Patch applications
3. Configure Microsoft Office macro settings
4. User application hardening
5. Restrict administrative privileges
6. Patch operating systems
7. Multi-factor authentication
8. Regular backups

• Key point: A focused framework: Highly prescriptive and practical; focuses on eight key strategies to defend against the most common cyber threats. Achievable for most organisations and provides a strong baseline for improving cybersecurity quickly.

What are the CIS Controls?

The CIS Controls, on the other hand, are a globally recognised set of 18 comprehensive best practices designed to help organisations improve their security posture.

They're broader in scope and more comprehensive, covering everything from asset management and access control to incident response and penetration testing. The framework is structured into Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3), allowing organisations to select the level of control maturity that aligns with their size, resources, and risk tolerance.

The 18 CIS Controls (Version 8):

1. Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets
2. Inventory and Control of Software Assets
3. Data Protection
4. Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software
5. Account Management
6. Access Control Management
7. Continuous Vulnerability Management
8. Audit Log Management
9. Email and Web Browser Protections
10. Malware Defences
11. Data Recovery
12. Network Infrastructure Management
13. Security Awareness and Skills Training
14. Service Provider Management
15. Application Software Security
16. Incident Response Management
17. Penetration Testing
18. Security Operations Management

Key point: A full set of best practices: Broader, deeper, and more flexible; covers 18 best practices across the full cybersecurity spectrum. Offers Implementation Groups (IG1–IG3) to tailor the level of control maturity to the organisation's size, resources, and risk tolerance.

How to Decide What is Right for You

Rather than competing with each other, Essential 8 and CIS Controls complement each other. Many organisations use the Essential Eight as a starting point; a baseline to meet compliance requirements and reduce risk quickly. From there, the CIS Controls can guide a broader maturity journey, helping you expand beyond the essentials into a robust, globally aligned security program.

At a Glance

• If you're in Australia: Start with the Essential 8. It's aligned to local guidance, compliance expectations, and common attack scenarios.
• If you want a global standard: Use the CIS Controls to benchmark and expand.
• Best of both worlds: Start with Essential 8 as a baseline, then map it to CIS Controls for a deeper, more comprehensive, long-term approach.

Checklist

Choose Essential Eight if:

Choose CIS Controls if:

In 2025, 57% of Australian businesses increased their cybersecurity budgets, yet fewer than 30% are fully implementing the frameworks designed to protect them. 👉 This gap is both a critical challenge and a unique opportunity for MSPs.

Cybersecurity Starter Checklist: 5 Steps to Begin Today

If your organisation doesn't have much or any cybersecurity framework in place, or you are starting from scratch, here are five simple steps to kick off your cyber journey:

1. Know Your Assets (You can't protect what you don't know exists)

• • List your devices, applications, and data.
  • Identify which systems are most critical to your business (risk assessment).

For a professional risk assessment, consider working with Stickman Cyber, who also provide guidance on CIS Controls and the Essential Eight.

2. Update & Patch Regularly

• • Apply software updates and security patches as soon as they're released.
  • Outdated systems are one of the easiest ways for attackers to gain entry.

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

• • Add an extra layer of security to logins, especially for email, admin accounts, and cloud services.

4. Back Up Your Data

• • Automate backups and test recovery regularly.
  • Store copies securely and offline where possible.

5. Start with the Essential Eight

• • Adopt the E8 strategies as your baseline – patching, backups, MFA, application whitelisting, and more. It's the "must-have" foundation.
  • Once the basics are in place, expand with the CIS Controls for broader coverage and more advanced practices such as incident response, monitoring, and secure configurations.

Final Thoughts

The question isn't "Essential Eight or CIS Controls?", it's how you can leverage both to strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

The Essential Eight provides a strong starting point for resilience against the most common attacks, while the CIS Controls deliver a more comprehensive, globally recognised framework.

The right choice depends on your regulatory requirements, business size, and security maturity. In many cases, the smartest approach is to adopt Essential Eight quickly, then layer CIS Controls over time as your organisation matures.

Stay Informed – Join our 'Build Cyber Resilience Through Framework Alignment' webinar

An expert-led webinar with Mark Iles, alongside Gerald Beuchelt, Eddie Phillips, Mark Gorrie, Nitin Sharma, and Frank Karabelas, where they unpack market insights, explore customer priorities, and show you how MSPs can leverage frameworks to drive real cyber resilience.

 Date: Thursday, 16 October 2025
 Time: 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM AEST
 Register now 

Reach out to the Synnex Cloud team 📩 cloud@au.synnex-grp.com for support to ensure your clients' organisation's cybersecurity is robust and resilient.