How application control and dependency management form the foundation of government cyber security
Understanding Essential 8 and Application Control
The Australian Signals Directorate's Essential 8 framework provides government agencies with eight critical mitigation strategies to protect against cyber threats. While all eight strategies work together to create a robust security posture, application control is a crucial first step. This strategy prevents unauthorised applications from running, effectively stopping many malware attacks before they can start.
The Challenge of Legacy Systems
Recently, our team helped a government agency tackle this foundational element of Essential 8, transforming their legacy web application to meet Level 1 compliance requirements. The project revealed how common it is for organisations to run systems with vulnerable dependencies and outdated frameworks, creating potential entry points for cyber-attacks.
"Our biggest concern was ensuring we could meet compliance requirements without disrupting our services," explained the agency's IT Manager. With thousands of users relying on their web applications daily, any security improvements needed to be implemented with minimal impact on availability.
A Three-Pillar Approach to Application Control
The technical approach focused on three key areas that directly support application control requirements:
Dependency Modernisation
· Upgrading .NET projects to current versions
· Updating frontend frameworks to the latest stable releases
· Replacing deprecated authentication systems
· Removing vulnerable infrastructure dependencies
2. Automated Security Monitoring
· Implementing Snyk.io for continuous vulnerability scanning
· Generating Software Bills of Materials (SBOM) for complete visibility
· Setting up automated alerts for new vulnerabilities
· Creating regular security scanning protocols
3. Development Pipeline Improvements
· Modernising the testing infrastructure
· Reducing test execution times from minutes to seconds
· Implementing shared test infrastructure
· Enhancing automated build processes
Building Sustainable Security Practices
"Our approach wasn't just about meeting compliance requirements," said Isaac Lamb, Principal Consultant at SixPivot.
"Application control is about preventing unauthorised code execution, but achieving this requires a comprehensive understanding of your approved application ecosystem. We wanted to establish sustainable practices that would help maintain security standards long-term."
Common Challenges in Implementation
The project highlighted the challenges many government agencies face when implementing application control:
· Legacy applications with outdated dependencies create security vulnerabilities
· Unauthorised applications may be running without IT awareness
· Manual security processes are often insufficient
· Limited visibility into application dependencies
· Difficulty maintaining up-to-date whitelists of approved applications
Achieving Compliance Through Automation
By systematically addressing these challenges, organisations can achieve both Level 1 compliance and improved security practices. "The automated scanning and alert system gives us early warning of potential vulnerabilities," noted the agency's IT Manager.
“We're no longer playing catch-up with security updates, and we know exactly what's running in our environment.”
Planning Your Essential 8 Journey
For government agencies planning their Essential 8 compliance journey, consider these key factors for application control:
· Start with a comprehensive application and dependency audit
· Implement automated vulnerability scanning early
· Create and maintain a detailed whitelist of approved applications
· Focus on sustainable testing and verification practices
· Build security monitoring into your CI/CD pipeline
· Prepare for migration to higher maturity levels
Beyond Level 1: Building for the Future
Level 1 application control protects against opportunistic attackers using publicly available tools to exploit common weaknesses. However, the foundation laid during this implementation supports progression to higher maturity levels, where protection extends to more sophisticated threats.
"While this project focused on Level 1 compliance," explains Isaac Lamb, "we've built in the flexibility to adapt to future requirements. The groundwork is laid for whatever comes next in the Essential 8 framework. Application control isn't just about compliance – it's about establishing a known, trusted foundation for your entire application environment."
Conclusion: A Foundation for Security
The success of this project demonstrated that achieving Essential 8 compliance, while technically challenging, provides an opportunity to modernise legacy systems and implement better security practices. By approaching application control as part of a comprehensive security transformation rather than just a compliance exercise, organisations can build a stronger foundation for their entire Essential 8 journey.
To find out how we can support your agency with Essential 8, contact our team at sales@sixpivot.com.au.
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