A mitigation strategy in the ASD Essentials (currently the Essential Eight), assessed against 4 tests at Maturity Level One.
Hardening switches off the features attackers abuse but most staff never use, such as Flash, Java in the browser, Office OLE objects and web ads, reducing the ways an attack can start.
Why it matters
Every feature left on is a door. Most can be closed centrally without staff noticing, which lowers risk across hundreds of devices at once.
How Conformance helps
- Block web browser access to Flash, ads and Java where possible
- Disable unneeded OLE and legacy features in Office
- Harden PDF readers against embedded content
- Apply hardening through central policy, not device by device
- Review the settings against the current ASD guidance each release
How Conformance helps
Conformance validates this strategy from the evidence your organisation already produces, shows your maturity level, and tells you the next step to raise it.
Official guidance: ASD Essential Eight Maturity Model