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Essential 8

Essential 8 Implementation That Fits Your Business

We help Australian SMEs navigate the Essential Eight framework—finding the right maturity level and building a realistic path to get there.
Book an Essential 8 Assessment

Essential 8 Specialists

ISO 27001 Certified

Brisbane - Based Team

Right-Sized Approach

The Challenge

Essential 8 Is Clear. Getting There Isn't.

The Essential Eight framework itself is well-documented. The Australian Cyber Security Centre provides detailed guidance on each mitigation strategy and maturity level. You can read it all online for free.
The challenge isn’t understanding what Essential 8 is. The challenge is:

Knowing where you actually stand today.
Do you have the controls in place? Are they configured correctly? What maturity level are you actually at—not what you assume or hope?
Determining the right target for your business. Not every organisation needs Maturity Level 3. What do your clients expect? What does your insurer require? What’s realistic given your resources?
Implementing controls without disrupting operations. Application control sounds straightforward until it blocks legitimate software your team relies on. Patching seems simple until an update breaks a critical system.
Proving your compliance to stakeholders. Your insurer wants evidence. Your client wants documentation. Your board wants assurance. How do you demonstrate what you’ve achieved?

The Challenge

Essential 8 Is Clear. Getting There Isn't.

The Essential Eight framework itself is well-documented. The Australian Cyber Security Centre provides detailed guidance on each mitigation strategy and maturity level. You can read it all online for free. The challenge isn't understanding what Essential 8 is. The challenge is:

Knowing where you actually stand today.

Do you have the controls in place? Are they configured correctly? What maturity level are you actually at—not what you assume or hope?
Not every organisation needs Maturity Level 3. What do your clients expect? What does your insurer require? What’s realistic given your resources?
Application control sounds straightforward until it blocks legitimate software your team relies on. Patching seems simple until an update breaks a critical system.
Your insurer wants evidence. Your client wants documentation. Your board wants assurance. How do you demonstrate what you’ve achieved? This is where having the right partner makes the difference between a successful Essential 8 implementation and an expensive, frustrating exercise that never quite gets finished.
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Why Grassroots IT

Why Brisbane Businesses Choose Us for Essential 8

We've Done It Ourselves

Grassroots IT is ISO 27001 certified. We don’t just advise on security frameworks—we’ve implemented them in our own business. We understand the practical challenges because we’ve navigated them ourselves. When we recommend an approach, it’s grounded in real experience, not just theory.
Some providers push every client toward the most comprehensive (and expensive) implementation. We take a different approach. We help you understand what your stakeholders actually require, assess your genuine risk profile, and determine the maturity level that makes sense for your business. Sometimes that’s Level 2 across all strategies. Sometimes it’s a mix. We’re honest about what you need—even when that means recommending less.
Most of our clients run Microsoft 365. The good news? Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Enterprise plans include many Essential 8 capabilities—MFA, Intune for application control, Defender for endpoint protection, and more. Many businesses already have the tools; they just need them configured correctly. We assess what you have and maximise your existing investment before recommending additional spend.
We’ve seen organisations achieve Essential 8 compliance on paper, only to drift back to old habits within months. Our approach focuses on sustainable implementation—controls that work with your team’s workflows, not against them. We help with change management, user training, and building security into your normal operations so compliance isn’t a one-off project but an ongoing reality.
Essential 8 is an Australian framework for Australian businesses. We’re based in Brisbane, we understand the Australian regulatory environment, and we work in your timezone. When you need to discuss your security posture or respond to an insurer’s questions, you’re talking to people who understand your context—not an offshore support desk following a script.

What is Essential 8

A Quick Guide to the Essential Eight
For those new to the framework, here’s what you need to know. The Essential Eight is a set of cybersecurity mitigation strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). Implementing these strategies to at least Maturity Level 1 can prevent 85% of targeted cyber intrusions.
The Eight Strategies

1. Application Control

Only approved software can run on your systems, preventing malicious programs from executing.

2. Patch Applications

Keep software updated to close security vulnerabilities attackers exploit.

3. Configure Microsoft Office Macros

Block or restrict macros to prevent malicious code in documents.

4. User Application Hardening

Disable risky features in browsers and applications that attackers commonly target.

5. Restrict Administrative Privileges

Limit admin access to reduce damage if an account is compromised.

6. Patch Operating Systems

Keep Windows, macOS, and other systems updated with security patches.

7. Multi-Factor Authentication

Require a second verification step beyond passwords.

8. Regular Backups

Maintain tested backups to recover from ransomware or disasters.

The Maturity Levels

Why Brisbane Businesses Choose Us
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The Maturity Levels

The ACSC defines four maturity levels (0-3), with each level representing increasing protection against more sophisticated threats:

Level 0: Weak or absent controls—you’re exposed to basic attacks.
Level 1: Basic protection against opportunistic attackers. A solid starting point for most SMEs.
Level 2: Protection against more capable, targeted attacks. Appropriate for businesses with compliance requirements or valuable data.
Level 3: Comprehensive protection against sophisticated threats. Required for high-risk industries and critical infrastructure.

Which level is right for you? That’s exactly what we help you determine. We assess your risk profile, stakeholder requirements, and resources to find the appropriate target—then build a realistic roadmap to achieve it.

Level 0:

Weak or absent controls—you’re exposed to basic attacks.

We understand SME realities—limited budgets, small teams, competing priorities. Our recommendations are prioritised by risk and achievability. We tell you what matters most and what can wait, not just what’s theoretically ideal.

Most of our clients run Microsoft 365, and we know the platform deeply. We assess not just whether you have the right security tools, but whether they’re configured correctly—often uncovering significant gaps in environments that look fine on the surface.

Our audit is genuinely independent. You’ll receive a comprehensive report and recommendations regardless of whether you engage us for remediation. Many businesses take our findings to their existing IT provider—and that’s perfectly fine. The audit stands on its own merit.

We’re based in Brisbane and we present our findings in person (or via video if you prefer). You’ll have a real conversation about what we found—not just a document dropped in your inbox. We explain the ‘so what’ behind every finding.

How We Work

Our Essential 8 Approach
01.

Assess Where You Are

We evaluate your current controls against each Essential 8 strategy, determining your actual maturity level—not assumptions. You get a clear, honest picture of your security posture with specific gaps identified.
Find Out More
02 2

Determine Your Target

We work with you to understand your stakeholder requirements (insurers, clients, regulators), risk profile, and budget. Together, we determine the appropriate maturity level for each strategy—not one-size-fits-all, but right-sized for your business.
03.

Build a Realistic Roadmap

We create a prioritised implementation plan that sequences changes sensibly. Quick wins come first. Complex changes are planned and tested. We balance security improvement with operational reality so you can make progress without disrupting your business.
04.

Implement Together

We work alongside your team to implement controls at a pace that works for you. This isn’t a handover of documentation—it’s collaborative implementation with proper testing, user communication, and change management. You understand what’s being done and why.
05.

Document and Demonstrate

We help you document your maturity level with the evidence your stakeholders need. When your insurer asks questions or a client requests your security posture, you have clear, accurate documentation to share—not scrambling to prove what you’ve done.
06.

Maintain Your Posture

Essential 8 isn’t a one-off project. We help you maintain compliance through ongoing patching, periodic reassessments, and adjustments as your business evolves. Your security posture stays current, not a snapshot that quickly becomes outdated.
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What You Get

Your Audit Deliverables

Executive Summary:

A high-level overview suitable for sharing with leadership or your board—key findings, overall risk assessment, and priority recommendations.

Comprehensive documentation of each finding with risk rating, current state, recommended state, and remediation guidance.

A practical action plan organised by priority, with estimated effort levels to help you plan resources and budget.

Where relevant, your current position against Essential 8, SMB1001, or other frameworks—useful for certification planning or compliance evidence.

A face-to-face (or video) session to walk through findings, answer questions, and discuss next steps.

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Ready to Get Essential 8 Right?
Whether you’re starting from scratch, responding to an insurer’s requirements, or looking to improve your existing maturity level, we can help. Book a conversation with our security team to discuss your situation and understand what working together would look like.

Book an Essential 8 Assessment
Or explore our broader Cybersecurity Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Make An Enquiry
How long does Essential 8 implementation take?
It depends on your starting point and target. Moving from Level 0 to Level 1 would be 3 – 6 months, and moving to Level 2 typically is achieved within 6 – 9 months. We’ll give you realistic timeframes based on your specific situation during our initial assessment—no vague promises.
Costs vary based on your starting point, target level, and existing technology. Some organisations achieve Maturity Level 1 largely through configuration changes—minimal cost beyond our advisory and implementation support. Higher levels may require additional tools. We provide transparent pricing after our assessment so you can make an informed decision.
It can if done poorly—which is why how you implement matters as much as what you implement. We test changes before deployment, roll out progressively, and help with user communication. Our goal is security that works with your team, not against them.
Often, no. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes MFA, Intune, Defender, and other capabilities that support Essential 8 compliance. Many businesses already have what they need—it’s just not configured correctly. We assess your current licensing and maximise your existing investment first.
Essential 8 is a set of technical mitigation strategies. SMB1001 is a certification framework designed for SMEs that includes Essential 8-aligned controls plus business practices and governance. For many smaller businesses, SMB1001 provides a more accessible certification pathway. We can help you determine which framework—or combination—best fits your needs.
It’s mandatory for Australian government agencies, critical infrastructure, and systems of national significance. For private businesses, it’s not legally required—but increasingly expected. Cyber insurers ask about it. Enterprise clients require it. Tenders reference it. Even if not technically mandatory for you today, the market is moving toward expecting Essential 8 compliance.
You could—the ACSC documentation is publicly available. But most businesses find the gap between understanding the framework and correctly implementing it is significant. Common pitfalls include misconfigured controls that look compliant but aren’t, disrupted operations from poorly planned changes, and difficulty maintaining compliance over time. Working with an experienced partner helps you avoid these pitfalls and achieve lasting results, and ensures you have the correct documentation as evidence that it’s been achieved.
We work collaboratively. Some businesses engage us specifically for Essential 8 assessment and advisory while their existing provider handles day-to-day IT. Others transition to us for broader managed services. We’re flexible—our goal is helping you achieve the right security outcome, whatever that looks like for your situation.
"GRIT's commitment to achieving the right result for Northrop has enabled the uplift of our digital environment. They provide a true partnership, working with Northrop to develop solutions that fit our culture and our appetite for change and innovation."
Kiri Hetariki - Quality, Systems and Integration Manager
Northrop Consulting Engineers
"GrassrootsIT has continually proven itself as a contributing partner in digital transformation. Their unwavering dedication to quality, coupled with a relentless drive to improve, has solidified their reputation as a trusted and dependable partner for businesses navigating the complexities of modern IT landscapes."
Stuart McFarlane, Digital Systems Manager
Multi-Cultural Communities Council Gold Coast
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In today’s rapidly digitizing world, artificial intelligence (AI) has become synonymous with innovation. However, knowing how to introduce AI to your business can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully (and contrary to popular belief), integrating AI into your processes does not need to involve sophisticated systems or complex coding. In fact, there are numerous simple AI...
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Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365

Microsoft Secure Score: Quick Wins for Stronger Cybersecurity

As businesses increasingly migrate to digital platforms, cybersecurity has become a non-negotiable priority. Microsoft 365 leads the way in providing robust security solutions and offers an abundance of features designed to safeguard your business data and systems – but how do you navigate the plethora of options available to ensure that you’re choosing the best...
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5 Warning Signs It's Time To move To a new Managed Service Provider
IT Management

Recognising The Red Flags: 5 Signs Your Business Needs a New Managed Service Provider

Do you know the signs that indicate when it's time to move on from your current Managed Service Provider? Learn what these are and how to find the best new partner for your business needs.
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Working From Home
Cybersecurity

How to mitigate the cybersecurity risks of working from home

While the long-term future of work is still unclear, it’s fair to say that remote working in some form is here to stay, bringing with it new challenges for business leaders, not least of all those tasked with cybersecurity. Old approaches to securing the organisations digital assets have been rendered outdated, while new unforeseen risks have emerged almost overnight.
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Exploring top Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions
Cybersecurity

Decoding Cybersecurity: Busting 10 Common Myths

In the digital age, cybersecurity has become a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. However, there are numerous misconceptions surrounding this complex field that can lead to complacency and, ultimately, vulnerability. In this post, we debunk ten of the most common cybersecurity myths that could be putting your business at risk.
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Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365

Boost Your Microsoft 365 Security: 5 Critical Questions to Ask

Microsoft Office 365 is built from the ground up to be a highly secure platform, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your own Office 365 environment is configured securely. Ultimately the responsibility for securing your Office 365 environment, and the information and data stored in there, rests with you. Microsoft provides the platform and the means, but it’s up to you to consider your unique situation and ensure that appropriate security measures are taken.
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Man Leading Training
Cybersecurity

Building a culture of cybersecurity awareness in your business

Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue, but a human one. Your employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats, and they need to be aware of the risks and best practices. In this blog post, we will share some tips on how to build a culture of cybersecurity awareness in your business.
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Cockpit Gauges
IT Management

3 IT Support metrics that actually matter and why

When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of IT support, many senior business leaders find themselves drowning in a sea of data, with no clear understanding of which metrics really matter. In this blog post, we'll be taking a closer look at three key metrics that every business leader should be paying attention to when it comes to measuring IT support performance and optimising the effectiveness of IT within their organisation.
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Man In Field Watching
IT Management

3 technology trends to watch in 2023

From the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence to the growing popularity of business process automation, companies must stay up-to-date in order to stay competitive. In this blog post, we explore three technology trends to watch in 2023, including the rise of AI, the increasing importance of business process automation, and the ever increasing cybersecurity threat. Stay ahead of the curve and learn how these trends can help your business succeed.
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Bookshelves
Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Policy Resources

Effective cybersecurity is as much about policy & governance as it is about tools and technology, however knowing where to start with these things can be challenging. In this post we have compiled a list of useful cybersecurity policy resources to help you build and enhance your cybersecurity governance.
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Flow Chart Whiteboard
Automation & AI, Power Platform

Automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks with Power Automate

Power Automate is a tool for automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. As part of the Microsoft Power Platform, it can integrate quickly and easily into other Microsoft apps such as SharePoint and Outlook but can just as easily integrate with hundreds of non-Microsoft apps using an extensive collection of third-party and custom connectors. Even older legacy apps can be automated using a feature called Robotic Process Automation.
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Yammer Office Commun 1
Microsoft 365

5 Yammer tips to improve office communication

How the app can connect your staff and share ideas Microsoft Office 365 is designed from the ground up to enable seamless collaboration and encourage greater team communication. With this philosophy built into every app, it’s not surprising that there is some crossover between what each app can be used for. Yammer, SharePoint, and Teams...
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Voice To Text Dictation With Windows And Office 365 Hero
Microsoft 365

Voice-to-text dictation with Windows and Office 365

Manoeuvre your Windows PC with just your voice When Pam (a busy property manager) broke her wrist roller skating over the weekend, she thought she wouldn’t be able to get back to work at the real estate agency until she got her plaster off. However what Pam didn’t realise is that Microsoft has some pretty...
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Cheapest & Easiest Way To Manage Email Signature
Automation & AI

Cheapest and Easiest Way to Manage Email Signatures

Businesses tend to spend considerable effort on social media, but email is still really important for client communication and marketing. In fact, compared to other marketing channels, email marketing actually has a 4400% ROI which means that for every $1 spent, you generate $38 in revenue. (Campaign Monitor) Email is an opportunity for us to...
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How Easy To Guess Your Pw
Cybersecurity

How Easy Is It to Guess Your Password?

It is a common understanding that passwords are supposed to protect our accounts. But how much does your designated password protect you and your information? If the bad guys come hacking into your personal and corporate accounts one day, how sure are you that it’s going to be a tough job for them? Let us...
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Office Install
Microsoft 365

How to install Office 365 desktop applications on your computer

Tips for installing Word and Excel A lot of Microsoft Office 365 plans include what’s called Desktop Licensing. This is the bit that lets you install the Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel on your computer. In this post we show you how to install Office 365 on your computer. 1. Sign in with your...
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Office Lens Blog
Automation & AI, Microsoft 365

Office Lens: a OneNote Scanner for your Pocket

There is one app on my iPhone that I now simply cannot live without. The app is called Office Lens and it is available for free at the Apple App Store and for your Android phone on Google Play. In a nutshell, the Office Lens app is a portable scanner in your pocket. Now, these kinds of apps aren’t new....
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Email Return
Microsoft 365

Before you panic, here’s how to recall an email in Outlook

4 tips for avoiding an embarrassing mistake Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling as you realise you have accidentally sent an email to the wrong person?   If you are lucky, it could just be an embarrassing blip on your day, but there is the potential for some very real damage. There is the occasional story on...
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Conversation Clean Up Cta
Microsoft 365

Using Conversation Clean Up to Achieve Inbox Zero

For most of us, the goal of achieving Inbox Zero (“a rigorous approach to inbox management, aimed at keeping the inbox empty”) is not an easy task to work on. It’s just a lot to have to go through tons of emails from who-knows-when with the goal of clearing up unwanted emails from your Outlook Inbox then,...
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Office Profile Pic 1200x600
Microsoft 365

How to update your profile picture in Office 365

People do business with people, so your profile picture is a great way to represent you and your business. Whenever you send an Outlook email to your contacts, a little circle icon of you should be visible to the recipient and it should be something striking. Who wouldn’t want to look good in their email profile picture,...
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Discover Our Top 5 cybersecurity tips for CEOs
Cybersecurity

5 cybersecurity tips for CEOs

Cyberattacks today are constantly on the increase. And with most businesses using cloud solutions for data storage and email as their main form of communication, the term ‘ransomware’ is something all company executives should understand.
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Meeting Room Whiteboard
IT Management

5 ways the right IT partner can support your in-house IT staff

Engaging with an IT partner doesn't need to be an all-or-nothing exercise. In many cases organisations will partner with an IT provider to work alongside existing in-house IT staff to provide complementary skills and capabilities. When choosing an IT partner to work alongside in-house IT staff it's important to choose one familiar with this model to ensure a productive, harmonious engagement.
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Boardroom Casual
Cybersecurity

5 questions board members need to ask about cybersecurity

Cybercrime is now a multi-billion-dollar industry that impacts organisations of all shapes and sizes. That means cybersecurity is no longer a matter to be left to your IT department. Ensuring that your organisation is properly protected from cyberattack must now be a board level priority.
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Teams Calling
Microsoft 365

Everything you need to know about Microsoft Teams Phone (aka Teams Calling)

Microsoft Teams Calling is a cloud-based PBX phone system built right into the familiar Microsoft Teams platform. Microsoft Teams already lets you make both voice and video calls to other Teams users, irrespective of if they are within your organisation or are external parties. By enabling Teams Calling, this functionality is extended even further to allow you to make and receive calls with people using traditional phone systems.  
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Security Padlock Laptop
Cybersecurity

4 Cybersecurity Essentials Every Business Should Have

It’s no secret that, as we become more and more dependent on technology to run our businesses and become reliant on internet-connected devices, both for our personal and professional lives, we also become more vulnerable to cyber threats. US$2.9 billion is lost to cybercrime each minute and, as at 2020, the average cost of a data breach was a staggering US$3.86 million. However, there are basic cybersecurity foundations we can put in place, ranging from simple to more complex, in order to protect ourselves and our businesses from cyber attacks.  
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Microsoft Teams Logo
Microsoft 365

5 Reasons to Use Microsoft Teams Instead of Emails

Email has long been the mainstay of team communication and collaboration. Indeed, despite also being the bane of effective collaboration, for many organizations it remains at the heart of how teams communicate and work together.Part of the Microsoft 365 suite of cloud services, Microsoft Teams is the modern alternative to email, enabling clear, efficient and effective communication and collaboration both with...
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Power Platform Logos
Microsoft 365, Power Platform

What is the Microsoft Power Platform

The Microsoft Power Platform is the collective term for four Microsoft products: Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents. More than the sum of its parts, the Power Platform is a no-code to low-code platform that users with no coding experience can use to analyse data, build solutions, automate processes and engage online. Although perfectly at home integrating with third-party apps, the Power Platform truly shines when used with your Office 365 subscription, and being a low to no code platform means it can be used without the need to rely heavily on IT or coding experts.
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IT Management

Choosing the best Managed IT service provider in Brisbane

Whether your business is growing and you’re ready to level up your IT to include a dedicated IT provider, or you’re looking for a new IT provider to partner with, you need to consider Managed IT Support - which means working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) . So let's talk about choosing an MSP and how to find the right IT partner for your business.
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Connected Web
Microsoft 365

How to leverage the power of Microsoft 365 app integration

Every business has a multitude of processes and functions that must be performed in order to deliver value to stakeholders and ultimately remain in business. With technology at the heart of modern business this means that (as we hear so often) – “There’s an app for that”. The prevalence of cloud apps sold on a...
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Calculator Notepad
IT Management

Managed IT Support pricing – everything you need to know (2024)

If you’re considering engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) it's important that you understand what factors can influence Managed IT Support pricing. You may be looking to change from an existing MSP, upgrade from adhoc support, or perhaps complement an existing in-house resource; either way it’s important that you understand the factors that can influence how much Managed IT Support might cost, and what that price is likely to look like.
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Genius
IT Management

The top 5 benefits of outsourced IT support

There can be significant benefits to outsourcing your IT to a managed IT service provider. Of course every organisation has unique business requirements, but there are some common themes that outsourcing IT can help address.
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Team Cheering
IT Management

How to get the best from your IT support team

It’s fair to say that you’ve invested a lot in your IT support team. If you have an IT support team in house, then you’ve spent time and money recruiting them, training them, and developing them with the hard and soft skills necessary to perform at a high standard. You’ve spent money on computers, software,...
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Budget
IT Management

How investing in the right IT services can save your business money

While investing in technology is not an insignificant part of any business’ budget, having the right IT services in place could actually help your business to save money. In this blog, we share our five essential services to ensure that your IT budget is well spent and your business isn’t just surviving but thriving. #1....
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Workers Getting Back Office (1)
Microsoft 365

How to run a daily huddle using Microsoft Teams

Tips for maintaining a happy & engaged workforce With a team covering three countries, remote working is at the core of how Grassroots IT functions, and our daily huddle is crucial to maintaining a high performing, happy and engaged team. Microsoft Teams is critical to the way we run our daily video huddle, with the...
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Office 365
Microsoft 365

Office 365 is now Microsoft 365

On 21 April 2020, Microsoft revealed in an online announcement that its line of Office 365 subscription plans would be renamed, substituting it with the Microsoft 365 branding instead. Don’t hold out high expectations for an out-of-the-box name idea though (sometimes causing a little confusion, Microsoft tends to keep its product names pretty similar). Moving...
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Teams Collaboration
Microsoft 365

How Microsoft Teams Enables Seamless Collaboration

Collaboration has always been a foundation for organisational growth and efficiency. To put it simply, when we share ideas, knowledge, passion and skills, the outcome is better than if we had have done it alone. Organisations with employees who feel connected to their team members and workplace are also more likely to have increased engagement and retention rates, which can lead to greater productivity and profit, so it’s well worth pursuing a culture that supports and celebrates collaboration. So, how can we make it easier for collaboration to occur in the workplace?
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Young Person During Intership (1)
Microsoft 365

Why We Fell In Love with Microsoft Teams While Working from Home

So many communications apps and collaboration tools are readily available these days, with more being developed daily. With an abundant amount of options to choose from, how do you pick out one that is perfect for your business needs? If you’re looking for the best option to choose as your organisation’s collaboration channel and wondering...
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Managed Service Provider It Helpdesk Computer
IT Management

5 Tips for Successfully Outsourcing IT Support

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) can help your business stay up-to-date with the latest technology and remain competitive in today’s challenging business environment. What's more, it can do all this while cutting your in-house IT support costs and freeing up your technical staff for mission critical tasks.
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Security Padlock Laptop
Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365

Microsoft Office 365 security tips to implement today

Microsoft Office 365 has many security features and capabilities built in, however with a few simple steps you can greatly increase your cybersecurity stance with some easy changes to system configuration and business practices. 
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Grid Framework
Cybersecurity

What is the Essential Eight cybersecurity framework

Cyber-security threats and data breaches are becoming increasingly rampant, sophisticated and difficult to mitigate. Statistics from the latest Australian Cyber Security Centre Threat Report show that instances of malware attacks, data breaches, and intrusion attempts are on the rise. The challenge of ensuring cybersecurity is a global issue affecting many industries and organisations.
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Intelligent Firewall 1
Cybersecurity

Why an Intelligent Firewall is Critical For Your Network Security

Find out the difference in our new video In years gone by, we may have thought the chance of experiencing a cybersecurity breach was pretty low but, these days, the more aware business leaders talk not about the possibility but of when a cyberattack will happen. So let’s talk about how can we take preventative action to defend our computer systems and keep...
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Throwing Fishing Net
Cybersecurity

How to identify a phishing email

Phishing is the most common form of cyber threat that you are likely to face, while also being one of the easiest to avoid falling foul of. But to stay safe you must be able to quickly identify a phishing email. Read on to learn about the common traits of phishing email, and how to stay safe
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O365 Vs Ms365
Microsoft 365

Office 365 vs. Microsoft 365: What’s the Difference?

Most people are familiar with the Microsoft Office Suite, which has evolved from CDs to cloud-based productivity solutions. Today, services like Office 365 offer a subscription-based model, providing access to a wide range of office apps accessible across devices, including mobile phones. Of course, these days, we are all used to a much more convenient...
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Ways Your Data Can Be Lost In The Cloud
Cybersecurity

How Your Data Can Be Lost in the Cloud (and How to Prevent It)

If you are using one of the major Software as a Service Offerings (SAAS), such as Office 365 or public cloud file storage, then you are benefitting from incredible economies of scale. Your data is highly available and accessible from almost anywhere securely.  So, you may be thinking…  “All of my stuff is in the cloud. It’s safe!“  But...
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Pin Pad
Cybersecurity

3 reasons you need to enable Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) today

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security measure that requires more than one piece of evidence to verify your identity. MFA can protect your accounts from unauthorized access, even if your password is compromised. In this blog post, we will discuss three reasons why you should enable MFA for your online services.
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Strategy Chess Piece
IT Management

Why aligning your IT strategy with business goals is critical for success

I recently threw a question out to a group of my professional peers, asking them what they saw as the benefits of aligning IT strategy with business strategy. The responses I received were nothing short of exceptional. It reinforced for me (yet again) what an insightful, intelligent and progressive professional community I have the good...
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Flow Chart Whiteboard
Cybersecurity

The Notifiable Data Breach scheme. Is your business ready?

As the new Notifiable Data Breach Schemecomes into effect in Australia as of 22 February 2018, there is now an onus on business to protect and notify individuals whose personal information is involved in a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm. When most people think of data breaches, they think of sneaky...
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Managed Service Provider It Helpdesk Computer
IT Management

What is a Managed Service Provider and when do I need one?

Whether you are a Digital Transformation powerhouse, or you provide the best Tree Lopping services in Brisbane, technology is integral to the success of your organisation. This is especially true for small to medium businesses where margins can be thin, and the market competitive. To remain agile it’s critical to extract the most out of...
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World Map
IT Management

How we operate remotely between Brisbane, Auckland and Clark

It’s been an amazing few years at Grassroots IT, not least of all because of the international growth that we’ve experienced both with our clients and our team. If you had have asked me five years ago whether Grassroots IT would one day not only be supporting multinational clients, but have our own workforce spread...
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Padlock Green Door
Cybersecurity

Why do Australian businesses require cyber security? Here are some eye opening stats.

In just the last five years, business leaders have changed the tone of their cyber security conversations. It is no longer a discussion about layers of defence or the beefiness of the firewall, instead Directors now understand it’s no longer a matter of ‘if’ but instead a matter of ‘when’ the system will be breached. And the...
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Strategy Sign
IT Management

What is your strategy? Do you really have one?

Strategy doesn't need to be difficult or complicated, but it does need to be well thought out and understood. After all, without strategy, execution is aimless.
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