Your cyber insurance renewal came back with a 40% premium increase and a list of frameworks you've never heard of.
A key client just sent a vendor security questionnaire asking about your 'cybersecurity maturity framework'.
Your board wants assurance that cyber risk is being managed — something more concrete than 'we're pretty secure'.
You're pursuing a tender that requires recognised cybersecurity certification, and ISO 27001 feels like overkill.
You've got reasonable security in place but no formal way to prove it to anyone.
The Challenge
You might already have reasonable security in place. Antivirus, MFA, regular backups—the basics are covered. But increasingly, that’s not enough. Your stakeholders want proof.
Your insurer wants to see documented security controls before they’ll offer reasonable premiums—or coverage at all.
Your clients are sending vendor security questionnaires, asking about your cybersecurity framework and maturity level.
Your board wants assurance that cyber risk is being managed—something more concrete than “we’re pretty secure.”
That tender you’re pursuing requires cybersecurity certification, and you can’t demonstrate compliance with any recognised framework.
The challenge isn’t just improving your security—it’s proving your security in a way that satisfies external stakeholders. You need a certification that’s recognised, achievable, and designed for businesses like yours.
That’s exactly what SMB1001 delivers.
What is SMB1001
Most cybersecurity frameworks were designed for enterprises—large organisations with dedicated security teams and substantial budgets. ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST—these are excellent standards, but they’re often overkill for a business with 20, 50, or even 100 employees.
SMB1001 is different. Developed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (typically 5-200 employees), it provides a structured path to demonstrable cybersecurity maturity without enterprise-level complexity or cost.
What Makes SMB1001 Different
It covers more than just technical controls.
It's tiered and achievable.
It aligns with Essential 8.
It's recognised by insurers.
The Three Tiers
The essential foundation
Bronze certification establishes your security fundamentals. It covers the controls that protect against the most common cyber threats—the attacks that target the majority of Australian businesses.
Core requirements include: asset inventory, multi-factor authentication, documented incident response procedures, security awareness training, and reliable backup systems.
Best for: Businesses seeking to satisfy basic insurance requirements, demonstrate security commitment to clients, or establish a foundation for future certification advancement.
Typical timeline: 6-10 weeks from assessment to certification.
Advanced protection and monitoring
Silver builds on Bronze with enhanced capabilities for threat detection, vulnerability management, and security governance. It’s designed for businesses handling sensitive data or operating in environments where security is a competitive differentiator.
Additional requirements include: advanced threat detection, network segmentation, regular vulnerability assessments, comprehensive backup strategy with tested recovery, and third-party vendor security assessments.
Best for: Businesses in regulated industries, those pursuing enterprise contracts, or organisations where a security incident would have significant business impact.
Typical timeline: 3-5 months from Bronze certification (or 4-6 months from baseline).
Comprehensive cyber resilience
Gold represents comprehensive cyber resilience—not just protection, but the ability to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents. Organisations at this level often use their security posture as a genuine competitive advantage.
Additional requirements include: continuous security monitoring with 24/7 response capability, business continuity planning with regular testing, supply chain security management, organisation-wide security culture, and regular independent security assessments.
Best for: Businesses where cybersecurity certification is a sales enabler, those seeking the highest level of protection, or organisations targeting security-conscious markets and clients.
Typical timeline: 6-12 months from Silver certification, depending on existing capabilities.
Why Grassroots IT
Why Brisbane Businesses Choose Us for SMB1001
We Know What Certification Actually Requires
SMB1001 certification isn’t just about implementing controls—it’s about demonstrating them with appropriate evidence and documentation. We’ve guided businesses through the certification process and understand exactly what assessors look for. No surprises, no failed assessments, no wasted effort.
We've Achieved ISO 27001 Ourselves
Grassroots IT is ISO 27001 certified—we’ve been through the rigour of security certification ourselves. While ISO 27001 is more comprehensive than SMB1001, the disciplines are similar. We understand the practical challenges of implementing security frameworks because we’ve navigated them in our own business.
We Help You Find the Right Level
We Maximise Your Existing Microsoft Investment
We Build Security That Lasts
Local Team, Australian Framework
How We Work
Gap Assessment
Certification Pathway
We work with you to determine the right certification level based on your stakeholder requirements, risk profile, and resources. We then build a realistic implementation roadmap—prioritised, sequenced, and achievable within your timeframe.
Implementation
We work alongside your team to implement the required controls—technical configurations, policies, procedures, and training. This isn’t a handover of documentation; it’s collaborative implementation with proper testing and change management.
Documentation & Evidence
Certification requires proof. We help you document your controls with the evidence assessors need—policies, configurations, logs, and records that demonstrate your security posture clearly and completely.
Assessment Support
We guide you through the certification assessment process, ensuring you’re prepared and confident. We’re there to support you through any assessor questions or requests for additional evidence.
Ongoing Maintenance
Certification isn’t a one-off achievement—it requires ongoing maintenance. We help you maintain your certified status through regular reviews, continuous improvement, and preparation for recertification.
SMB1001 vs Essentials 8
Essential 8
SMB1001
Choose Essential 8 if:
Choose SMB1001 if:
Choose both if:
Not sure which path is right?
What You Get
Executive Summary:
A high-level overview suitable for sharing with leadership or your board—key findings, overall risk assessment, and priority recommendations.
Detailed Findings Report:
Comprehensive documentation of each finding with risk rating, current state, recommended state, and remediation guidance.
Prioritised Remediation Roadmap:
A practical action plan organised by priority, with estimated effort levels to help you plan resources and budget.
Framework Alignment Score:
Where relevant, your current position against Essential 8, SMB1001, or other frameworks—useful for certification planning or compliance evidence.
Presentation Session:
A face-to-face (or video) session to walk through findings, answer questions, and discuss next steps.
Ready to Achieve SMB1001 Certification?
Whether you’re responding to an insurer’s requirements, pursuing a client contract, or simply want to formalise your security posture, we can help. Book a conversation with our security team to discuss your certification goals and understand what working together would look like.
ISO 27001 certified | Brisbane-based | SMB1001 specialists | Microsoft solutions partner
Works alongside our other services
Our Managed IT Support works seamlessly with our other services to give you complete peace of mind:
