This FAQ explains everything leaders need to know about ISO 42001: what it covers and how it differs from other frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST, why it’s becoming a benchmark for responsible AI usage. Who should adopt it, the business benefits it delivers, and how Cube Cyber’s certified ISO 42001 auditors and implementers can help you to design, integrate, and operationalise AI governance frameworks that build trust and accountability.

Whether you’re exploring readiness, certification, or practical implementation, this guide will help you understand how ISO 42001 can turn AI governance from a compliance obligation into a competitive advantage.

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how organisations operate, compete, and make decisions. From automation to analytics, AI is now central to how we deliver services, manage risk, and create value.

But with innovation comes new dimensions of risk. Unmonitored AI usage, data leakage, and opaque decision-making can expose organisations to compliance breaches, reputational harm, and regulatory scrutiny. As governments around the world, including Australia, move toward new AI and privacy legislation, responsible governance is becoming a business imperative.

The ISO/IEC 42001:2023 standard marks a turning point. As the world’s first international standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS), it provides a structured framework for responsible AI governance, helping organisations ensure that AI systems are transparent, accountable, and aligned with both business objectives and regulatory expectations.

At Cube Cyber, we have invested early in building in-house expertise in ISO 42001 certification and implementation. Our consultants are ISO 42001 Lead Auditors and Implementers, working with organisations to design, integrate, and operationalise AI governance frameworks that align innovation with compliance and trust.

1. What is ISO/IEC 42001?

ISO/IEC 42001 is the world’s first international standard dedicated to AI governance. It defines how organisations should establish, implement, and continually improve an AI Management System (AIMS) to ensure AI is used safely, responsibly, and transparently throughout its lifecycle.

It provides a globally recognised structure to help organisations manage AI risk, uphold ethical standards, and demonstrate responsible AI use to customers, regulators, and investors.

2. Why does ISO 42001 matter for organisations?

AI innovation is outpacing regulation in most regions. ISO 42001 offers organisations a globally recognised governance model to manage AI-related risks and build trust, not just to comply, but to enable responsible growth, resilience, and market confidence.

The standard helps organisations:

• Establish consistent oversight and accountability for AI.
  
• Mitigate ethical, operational, and compliance risks.
  
• Build transparency and trust with stakeholders.
  
• Demonstrate proactive governance ahead of emerging legislation, including frameworks under development in Australia, the EU, and the US.

3. How is ISO 42001 different from existing security or privacy standards?

ISO 42001 complements, rather than replaces, existing frameworks such as ISO 27001 (information security) and privacy regulations like the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

While those focus on data protection, ISO 42001 addresses how AI systems are developed, deployed, and monitored, including ethical design, bias management, and accountability.

In practice, it connects AI ethics principles to operational and technical controls, making responsible AI a measurable and auditable discipline.

4. What are the key components of an AI Management System (AIMS)?

An AI Management System (AIMS) is the foundation of ISO/IEC 42001 providing the governance structure to ensure AI innovation happens responsibly, transparently, and with clear accountability.

A strong AIMS typically includes five key components:

1. Governance and Policy Framework: Defines how AI is used within the organisation and establishes principles such as fairness, accountability, and transparency.
   
2. Defined Roles and Accountability: Clarifies ownership and oversight from executive level to technical teams, ensuring AI risk is managed consistently.
   
3. Risk and Impact Management: Identifies and mitigates AI-related risks such as bias, data leakage, model drift, or unintended outcomes.
   
4. Transparency and Explainability Controls: Ensures AI decisions are traceable, testable, and explainable to regulators, customers, and internal stakeholders.
   
5. Continuous Monitoring and Improvement: Reviews, audits, and updates governance practices to stay aligned with technological and regulatory change.

Together, these elements ensure AI systems are ethical, measurable, and aligned with organisational intent, turning responsible AI into a repeatable, auditable business process.

5. Who should consider adopting ISO 42001?

Any organisation using, integrating, or planning to use AI should consider ISO 42001 as part of its governance and risk strategy.

While the standard applies globally, it’s particularly valuable in regions like Australia, the EU, the UK, and the US, where AI legislation, privacy obligations, and ethical guidelines are rapidly evolving.

Organisations that benefit most include those that:

• Deploy AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or custom ML models.
  
• Operate in regulated or high-trust sectors such as financial services, healthcare, critical infrastructure, government, or education.
  
• Manage sensitive or large-scale data, influencing decisions or customer outcomes.
  
• Have internal ESG or compliance mandates to demonstrate responsible technology use.
  
• Bid for contracts or partnerships that increasingly require evidence of AI governance and risk management.

As AI adoption accelerates, regulators and investors expect transparency, accountability, and governance maturity as standard practice.

6. What are the business outcomes of ISO 42001 adoption?

ISO 42001 is more than a compliance framework,  it’s a business enabler. By embedding AI governance into core operations, it helps organisations innovate with confidence and control.

A well-implemented AI Management System enables organisations to:

• Reduce regulatory and reputational risk through structured oversight.
  
• Build trust and credibility with customers, investors, and regulators.
  
• Strengthen governance by embedding AI accountability into decision-making.
  
• Drive innovation safely and sustainably, with defined boundaries that protect data integrity and ethics.
  
• Gain a competitive edge by demonstrating maturity and leadership in responsible AI.

In short, ISO 42001 turns AI governance from a compliance obligation into a strategic advantage,  one that fosters resilience, trust, and sustainable innovation.

7. How does ISO 42001 align with other frameworks like ISO 27001 or NIST?

ISO 42001 aligns closely with established governance standards such as ISO 27001 and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, as it shares the same principles of continuous improvement, evidence-based management, and risk-driven decision-making.

For organisations already operating under ISO 27001 or NIST, ISO 42001 can be integrated seamlessly, creating a unified governance model that connects cybersecurity, privacy, and AI assurance.

8. How does Cube Cyber support ISO 42001 readiness and implementation?

Cube Cyber helps organisations translate the ISO 42001 standard into a practical, outcome-driven governance framework. Our certified ISO 42001 Lead Auditors, Implementers, and Governance Facilitators work directly with leadership and technical teams to embed responsible-AI practices across the organisation.

We support clients to:

• Assess AI maturity and readiness: identifying current capabilities, risks, and governance gaps.
  
• Define an AI strategy and roadmap: aligning innovation goals with compliance and risk expectations.
  
• Design and implement an AI Management System (AIMS): tailored to your business context and fully aligned with ISO 42001 requirements.
  
• Integrate AI governance: connecting new controls with existing frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST, and privacy programs.
  
• Prepare for certification and continual improvement: through documentation, audit facilitation, and internal enablement.
  

This structured approach ensures your organisation moves beyond awareness to a measurable and sustainable model of AI governance.

9. What AI Professional Services does Cube Cyber provide?

Cube Cyber’s AI Professional Services strengthen and extend ISO 42001 governance by helping organisations manage AI risk, visibility, and infrastructure in real time.

Our offerings include:

• AI Governance & Compliance Advisory: Policy reviews, control mapping, and alignment with ISO 42001, the EU AI Act, and data-protection standards.
• AI Usage Visibility: Detecting and managing employee use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to reduce shadow-AI and data-leakage risks.
• AI Security Infrastructure: Integrating AI telemetry and monitoring into your SOC or XDR environment to safeguard against misuse, model drift, and API-level threats.
• AI Risk & Impact Assessments (AIIA): Evaluate AI systems for ethical, operational, and security risk exposure with structured ISO-aligned assessments.
• AI Policy & Framework Development: Develop organisational AI policies, ethics charters, and operational frameworks to guide responsible AI adoption.
• Third-Party AI Vendor Risk Assessments: Assess AI tools, APIs, and vendors for governance, security, and regulatory compliance gaps.
• AI Certification & Audit Readiness: Prepare organisations for ISO/IEC 42001 certification and external assurance audits.
• Continuous Governance Improvement: Implement maturity models, metrics, and audit cycles for ongoing compliance and performance enhancement.

Together, these services enable leaders to move beyond compliance toward proactive AI resilience,  achieving visibility, control, and assurance across their entire AI ecosystem.

Why partner with Cube Cyber

Cube Cyber brings together certified ISO 42001 Lead Auditors, Implementers, and Governance Facilitators with a strong track record in cybersecurity, compliance, and risk management. Our consultants combine deep technical knowledge with strategic governance expertise to help organisations translate global standards into frameworks that work in practice. Our early investment in ISO 42001 capability means we understand not just what the standard requires, but how to apply it effectively, aligning people, processes, and technology to deliver lasting assurance and future proofed governance models.

We don’t just interpret the standard; we help you operationalise it. That means frameworks that are fit for purpose, integrated, and auditable, built to evolve with your AI journey.

Responsible AI starts with governance. 

Cube Cyber’s ISO 42001 experts can help you build trust, transparency, and control across your AI systems. Book a discovery session with Cube Cyber to design your AI Governance Framework and start your ISO 42001 journey today.

At a recent executive roundtable co-hosted by Cube Cyber and Illumio, security leaders examined a critical weakness exploited in nearly every modern breach: rapid lateral movement after initial compromise. Recent incidents highlight that even mature, well-tooled environments can be breached when identity gaps, flat network architectures, and unmanaged legacy systems enable attackers to escalate privileges and pivot across the environment.

The discussion broke down how post compromise activity unfolds in real world scenarios and explored practical controls that limit propagation, including Zero Trust Segmentation, tighter east west visibility, and containment aligned to critical asset pathways.

The takeaway was clear. Resilience is not about preventing every intrusion. It is about restricting lateral movement, reducing blast radius, and keeping core operations intact when a breach occurs.

The Modern Reality: Breach Inevitable, Spread Preventable 

The group began by confronting a sobering reality: breaches are no longer rare incidents, but an operational certainty. Modern attacks are designed for speed, scale, and automation, leaving security teams little time to react. Once an initial compromise occurs, lateral movement follows quickly, turning a single foothold into a full-scale incident. 

Examples such as the Ingram Micro breach illustrated this challenge vividly. Attackers exploited a VPN entry point, harvested credentials, scanned internal systems, and eventually exfiltrated data, and deployed ransomware. Each stage of that chain is familiar and preventable, but only when visibility and containment techniques have been built into designs, and not simply as afterthoughts. 

Lateral Movement: The Underrated Threat Vector 

Participants discussed how lateral movement has become a defining feature of modern cyberattacks. Techniques such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) exploitation and Server Message Block (SMB) traversal continue to dominate post-compromise activity, leveraging so called “Living off the Land” techniques to avoid detection by traditional EDR solutions The problem isn’t simply that these techniques exist, it’s that many environments remain too flat, too open, and too trusting. 

Once an attacker breaches the perimeter, they often find minimal segmentation, limited firewall or flow logging, and partial visibility from traditional security tools like EDR or SIEM. The result is a porous environment where a single compromised system can become a launchpad for internal reconnaissance, credential harvesting, and lateral expansion. 

AI-driven malware has only amplified this problem. Campaigns such as Akira or Oyster demonstrate how quickly automation can scale a breach. The attackers’ ability to move through hybrid and multi-cloud environments outpaces the traditional incident response playbook. 

Resilient by Design: Breach Containment for the Modern Enterprise 

One of the strongest themes that emerged was the need to move beyond reactive detection. EDR and SIEM tools remain essential, but they are not enough to stop movement once the attacker is inside. Over-reliance on legacy macro-segmentation approaches also limits effectiveness against today’s threat environment. The conversation shifted toward containment by design, the idea that security architecture should assume compromise and be structured to contain it. 

Illumio’s breach containment model provided the framework for this discussion. By using strategic Zero Trust segmentation and intelligent labelling at a workload-level, organisations can ‘ringfence’ their critical assets, restrict unnecessary communication paths, and rapidly isolate threats without taking entire systems offline. Illumio’s platform and approach allows for rapid deployment of these containment strategies, allowing organisations to build resilience iteratively.  

This selective containment approach was seen as a critical evolution from the traditional “kill switch” response. Instead of shutting down entire networks, predefined incident response policies can be quickly deployed to quarantine only the affected systems, keeping business operations running while the threat is neutralised. 

The Role of Deep Visibility and IR Practice 

The executives agreed that resilience depends on one thing above all: understanding what normal looks like. Visibility across workloads, users, and traffic flows enables earlier detection and faster decisions. When teams know their environment intimately, abnormal behaviour stands out. 

But visibility alone isn’t enough, it must be paired with Incident Response (IR). The group emphasised that predefined incident response plans and tested containment procedures are the key to avoiding hesitation when a breach occurs. Preparedness transforms panic into process. 

Cube Cyber’s perspective reinforced this operational focus. The company’s incident readiness work with clients has shown that response speed and clarity depends on visibility, policy alignment, and the ability to act without fear of disrupting the business. 

Containment as Culture 

Perhaps the most forward-looking insight from the roundtable was that resilience is as much cultural as it is technical. Containment cannot sit as a one-off initiative or an emergency response protocol. It needs to be woven into everyday operations. That means refining access policies, integrating segmentation principles into new IT projects, and aligning security operations with broader business objectives so that containment becomes a default design choice rather than a reactive measure. 

Participants described this shift as moving from a defensive posture to a resilience mindset. The group noted that many organisations still rely heavily on compliance tick-boxes, assuming that meeting framework requirements equates to readiness. The discussion challenged that view. Compliance may be necessary, but it does not prepare an organisation for the speed and complexity of real-world lateral movement. A stronger focus on preparation for the inevitable and building a genuine containment culture emerged as a defining marker of resilience. 

Lessons to Take Forward 

The event closed with a series of practical takeaways that organisations can act on immediately using the Illumio platform: 

• Map your environment: Understand dependencies and communication paths across all assets using the Illumio Map. What is normal? 

• Manage your external attack surface: Leverage new tools like Illumio Insights to identify unprotected cloud-native assets, ensuring the organisation’s attack surface is understood. 

• Define and test containment policies: Build muscle memory for rapid isolation during incidents. 

• Adopt segmentation early: Limit exposure and control east-west movement before a breach. 

• Refine continuously: Use visibility tools and post-incident reviews to strengthen defenses. 

The message was clear. Resilience is not achieved through tools alone, but through disciplined design and ongoing operational readiness. Many organisations understand the value of segmentation, yet the execution often falls behind due to complexity, legacy constraints, or uncertainty about where to start. The roundtable reinforced that platforms like Illumio can help simplify this journey, providing the visibility and structure needed to make segmentation practical and achievable as part of a broader Zero Trust approach. 

Next Steps 

The roundtable concluded with a shared recognition that breach containment is now a core requirement for every organisation. Building resilience requires visibility, preparation, and the ability to contain threats while maintaining business continuity. 

For organisations operating across both on premises and cloud native environments, now is the time to assess how well your architecture supports containment by design. If you would like guidance on strengthening visibility and building rapid response capability, our team can help. 

Learn how Cube Cyber and Illumio support organisations in building stronger containment strategies: Contact Us

The defining moments of a cyber incident are not measured by how many alerts were generated or how advanced your detections were. They are defined by what happens next. Who escalates? How quickly? Is the right person on-call? Is the scope understood? Is the communication plan clear?

In critical situations, performance depends on more than just having the right tools. What truly determines the outcome is how clearly your team can act, how fast they can escalate, and how effectively they can contain the threat. When pressure hits, teams don’t rise to the level of their technology. They fall to the level of their incident response plan.

The gap isn’t in the tooling. It’s in the operational readiness. And in cybersecurity, that’s where most of the real risk lives.

Common Incident Response Failures and How to Fix Them

Even well-resourced organisations can struggle to respond effectively if response readiness is not treated as a core capability. Detection may function as intended, but it is only the starting point. What follows determines whether a situation is contained quickly or escalates into a business-critical crisis.

Common breakdown points include:

• Undefined ownership in the first 15 minutes. There is confusion around who takes the lead and how quickly decisions can be made.
  
• Ambiguous escalation pathways. If a key individual is unavailable, it is unclear who steps in, leading to delays.
  
• Fragmented visibility. Logs are siloed, alerts lack context, and investigations stall due to missing or inaccessible data.
  
• Over-reliance on specific individuals. One or two people become critical dependencies, increasing operational risk.
  
• Manual communications and reporting. Critical minutes are lost compiling stakeholder updates rather than executing the response.

These aren’t failures of technology. They’re the result of untested, underdeveloped incident response processes and a lack of operational readiness. In most environments, it’s the assumption that plans will hold under pressure that becomes the greatest vulnerability.

Response Isn’t a Product. It’s a Capability.

Building a capable response function requires more than drafting a plan. It involves embedding response into the day-to-day fabric of operations and maintaining it through regular validation.

Organisations with mature cybersecurity risk management approaches typically do the following:

• Conduct structured response simulations, not just tabletop exercises
  
• Define clear roles and thresholds for escalation
  
• Test tooling in real-world conditions, not only during onboarding
  
• Centralise telemetry and make it actionable in real time
  
• Run formal post-incident reviews and adapt based on findings
  

This is where most teams fall short. They invest in tooling but don’t embed the response muscle to match. The result is a disconnect; visibility without action, alerts without ownership.

Five Tactical Questions to Assess Cybersecurity Readiness

If you’re unsure where to begin, here are five questions we ask when assessing an organisation’s readiness:

1. If a ransomware alert were triggered right now, who would respond, and how quickly?
   
2. Are your logs centralised, accessible, and useful during a live investigation?
   
3. Can critical incidents be escalated after hours without confusion or delay?
   
4. Do you have a consistent method for documenting incidents as they unfold?
   
5. Have you recently reviewed a past incident to identify and resolve gaps in speed or clarity?

If any of these questions are difficult to answer confidently, it may be time to prioritise a response maturity review.

Why a Hybrid SOC is Essential to Modern MDR

Effective Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is about more than just identifying threats. It’s about responding quickly and decisively when incidents occur. A Hybrid SOC model plays a critical role in enabling that response.

By combining internal knowledge with external expertise, a hybrid approach empowers teams to act with greater speed, clarity, and confidence,  all while maintaining visibility and control.

This model doesn’t replace your internal capability. It strengthens it, extending your team with the right people, processes, and insights to ensure you’re ready when it matters most.

Test Your First 30 Minutes With Our Experts

When an incident strikes, you don’t need more alerts,  you need a trusted partner who knows how to respond. Cube Cyber delivers just that.

Cube Cyber serves as a trusted cybersecurity partner for organisations that want to strengthen their response capability without increasing internal complexity. Our co-managed Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service operates as an extension of your team, providing 24/7 visibility, expert-led triage, and real-time escalation from our Brisbane-based Security Operations Centre.

Book your MDR Readiness Assessment to identify hidden gaps and get expert, actionable recommendations tailored to your environment,  before the next breach puts your team to the test.

Today’s threat landscape operates around the clock. Attackers don’t work office hours, and neither do the threats they unleash. From ransomware to data exfiltration, organisations are under pressure to detect, respond to, and recover from incidents in real time. 

The challenge? Many businesses still rely on fragmented security controls, under-resourced teams, and monitoring models that weren’t designed to operate 24/7. That’s where the concept of a Hybrid Security Operations Centre (SOC) comes in, offering a practical, scalable path to always-on threat visibility that leverages external expertise while retaining complete control.

This blog offers a quick technical check to help you assess whether your business is truly equipped for continuous protection and where a Hybrid SOC model could step in and help strengthen your posture.

The Readiness Test: Are You Covered?

Use the checkpoints below to assess how prepared your organisation is for today’s constant threat landscape. If any of these areas feel uncertain or underdeveloped, it may be time to explore how a Hybrid SOC can help strengthen your overall posture.

1. Do you have consistent, real-time visibility into threats 24/7?
   Cyber threats often strike outside core business hours. If your environment isn’t monitored continuously (including nights, weekends, and public holidays) you may be exposed when coverage is needed most. Around-the-clock visibility is now a baseline requirement for reducing dwell time and containing risk.
2. Are you comfortable with how incidents are triaged and escalated?
   Alert fatigue is a growing challenge. Without structured triage processes and clearly defined escalation paths, it’s easy for high-priority issues to be missed or delayed. A well-supported response function of managed detection and response brings clarity, speed, and confidence to incident handling, especially when workloads are high.
3. Is threat intelligence part of your day-to-day decision-making?
   Threat actors are constantly evolving their tactics. Relying on static or surface-level insights can leave critical blind spots. Real-time threat intelligence, tailored to your environment and industry, enhances detection and supports a more proactive defence.
4. Do you feel confident meeting compliance and reporting needs?
   Regulatory frameworks like Essential Eight and ISO 27001 require demonstrable control over logging, response, and reporting. If your logs are fragmented or reports are manually compiled, you may struggle to maintain audit readiness. Centralised, structured reporting builds trust and reduces audit fatigue.
5. Have you recently tested your team’s incident response strategy?
   Even the best response plans need validation. Regular testing, from tabletop exercises to technical simulations, ensures your processes work in practice, not just on paper. It also helps identify gaps and reinforce roles before a real incident occurs.

Why 24/7 Readiness Requires a Hybrid Approach

Even organisations with strong internal IT teams struggle to maintain continuous vigilance. Hiring and retaining security talent is difficult. Building a SOC from scratch is costly and resource-intensive and fully outsourcing often creates a disconnect between your business and your security posture.

A Hybrid SOC offers a more balanced model, one that combines:

• Around-the-clock monitoring by a dedicated team of trusted analysts
• Co-managed visibility, keeping your team in the loop
• Automated response frameworks aligned and tailored to your environment
• Threat intelligence integration from trusted global and local sources
• Compliance-ready reporting for audit confidence.

A hybrid SOC approach isn’t outsourcing, It’s about extending your team with the support and tooling required to mature your posture, without losing control.

What a Hybrid SOC Looks Like in Practice

Technically, a Hybrid SOC operates as an extension of your internal team. It integrates with your environment via SIEM or XDR tooling and provides full-spectrum support including:

• Log aggregation and analysis
• Real-time threat detection and triage
• Defined escalation procedures
• Threat intelligence correlation
• Incident response playbook execution
• Monthly reporting and dashboarding
• Regular review and improvement loops

This model ensures you’re not just catching threats  but learning from them, adapting, and continuously strengthening your cyber defence solutions.

Ready to Benchmark Your Security Maturity?

If you’re unsure how your business would respond to a middle of the night breach, it’s time to check. Not with a spreadsheet, but with a structured, expert led assessment.

Cube Cyber is your trusted Australian cybersecurity partner, delivering enterprise grade protection through a locally operated, expert led Hybrid SOC. Our co-managed model provides 24/7 visibility, real time incident response, and high touch advisory, run entirely from our sovereign facility in Brisbane by local analysts who understand your environment.

At the core of our operations is Tesseract, a proprietary in house platform that brings together advanced threat intelligence, automation, and incident response, giving you tailored, scalable protection that scales with your business. 

Book your Security Assessment with our trusted local SOC experts today and evaluate your current threat readiness and identify practical areas for improvement.

Yet despite this reality, many businesses are still trying to carry the entire weight of cyber defence solutions internally, often with lean IT teams, limited budgets, and overworked security leads. It is a model that no longer scales. And increasingly, it is a model that introduces more risk than it removes.

That is where co-managed security, particularly through a Hybrid Security Operations Centre (SOC), emerges not just as a workaround but as a smarter, future ready approach to protecting your organisation.

The Limits of Traditional Security Models

Historically, organisations have faced a binary choice: either build an in-house SOC or outsource security entirely to a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP). Both approaches come with trade-offs.

In-house teams offer control and context but often lack the scale, tooling, or around the clock coverage needed to keep pace with today’s threat landscape. Outsourced providers, while offering coverage and scale, may operate with limited visibility into your environment and without the high-touch collaboration your business needs.

This either scenario often leaves mid-sized organisations stuck, big enough to need robust security, but without the budget or appetite to go all in on a fully staffed SOC or a third party.

Co-Managed Security: A Middle Path with Maximum Impact

A co-managed model breaks this binary thinking. It enables your internal team to retain control and visibility while extending your capacity, capability, and coverage with expert external support for managed detection and response.

In practical terms, this means your organisation can leverage a Hybrid SOC model that operates in tandem with your internal resources. You gain access to a fully staffed team of security analysts, real time advanced threat detection, advanced tooling, and a structured response framework, all while staying involved and informed.

The result is that your team can focus on high priority IT initiatives, strategic planning, and decision making, rather than drowning in alerts or scrambling during cyber defence incidents.

Key Benefits of a Co-Managed SOC Approach

1. Around the Clock ‘ Active Monitoring and Incident Response’ Without the Overhead: Building a team to monitor threats 24/7 is not just expensive, it is also difficult to retain talent in such a competitive space. A Hybrid SOC gives you constant coverage from experienced analysts, often for a fraction of the cost of what it would cost to build and maintain the capability-in house. 
2. Greater Control, Shared Responsibility: Unlike full outsourcing, co-managed models allow you to stay in the loop. You retain visibility into incidents, have input into escalation paths, and can align operations with internal policies and risk appetite.
3. Improved Incident Response Times: With a Hybrid SOC continuously monitoring your environment, threat detection and triage happens in real time. This reduces dwell time and minimises potential damage from breaches or misconfigurations.
4. Enhanced Compliance and Reporting: For many industries, regulatory compliance is no longer optional. Co-managed security offers structured processes and audit ready reporting to support compliance with frameworks like Essential Eight, ISO 27001, or industry specific mandates.
5. Reduced Third-Party Risk Through ISO 27001 Certified Partnerships: Partnering with an ISO 27001 certified provider gives you confidence that security controls are comprehensive, auditable, and aligned with global standards; reducing risk, simplifying compliance, and strengthening your overall posture.
6. Security That Scales with You: As your business evolves, your security needs shift. A co-managed SOC scales alongside your operations, offering flexibility to grow without rearchitecting your entire security model.

Why Cube Cyber

Cube Cyber is your trusted Australian cybersecurity partner, delivering enterprise grade protection through a locally operated, expert led Hybrid SOC.

Built for organisations operating in regulated or high risk sectors, our co-managed model combines 24/7 monitoring, real time incident response, and high touch advisory, delivered entirely from our sovereign facility in Brisbane.

We don’t outsource. Our SOC is staffed by local analysts and engineers who work directly with your systems, policies, and people. We know your environment, which means faster, more accurate response and a more collaborative security partnership.

With a focus on practical, scalable protection, our SOC is built on industry leading security technologies, all integrated through Tesseract, our proprietary in house platform. Developed locally by our team, Tesseract brings together threat intelligence, automation, and incident response to deliver tailored protection that evolves with your organisation.

Book your Security Assessment with our Local SOC experts today.

A one hour session designed to evaluate your current threat readiness and uncover practical ways to strengthen your security posture.

Cube Cyber, a trusted Australian cyber security provider, has today announced an expansion of its partnership with Netskope, the leader in Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), with the appointment to Netskope’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program. 

This appointment underscores Cube Cyber’s unwavering commitment to elevating cybersecurity capabilities across Australia, empowering organisations to tackle today’s complex security landscape. This strategic move is a testament to the company’s mission to deliver best-in-class security outcomes that not only safeguard but also future-proof Australian businesses.

In line with this mission, Cube Cyber has made a significant investment in a Security Operations Centre (SOC) based in Brisbane. This 24/7 SOC strengthens Cube Cyber’s ability to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats in real-time, ensuring businesses across Australia benefit from continuous, vigilant protection. Powered by the Netskope One platform, which integrates seamlessly within the comprehensive SOC infrastructure, Cube Cyber offers truly unified, end-to-end security across cloud, network, and endpoint environments. Taking a holistic approach to cybersecurity, Cube Cyber is well positioned to deliver enhanced resilience and protection, positioning Australian enterprises at the forefront of cyber defence.

“We are excited to strengthen our offering by combining the power of the Netskope One platform with our locally operated 24×7 SOC,” said Andrew O’Shea, Co-Founder at Cube Cyber. “This investment ensures we can provide clients with real-time threat detection, faster response times, and a holistic security framework that meets the needs of today’s complex security environment.”

“With Cube Cyber’s extensive expertise in cyber and network security, combined with the power of the Netskope One platform, Australian businesses are gaining an exceptional ally in safeguarding their critical assets,” said Tony Burnside, Senior Vice President and Head of APJ at Netskope. “We’re thrilled to welcome Cube Cyber into our MSP partner ecosystem, and we’re deeply proud of the critical partnerships such as this one, that serves to empower organisations to protect their data, mitigate risks, and confidently achieve their cloud and security transformation objectives.”

This appointment will see Cube Cyber deliver best-in-class integrated security solutions, including secure cloud access, data loss prevention, and threat intelligence, underpinned by the added assurance of continuous, locally managed SOC support.  

This partnership reflects Cube Cyber’s deep commitment to reinforcing the cybersecurity landscape for Australian organisations, providing end-to-end visibility and control across cloud, network, and endpoint environments. As these two industry leaders work in unison, Australian enterprises can expect a heightened level of resilience and confidence, ensuring their complex security needs are met today and into the future.

About Cube Cyber

Cube Cyber is a Brisbane-based cybersecurity provider committed to helping Australian businesses navigate the evolving digital landscape. Offering a comprehensive suite of security services—including cloud security, threat detection, incident response, and 24×7 monitoring—Cube Cyber empowers organisations to stay protected against emerging threats. With a locally operated Security Operations Centre (SOC) and strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Netskope, SentinelOne, Illumio and Tenable, Cube Cyber delivers tailored, end-to-end security solutions designed to meet the unique needs of businesses across Australia.

With limited budgets, a lack of expertise, inadequate security tools and a lack of training, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting SMEs as “easy targets.” 

Andrew O’Shea, Principal Consultant Cube Cyber, explains why managed services are the answer and how what is traditionally seen as an enterprise solution can become compelling to small businesses and the mid-market. 

At a high level, what’s your take on Managed Detection and Response? What do people need to know about it, and what is the Cube Cyber’s spin on it?

Managed Detection and Response – MDR – is a cybersecurity service that provides organisations with proactive threat monitoring, detection, and response capabilities. MDR services are designed to help organisations detect and mitigate cyber threats and security incidents more effectively by outsourcing these functions to specialised security experts. 

It features several components melded together and then used to deliver a robust security outcome for a customer. What we do, which is a little different than everybody else, is that we’ve geared our solution towards smaller and mid-market customers. We do a lot of automation so that we can deliver a complete MDR solution at scale, and in a way that’s affordable for this kind of customer. 

What do midmarket customers struggle with, beyond costs, when it comes to cyber security?

Instead of these organisations hiring a dedicated security person who will effectively only work 40 hours a week, they can engage us for a full MDR service, usually for less than the cost of a full-time employee. One of the biggest challenges for these organisations is the lack of capacity within their teams. They don’t know what they don’t know because they simply haven’t got the expertise, and so it becomes something valuable that we offer them by partnering with them so closely. 

We hold monthly service delivery meetings with our customers where we detail their vulnerabilities; incidents prevented, and the overall cybersecurity posture of the organisation. It’s that in-depth insight into the environment on an ongoing basis that’s usually difficult for smaller and midmarket companies to attain, so they’re essentially getting enterprise-class features through our MDR service. 

This is where MDR services are extremely beneficial for organisations that lack the in-house expertise and resources to effectively monitor and respond to cybersecurity threats. 

What are mid-tier organisations doing about security now, if they can’t afford dedicated staff and don’t have managed services?

They’re carrying the risk in most cases. What we offer that really helps the customer is guidance on articulating what the risk looks like to the business. We help the customer audit their environment and understand where their investments have been so far, what infrastructure and processes they currently have, and how they can be reused to mitigate the risk. 

Most small businesses and mid-tier organisations have some elements of security in their environments, and one of the reasons we have a very high customer retention rate is that we don’t sell them things they don’t need. What works in this space is having a hybrid and adaptable model, where we work with the customer and their existing resources and help them fill the gaps. That allows them to extract maximum bang for their buck. 

To what extent are these mid-tier customers targets?

Just last week, a customer asked, “Why do we need to spend this money? We wouldn’t be a big target to anybody.” That’s a dangerous mindset, and they couldn’t be more wrong because smaller organisations are now the biggest target. Criminals know large enterprise customers have significant cyber infrastructure protection and resources that they need to overcome. 

Enterprises generally have the best cybersecurity protection, whereas hackers and malicious actors know that a small SME has budget, infrastructure, and skills constraints, which makes them easy targets. 

With that being said, smaller organisations are now realising that, yes, they are game for a lot of these kinds of malicious actors. They are looking for solutions to help them address that problem. 

Where do you think the heightened security awareness among SMEs is coming from?

It’s two-pronged. The number of cybersecurity breaches getting airtime is undoubtedly helping people learn about the challenges. In addition to that, the introduction of the mandatory data breach notification guidelines means that we have far more information that is relevant to an Australian audience regarding the extent of the threats and how they’re affecting local businesses. For example, we now have data showing that health care is the number one priority and financial organisations are number two. 

Find out more about Cube Cyber’s MDR solution.

With increasing data coming from online sources into corporate networks, more SaaS apps being adopted and new types of traffic taking up increasing bandwidth (videos, collaboration, and shared editing of online documents), corporate data networks are struggling with the bottleneck of traffic.

VPN’s may now not be the best solution for your business. So, let’s talk about the latest next-generation security solution.

Pronounced ‘sassy,’ SASE is short for Secure Access Service Edge, a cloud-hosted framework that protects data, end users and applications by using both security and network services. The term was first coined by Gartner in August 2019, who have calculated that “by 2025, at least 60% of enterprises will have explicit strategies and timelines for SASE adoption, encompassing user, branch and edge access, up from 10% in 2020”.

What is SASE?

SASE is a security framework that uses existing technologies to deliver wide area network and security controls as a cloud computing service directly to the source of the connection rather than a data centre or business premise. Security is based on digital identity, real-time context, and company security and compliance policies.

SASE helps to solve the bottlenecking of traffic into the network, by effectively combining security as a service (SECaaS) and network as a service (NaaS) into a single cloud-based service.

This merging of services allows the end-user to work securely from any location or device, without compromising the same level of security you would have in the office.

Implementing it is not the case of buying a single product and setting it up but requires multiple steps to enable services on existing cloud-hosted platforms. For most businesses, the level of expertise required in setting up a SASE approach will mean collaborating with a trusted vendor who understands your business needs.

How does SASE work?

Current systems may look something like this; traffic comes in via MPLS, internal traffic, or the internet and enters the router, this is then processed through a VPN, and then once verified through a firewall, access is gained to the network.

Traffic ends up passing through the internet, security rules are applied, before being sent back out to the internet. This traffic is essentially passing through twice, meaning each security measure is essentially paying for double the amount of traffic, making this model inefficient and expensive.

With SASE, services are managed at the edge of the cloud, so secure communications are delivered to the specific resources the user wants to access, via the fastest path. This can help to provide the same level of security you would see in the corporate workplace, to any remote user, and from any location, device, or application, surely a necessity at this point in time.

The core components of the Framework

A SASE architecture can comprise of the following components:

• Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN). SD-WAN can help simplify communications by finding the best route to the internet or cloud-based apps, optimising user experience.
• Cloud access security broker (CASB). CASB’s can secure cloud-based services by controlling data access and through data loss prevention (DLP). This prevents data leakage and malicious activity.
• Secure web gateways (SWG). SWG’s implement company security policies and filter any unauthorised access or suspicious behaviour. Any unsecure traffic is prevented from entering the network.
• Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS). FWaaS encompasses URL filtering, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and threat protection to prevent cyber-attacks on cloud-hosted platforms.

There are also further recommend levels in the model including Sandbox, WAF, NAC, NGAN/ EDR and browsing Isolation. For an optional level you could also include a VPN or WLAN.

How can SASE benefit my company?

With more people than ever working from home, businesses of all sizes are needing to implement big security changes, fast. With cybercrime on the increase, there is no better time to convert to a SASE framework and secure every single user, device, and application entering your network. The time for updated cloud-based security is now.

Benefits of using SASE:

• Costs are lowered due to fewer hardware installs and a simplified system.
• Latency is reduced by finding the quickest path to the network.
• Zero-trust ensures secure data is only accessed by those authorised.
• Better performance and efficiency as users can access the network from anywhere.
• Keeps your data secure, within the network and prevents web attacks and malicious activity.

Implementing SASE

Steps your organisation can take to implement a SASE approach:

• Move branch offices to a cloud-based perimeter.
• Set up zero-trust network access (ZTNA) for all users.
• Simplify your setup (VPN’s, CASB, SWG) to combine services into a single, more effective system.
• Use an SD-WAN based network, as opposed to MPLS.
• Ensure you have a high-performance edge network to reduce latency issues.

The SASE infrastructure can be overwhelming. If you think your business could benefit from a SASE framework, or you simply just want to find out more, then please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts at Cube Cyber. We are always happy to help.

As more organisations are moving to online working, now is a good time to learn more about cloud computing, and how it can help your business.

What is cloud computing?

Simply put, cloud computing is using programs and storing data online, rather than using your computer’s hard drive. Local computing or storage systems will use programs and store data directing to your computer, whereas cloud computing runs all these programs over the internet.

Cloud computing types include data storage, software, application hosting, databases, servers, and online programs, such as Google Drive or Microsoft Office Online. These web-based systems mean that users can access the same files from any location or device.

Types of cloud computing

There are numerous ways cloud computing works. Types of services include:

Software as a service (SaaS)

Software a service applications are typically run on subscription or pay-as-you-go models. They allow users or members of the same team to work on files simultaneously. Teammates can collaborate on the same file, which is updated in real time, so users will always have access to the most recent version. Examples of SaaS are Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.

Platform as a service (PaaS)

Similar to SaaS, platform as a service (PaaS) allows you to create a service that is used over the web. Cloud based resources such as APIs, web portals and gateway software are used by software developers. This is the more multifaceted form of cloud computing. Examples include Salesforce and Google App Engine.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a service uses cloud-based servers, rather than traditional physical systems, to deliver a range of services such as storage and servers. Examples of IaaS include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and IBM Cloud.

Examples of cloud computing

Google Drive

Google drive is a cloud-based storage service, where users upload files directing over the internet. These files can be accessed from any location or device connected to the internet. With the ability to gain access to files from your phone, laptop or tablet, Google Drive is an efficient way to work remotely and data is easily accessible.

Other Google Apps

Many of Google’s applications are cloud-based, such as Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Maps. Being able to access these apps from anywhere makes it easier and quicker to access data and work productivity.

Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 is great for businesses of all sizes to work collaboratively and access systems from any location. Co-workers can use Microsoft Office email, work on the same projects, and share information and files amongst the team. This is a subscription-based service, with varying prices depending on how many users it is for.

Dropbox

Dropbox has been around for years and is a service that allows users to upload and store files over the internet. These files can be synchronised and shared amongst users. Prices start from AU$18.69 per month for individual users to AU$33 per month for larger teams.

Salesforce

Salesforce is one of the world’s leading providers in cloud computing, allowing users to access CRM, sales, marketing automation, commerce, ERP, analytics and more.

Apple iCloud

For Apple users (and those using Windows devices), iCloud synchronises all your data onto a virtual server. This includes emails, photos, messages, your calendar, contacts, and backups. This is a storage based system which allows you to have a backup of your files.

Cloud Security

Cloud computing stores data via three different methods; public, private and hybrid.

Public cloud

Public cloud providers use the internet for their storage and web services. Your data will be handled by a third party and you will receive a portion of the cloud service, over a shared infrastructure. For larger companies it may not be wise to share sensitive data over a public system, although advantages are that you will be getting up to date services at a cheaper price.

Private cloud

Instead of storing all data over the internet, a private cloud system is installed within your company. This will be conducted by an in-house IT team and can be a great option for bigger corporations with large amounts of data or any company wishing to have a higher level of security.

Hybrid cloud

As the name suggests, this cloud service provides both public and private cloud based systems. This is a flexible way to store the most confidential information on the private cloud and general data on the public cloud. The private cloud will be managed by the organisations own IT team.

Positives of cloud computing

Flexible working

One of the biggest benefits of cloud computing is the flexibility and efficient way of working it offers. Employees can access services from any device and any location. When previously many systems could only be accessed from the office, which had the software installed, staff can now work from anywhere. This is especially important now as many more people are working remotely.

Up-to-date files

With programs such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365, teammates can be assured that they are working on the most up to date file and can do so simultaneously. This seamless workflow can mean projects can get completed faster and better communication is had amongst the team.

Cost efficient

Although cloud computing is still an expense, it is also predicable. You know how much money is coming out of the account each month, making budgeting easier. Rather than paying for an expensive server and the expertise to run it, businesses can work more efficiently when managing a monthly subscription.

Your data is backed up

One of the benefits of cloud security is that if your system crashes, you should be able to retrieve your data. A cloud backup service is different from a cloud storage service, which will allow you to store any files you upload to it. A cloud backup will allow you to restore data which has been lost or damaged.

Negatives of cloud computing

With potentially sensitive information being stored in the cloud, there will always be some vulnerabilities to watch out for. If the cloud service provider crashes from a bug, power cut or cyber attack, then company data can be lost.

There is also the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart devices and anything which uses the connection to the internet can be a vulnerability path into your network and cloud services.

A main concern for many business owners is how exactly their data is stored in the cloud. Before paying for a cloud service, you should be asking the right questions. Ask them how they will store your data and who has access to it. Be sure they are following security protocols, have a good support service and ask which methods they use to keep your data safe.

Cloud computing is evolving as technology evolves. This is the new way to work and as long as you are using good cyber security measures to protect your cloud services, then you are in a good position.

At Cube Cyber we help businesses protect themselves when using cloud based services and can help you stay protected whilst online.

Find out more on how we can help your business.

In fact, SME’s could have an even greater level of risk against them, as they often will not have sufficient cyber protection. Criminals know this and will take advantage of more vulnerable systems. SME’s can also work with larger corporations too, and hackers will try to get into these large organisations via a vulnerability in the smaller businesses network.

Smaller enterprises may not have the large budgets, the knowledge/ expertise or the time and resources to commit to a decent cyber security plan. This could end up being a deadly mistake. According to the National Cyber Security Alliance small businesses will go bust after 6 months of a cyber breach. Many SME’s simply underestimate the chance of a cyber attack, as well as how a serious data breach could effect the company.

The key? Awareness, knowledge, and prevention. The best way to stay in tune with the current top cyber attacks is to be in the know about what type of attacks are out there. Once you know what to look for, the easier they will be to spot. Ensuring you have a decent cyber security protection is also vital. So, what are the top cyber attacks companies are facing right now?

Phishing attacks

The age-old phishing attack. This one has been around since the beginning and, unfortuanlty, it is not going away anytime soon. In fact, phishing attacks are becoming even more sophisticated with the advance in technology. So, what are phishing attacks?
Cyber criminals will send an email, text message, or message via social media, often imitating a well known company, and request that you click on a link, update payment or login details, or sign-up to something, inadvertently giving away your private details or money.

The messages or emails sent are usually very convincing and create a sense of urgency such as ‘your subscription is almost up, enter your card details to keep this service’, etc. They will use similar wording, colours, logos, and email address as the real site, making it easy for someone to be convinced.

Phishing attacks are the biggest threat to most businesses, with 90% of all data breaches being caused by such attacks. SME’s also need to watch out for spear phishing attacks, similar, but instead of a generic email that is sent out to hundreds of users at a time, a spear phishing email will be sent to a specific person. The attackers will have researched the person they want to imitate (often CEO’s or other executives higher up in the company) and will pretend to send an email from that person.

They may send an email to employees of the company, pretending to be the CEO and saying a payment needs to be sent urgently to such and such. Because the name, logo, wording, everything is in the same style as the real person, users can be easily misled.
Good cyber awareness is crucial to help employees recognise a phishing attack. Installing a next-generation firewall can help to filter out malicious websites and traffic.

Lack of knowledge

You can have all the best security protection you want, but this means little if staff members lack any knowledge of cyber security. As we have seen from the previous paragraphs, phishing attacks are the most common cyber attack out there. Now, if staff members have no awareness of phishing attacks, how much more likely are they to click on a malicious link or send an ‘urgent’ payment? The more employees know about the most common attacks, the easier it will be to spot them before it is too late.

Even the smallest of businesses can still hold a good deal of customer information and financial data, and for this reason, organisations of every size should at least have a basic knowledge of cyber security. Staff members should have training in cyber security practices, attack simulation and be aware of common cyber attacks to watch out for. This training should be ongoing and revised as new attacks emerge.

DDoS Cyber Attack

DDoS stands for ‘Distributed Denial of Service’. These attacks will disrupt a website, server, or network with a huge amount of web traffic, so users are refused access to it. DDoS attacks can be complicated, and the cyber criminal will often start and stop them, to confuse businesses or to hide the fact that an attack is even happening.

Websites may be forced to go offline, which will disrupt online sales, leading to huge losses, particularly as these cyber attacks can last from 6 to 24 hours. Using a good DDoS mitigation service and having a plan of action for this type of attack is a great way to eliminate some of the traffic overloading the site.

Malware

Malware attacks are another common threat facing small and medium enterprises. It is often used alongside other type of attacks, for example a malicious code embedded into a phishing email. Malware can be injected into your system via a malicious website or download, or by connecting to an infected device.

Customer and company data can be easily extracted in malware attacks and it can even damage devices, with expensive repairs to match. With customer data at risk, businesses need to ensure they are complying with relevant government data regulations, or you could be at risk from a costly fine.

Endpoint protection is advised for all devices, including personal devices. This will help protect every access point and stop data being encrypted.

BYOD

Bring your own device (BYOD) is becoming increasing common during the pandemic. With more employees working from home on their own devices, the risk of a malware or virus attack is only increased. Personal devices do not often have the right amount of protection as a company device. This can be seen as an easy way in for hackers.

Personal devices that are not properly protected are prone to cyber attacks, which can lead to the hacker gaining access to your company’s entire network and files.

Setting up a good cyber policy for what employees can work on/ send over the internet is a great start. For sensitive data, ensure staff members are not using public Wi-Fi and are using a VPN (virtual private network) to send those files. This will make sure IP address remain hidden and company data is encrypted.

Inside threats

Rouge employees, contactors, business associates or disgruntled former staff members can actually be a huge threat to a business. They have the means to get into company networks and may have access to sensitive data. Through this access, an insider threat can cause real harm to a business.

Keeping employees trained in cyber awareness will prevent any attacks from ignorance and only allowing access to the most sensitive data to trusted staff members. You should stop any accounts of former employees that may still be active and monitor active accounts for malicious activity.

Ransomware

Ransomware are common cyber attacks that have been around for years. Cyber criminals will hack into a network or device, gain access to private information and then encrypt that data. The only way the business can get the data back is by paying a ransom, after which they will be given an encryption key to secure the files back. A development of the ransomware attack is hackers may now threaten to publish sensitive data online to ensure the ransom money is paid.

This can be a real threat for businesses, particularly if private customer information is released on the dark web and sold. The company will then be liable for a possible breach of data protection laws, and an incoming large fine.

This is why backing up your data is absolutely crucial. If you have a backup of your data, then you can rest assured you still have access to it (it being published online is a different matter however). Regular backups should be completed and systematic checks that your backup system is working, are also necessary.

Advanced endpoint protection is also recommended. This will provide protection for devices and help to stop criminals encrypting data.

Conclusion

As said at the beginning of this post, awareness, knowledge, and prevention are the best measures to protect your business from a cyber attack. Having a good all-round security policy, as well as active cyber protection is the best way to ensure your business is protected as it should be.

For more information on how we can help your business, please talk to an expert at Cube Cyber today. We can help evaluate the specific needs for your business.