ISM Advisory Sprints
Workshops and architecture reviews translating ISM domains into actionable roadmaps.
ASD ISM & IRAP
ASD ISM & IRAP Services
Advisory, readiness, and assessment support for teams that need to align with the Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM) and complete IRAP assessments with confidence.
As ASD-endorsed IRAP assessors we blend ISM domain expertise with practical remediation coaching. Whether you need architecture reviews, readiness sprints, or a full assessment, we keep interviews calm, evidence organised, and results explained in business terms.
Information Security Manual (ISM)
The Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM) outlines the controls agencies and suppliers must address to manage cyber risk. It spans governance, personnel, physical, and operational domains so systems stay defensible as they grow.
- Control catalogue maintained by the Australian Signals Directorate for government systems and suppliers.
- Covering governance, personnel, physical, and operational practices with practical prescriptions.
- Essential Eight uplift sits inside ISM domain reviews so you can align technical uplift with broader governance requirements.
What is an IRAP assessment?
IRAP (Information Security Registered Assessors Program) assessments are led by ASD-endorsed assessors who review architecture, evidence, and interviews to validate how well a system meets the ISM requirements.
- ASD-endorsed assessors scope the system in consultation with agencies, confirm boundaries, and schedule interviews to understand how risk is managed day to day.
- Evidence (policies, configurations, monitoring outputs) is cross-referenced with the ISM so risk assessments and authority-to-operate packages stay grounded in facts.
- Findings include severity/effort guidance plus recommendations agencies use for decision-making, remediation planning, and ongoing reporting.
IRAP Readiness
Gap analysis, backlog boarding, and evidence rehearsal so you enter assessments prepared.
End-to-End Assessments
ASD-endorsed assessors who facilitate interviews, compile reports, and guide remediation.
What you will achieve
- Unified roadmap that maps ISM domains, Essential Eight uplift, and IRAP assessment scope to accountable owners.
- Guided evidence capture, interview prep, and architecture diagrams so assessors get what they need without your team guessing.
- Assessment lifecycle support from readiness decision through formal reporting and remediation tracking.
- Government-facing narratives that help agencies, primes, and boards see tangible uplift.
ISM Advisory & Architecture
We baseline each ISM domain, review cloud/shared-service boundaries, and translate findings into prioritised backlogs so your team knows exactly what to tackle first.
- Facilitated reviews across governance, personnel, physical, and operational controls.
- Architecture sessions covering identity, logging, hosting, and MSP relationships.
- Action plans sequenced by ISM domains so control owners know exactly what to uplift first.
IRAP Readiness Program
Readiness sprints package requirements into digestible waves. We guide evidence capture, publish interview schedules, and prep SMEs so the formal assessment feels rehearsed.
- Readiness triage to decide if you pause for remediation or proceed to assessment.
- Shared backlog that lines up remediation tasks with IRAP controls and risk priorities.
- Guided evidence capture (screens, configs, logs) with context notes so assessors get what they need quickly.
IRAP Assessment & Reporting
Our ASD-endorsed IRAP assessors are in-house, so we can run the full assessment lifecycle—scoping, interviews, and reporting—without handing you to a third party, keeping delivery teams productive.
- System scoping, threat context, and boundary confirmation to set expectations.
- Interview facilitation plus prep notes so SMEs know what to expect.
- Findings workshops and actionable reports that tie severity to remediation effort.
Sustainment & Coaching
When we support IRAP readiness (not the formal assessment), we can stay engaged to coach owners, verify closure, and keep artefacts current for regulators, investors, or re-assessments. For formal IRAP assessments we remain impartial, then hand back clear guidance so your team can drive remediation.
- Regular check-ins to track remediation and evidence refresh.
- Stakeholder summaries for executives, primes, and agency partners.
- Knowledge transfer so your internal teams can run the next cycle with confidence.
ASD ISM & IRAP FAQs
Do you provide ASD-endorsed IRAP assessors?
Yes. Our ASD-endorsed IRAP assessors are on staff. When we are engaged as the formal assessor we remain impartial during interviews and reporting; when we are engaged for readiness we act as advisors, rehearsing evidence and coaching SMEs.
Can you help us decide if we are ready for IRAP?
Absolutely. We run readiness triage workshops to confirm scope, boundary, and risk posture. If remediation is required, we map the backlog before booking the assessment slot.
What kinds of systems do you support?
We routinely support SaaS platforms, MSP-delivered services, and hybrid environments spanning Australian government networks, hyperscale cloud, and partner-managed infrastructure.
Do you help after the assessment report is issued?
If we supported readiness we can stay on to coach owners and document closure. When we delivered the formal IRAP assessment we remain impartial, but we hand over clear remediation guidance and can recommend partners to help execute it.
Ready to move?
Share your current challenges and we’ll outline an engagement that keeps the workstream lean but effective.
Let’s grab a coffee
Let’s grab a coffee and chat!
Got 30 minutes? Let’s talk about your cybersecurity and compliance goals in a relaxed, no-pressure coffee catch-up. Whether you need advice or just want to brainstorm ideas, we’re here to help.
Book a free chat