Securing Critical Infrastructure: A SOCI Strategy for Business
As cyber attacks increase in volume and volatility, Australian businesses now view the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act as more than a compliance requirement.
This legislation is not new and has become a central pillar of the country’s national security and cyber resilience strategy.
In response, organisations are shifting from passive compliance towards proactive resilience, embedding security obligations into operational and governance frameworks.
Kevin O’Sullivan – Cyber Security Practice Lead, OneStep Group
During the next 6-12 months, 72% of Australian organisations will prioritise meeting regulatory and compliance requirements more effectively – according to Moxie Research (Security Outlook: 2025 / 2026). This is because almost half of businesses (47%) now evaluate the effectiveness of cyber security solutions based on compliance and regulatory alignment.
But this is more than a compliance checkbox exercise, rather a fundamental requirement for sustaining the essential services that underpin modern society and an opportunity to transform out-dated security strategies.
Hence why understanding the obligations of the SOCI Act, and taking practical steps to align, is now a business critical agenda item.
“Cyber security decisions are now being shaped by resilience and readiness. Organisations are realising that cyber isn’t just about defence, it’s about enabling confidence to innovate, transform and grow. The focus is shifting from compliance to capability, building adaptive, intelligence-led defences, improving visibility across IT and OT environments, and embedding cyber into the ‘DNA’ of digital transformation and customer trust.”
Understanding your SOCI obligations
At its core, the SOCI Act is designed to protect the systems and services that the nation relies on every day – utilities, energy networks, government services, communication platforms, financial services and transport systems etc.
If these systems fail or are compromised, the consequences can impact millions of Australians and disrupt the national economy.
The mandatory obligations for businesses operating in 11 critical sectors include:
Asset registration and transparency: Operators must provide information about critical infrastructure assets to the Federal Government – this includes ownership, operational details and key contacts. The purpose is to give government agencies visibility over infrastructure that could affect national security or essential services.
Mandatory cyber incident reporting: If a significant cyber incident occurs, operators must report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). Serious incidents that disrupt services must typically be reported within 12 hours, while other incidents must be reported within 72 hours.
Risk management programs: Operators must implement a Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP). This program identifies risks to infrastructure and outlines how they will be mitigated, addressing four key areas – cyber and information security risks; supply chain vulnerabilities; physical security threats, and personnel and insider risks.
Taking practical steps to align
For many Australian organisations, compliance has triggered a significant transformation in how infrastructure security is governed.
Boards are now treating SOCI as a core operational and strategic responsibility. This is now a catalyst for broader improvements in operational resilience, governance and cyber security maturity.
Progressive organisations are responding through collaboration, contribution and visibility. Integrating security operations, adopting shared intelligence models and focusing on resilience metrics rather than traditional compliance checklists.
On SOCI, the most practical approach that businesses can take is to adopt a Review and Respond strategy:
Review:
Understand cyber maturity levels
Identify key areas of risk
Brief the board and executive team
Respond:
Implement and update CIRMP plans
Build a business strategy for SOCI
Create cyber culture and embed security into DNA
Leverage competitive edge through enhanced SOCI alignment
Ultimately, SOCI is prompting Australian organisations to rethink how critical services are protected – shifting security from a reactive IT function to a strategic, organisation-wide priority focused on resilience and continuity.
Today, cyber investment should be recognised as a strategic enabler, not a cost of compliance.
Book a free SOCI Readiness Review with OneStep Group before 4 April.
“What makes OneStep Group different is that we’re truly sovereign. We’re Australian-owned, Australian based and deeply invested in building capability right here. That matters when you’re talking about protecting critical infrastructure, national data and community trust. We don’t just protect, we partner.”