A cyber security assessment in Australia typically costs between $2,500 and $30,000, depending on the size of your business, the scope of the review, and the methodology used.
Most business owners searching for a cyber security assessment quote have no idea what they should be paying. Quotes come in at wildly different prices for what looks like the same service. That gap is not a coincidence. It reflects a fundamental difference in what is actually being done.
What is a cyber security assessment?
A cyber security assessment reviews your business's current security posture and identifies vulnerabilities before attackers do. It covers how your systems are configured, how your staff behaves, and whether your defences would hold up against the most common attack types targeting Australian businesses today.
It is not the same as a penetration test, which involves actively attempting to breach your systems. An assessment is a structured review. A pen test is a simulated attack. Both have their place, but they answer different questions and cost differently.
What drives the cost
Scope, depth, and methodology are what separate a $3,000 quote from a $20,000 one.
Scope. An assessment covering one cloud environment for a 15-person firm is a different exercise than reviewing the full Microsoft 365 tenant, endpoint fleet, email gateway, and physical access controls for a 150-person organisation. More coverage costs more.
Depth. A basic checklist review sits at one end of the spectrum. At the other end is an evidence-based assessment with configuration exports, log analysis, and hands-on testing of specific controls. Depth drives both the time required and the quality of findings.
Methodology. Template-based assessments using automated scanning tools are faster and cheaper to deliver. Assessments built around frameworks like ACSC Essential Eight or ISO 27001, using manual review and practitioner judgement, take longer and cost more. The findings from the second type are typically more useful.
Cyber security assessment pricing in Australia (2026)
These are realistic ranges based on what Australian SMEs should expect to pay for a legitimate assessment, not a scan dressed up as a review.
$2,500 to $5,000 Entry-level assessments, usually covering a single area like email security, cloud configuration, or basic network hygiene. Suited to businesses under 20 staff with a straightforward setup. Findings are generally limited to obvious configuration issues.
$5,000 to $12,000 Mid-range assessments covering Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace configuration, email security, endpoint protection, and basic incident readiness. This is the most common range for Australian SMEs with 20 to 100 staff. A well-scoped assessment at this level should produce a prioritised risk register and a 90-day remediation roadmap.
$12,000 to $30,000 Comprehensive assessments for larger or more complex environments, or businesses with compliance requirements in legal, healthcare, or financial services. May include staff phishing simulations, physical security review, vendor access review, and Essential Eight maturity scoring. Typically delivered over several weeks with a detailed written report.
Above $30,000 Enterprise-grade engagements with a dedicated team, extended testing periods, and formal reporting for board or regulatory audiences. Rarely warranted for businesses under 200 staff.
What you should get for your money
A legitimate cyber security assessment should deliver:
- A written report, not just a verbal summary
- Findings ranked by risk, not just listed
- Specific remediation steps tied to your actual environment
- A clear explanation of what was tested and what was not
- A debrief where you can ask questions
If a provider cannot confirm all five before you commit, ask why. The absence of a written report is a red flag. The absence of prioritised findings means you will not know where to start.
What cheap quotes usually mean
Low-cost quotes typically involve automated scanning tools that generate reports with hundreds of generic findings, most of which are either low risk or not applicable to your environment. The output looks comprehensive. It is rarely actionable.
The other common pattern is a short online questionnaire with a branded report attached. This is not an assessment. It is a self-assessment with marketing attached.
If you are comparing quotes and one comes in at half the price of the others, ask for a sample report. That will tell you more than any sales conversation.
How to get an accurate quote
A cyber security assessment quote should be scoped to your business, not pulled from a price list. Before requesting quotes, know the following:
- How many staff you have
- What cloud platforms you use (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, AWS, Azure)
- Whether you handle sensitive data (client financial records, health information, legal files)
- Whether you have any compliance requirements or upcoming audits
- What has happened before: any incidents, past assessments, known gaps
If you receive a quote without being asked any of these questions, the scope is probably not tailored to your situation.
What happens after the assessment
A good assessment produces a prioritised list of what to fix and in what order. The most critical items should be addressable within 30 to 90 days without significant spend. Quick wins like multi-factor authentication, email filtering policy changes, and removing unused admin accounts are almost always near the top.
Some businesses use the assessment report to set their IT budget for the year. Others use it to satisfy client RFP requirements or cyber insurance underwriting. The value is in the specificity of the findings, not the length of the report.
Get a free, scoped quote for your business with no obligation. We will ask the right questions upfront and give you a transparent number based on your actual situation.