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Energy Logistix achieves 99.99% uptime and Essential Eight compliance across five sites

A 24/7 freight and logistics operation servicing mining, energy and defence clients reached 100% Essential Eight ML1 compliance with 99.99% AWS uptime and SD-WAN across five sites — securing DISP accreditation.

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Industry
Freight & Logistics / Defence (DISP accredited)
Team size
90+ staff
Location
5 sites (SA + Perth)
Plan
Fortress
Compliance
Essential Eight ML1 + DISP

Meet the client

Founded in 2012 by Shaun and Jo Williamson, Energy Logistix has grown into one of South Australia's leading freight and logistics providers. Headquartered in Largs North, SA with operations across five sites including Perth, the company employs over 90 staff and runs a 24/7 operation serving blue-chip clients across mining, energy, and defence sectors. Known for innovative tracking through their Fleet Smart system, Energy Logistix is accredited under the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) — a credential that demands rigorous IT security and governance standards.

What they were up against

External

Energy Logistix's IT systems fell short of Essential Eight Maturity Level 1. Ageing servers created single points of failure across their sites, and limited redundancy threatened business continuity for a company that operates around the clock. On-premise hardware blocked rapid scaling — a problem that became more acute as the business grew and took on larger contracts. Network complexity increased with each new site, and rising regulatory pressure demanded zero trust security and documented governance to maintain DISP accreditation.

Internal

For a 24/7 logistics operation, any IT downtime directly impacts delivery schedules, client commitments, and revenue. The team knew their infrastructure wasn't keeping pace with the business's growth, but every expansion — a new site, a new warehouse, a new contract — layered more complexity onto systems that were already stretched. The gap between where their security posture was and where DISP required it to be created ongoing compliance anxiety.

A company trusted to transport critical freight for defence and mining clients — operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week — shouldn't be relying on infrastructure that can't guarantee uptime or meet the security standards those contracts demand.

How we stepped in

Otaris understood both the operational demands and the compliance requirements Energy Logistix faced. With deep expertise in Essential Eight uplift, DISP-aligned security roadmaps, and multi-site infrastructure transformations, Otaris had the capability to bring Energy Logistix's IT up to the standard their business and their clients required — without disrupting a 24/7 operation.

What we delivered

  1. DISP-aligned roadmap

    Full audit against SACSF and Essential Eight frameworks, five-year strategic plan with rollback protocols to ensure the transformation could be executed safely.

  2. Cloud modernisation

    AWS hosting for ERP and desktops delivering 99.99% uptime. Microsoft 365 with MFA, Cisco Duo and ThreatLocker for secure access across all sites.

  3. Next-generation LAN

    Fortinet and Cisco SD-WAN, Aruba Wi-Fi, 4G failover and QoS across all five sites to ensure consistent, resilient connectivity.

  4. Essential Eight uplift

    Application whitelisting, patching, macro control, access governance and automated compliance monitoring to achieve full Maturity Level 1 compliance.

  5. Proactive managed services

    24/7 NOC monitoring, 60-minute on-site SLA, and lifecycle hardware planning to keep infrastructure current and supported.

The cost of inaction

Without action, Energy Logistix risked losing DISP accreditation — the credential that underpins their defence contracts. A single server failure at any site could disrupt 24/7 freight operations, with direct consequences for delivery schedules and client relationships. The inability to scale infrastructure quickly was already constraining the business's ability to take on new contracts and open new sites. And as cybersecurity threats targeting logistics and supply chain companies increase, operating below Essential Eight Maturity Level 1 left the business exposed.

Before and after

Before
After
  • Systems fell short of Essential Eight ML1
    100% Essential Eight Level 1 compliance — 90% risk reduction
  • Ageing servers — single points of failure, limited redundancy
    AWS cloud hosting — 99.99% uptime, less than 30 min downtime per site
  • On-premise hardware blocking rapid scaling
    Scalable infrastructure — supported expansion to 90+ staff and new BHP warehouse contract
  • Network complexity increasing with each new site
    Fortinet/Cisco SD-WAN with Aruba Wi-Fi and 4G failover across all 5 sites
  • High energy consumption from on-premise infrastructure
    Energy use reduced by ~30% through cloud migration

Where they are now

Energy Logistix now operates at 100% Essential Eight Maturity Level 1 compliance with a 90% reduction in cybersecurity risk — securing their DISP accreditation and defence contracts.

AWS cloud hosting delivers 99.99% uptime with less than 30 minutes of downtime per site, giving the 24/7 operation the reliability it demands. The scalable infrastructure has already supported expansion to over 90 staff and enabled new warehouse operations for a BHP contract.

Fortinet and Cisco SD-WAN with Aruba Wi-Fi and 4G failover ensures consistent, resilient connectivity across all five sites, while energy consumption has been reduced by approximately 30% through the shift to cloud.