---
title: "The MOD's New Requirement: 8 weeks until Defense Cyber Certifications Due. Everything You Need To Know in 3 Minutes"
description: Prepare your business for the MOD's Defence Cyber Certification by the 2026 deadline. Learn about Level 0 requirements and how to meet them efficiently.
image: https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/DCC_countdown_hero_8-weeks%20(1)-png.png
---

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# labdesk innovate insider

[view all articles](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog)

 Nov 9, 2026, 12:48:57 PM

# The MOD's New Requirement: 8 weeks until Defense Cyber Certifications Due. Everything You Need To Know in 3 Minutes

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The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has asked every company in its supply chain to reach Level 0 of Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) by 31 December 2026. This page covers what Level 0 requires, where suppliers most often get held up, and what happens if a contract asks for a level you do not yet hold.

 

# Where the request comes from

Some suppliers may first hear about DCC from a customer. For example, a prime contractor writes to its subcontractors to ask whether they hold DCC Level 0, and if not, when they expect to have it by.

The request to have Level 0 in DCC itself comes from the MOD. In May, Eleanor Fairford, the MOD's Director of Cyber Defence and Risk, spoke publically about the new requirement:

> **"I have also recently asked all industry partners to achieve Level 0 DCC certification by 31st December 2026, which includes a requirement for obtaining Cyber Essentials for all applicable business-critical systems within scope."**
> 
> **ELEANOR FAIRFORD, DIRECTOR OF CYBER DEFENCE & RISK, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE**

The government's guidance on supplier cyber security for DCC states that suppliers "should expect to see increasing requirement to hold valid DCC certification for the duration of their contract".

 

# What Level 0 requires

DCC has four levels. Level 0 is the first and easiest to obtain, having only three controls. IASME, which manages DCC for the MOD, has published examples of what an assessor looks for under each control:

- **Cyber Essentials.** A current Cyber Essentials certificate whose scope lines up with your DCC scope, renewed every year.
- **UK GDPR compliance.** Policies and procedures for handling personal data, appropriate to your organisation.
- **Resilient networks and systems.** Evidence that your systems can withstand an attack or a failure and recover quickly. IASME's example of good evidence is "tested restores – not just a policy that says you do backups".

A business that already holds Cyber Essentials may meet the first control, provided its scope lines up with the DCC scope. The other two need their own evidence. IASME notes that certification takes time where evidence still needs gathering or restores still need testing.

 

![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DCC_countdown_graphic1_level0-controls-png.png?width=2400&height=1350&name=DCC_countdown_graphic1_level0-controls-png.png)

 

# Where suppliers get stuck with their DCC

Yogesh Agarwal, a DCC specialist featured on the MOD's DCC blog in September, described scoping as "the single biggest challenge for applicants and the most common cause of delays". Your scope is what your DCC certificate covers.

A DCC scope can be wider than a Cyber Essentials scope. Cyber Essentials covers systems connected to the internet. IASME states that a DCC scope "may also include non-internet-connected (including air-gapped) elements". For example, on a manufacturing site, that could include a standalone computer that controls a machine.

Microsoft 365 also needs to be included. Since 27 April 2026, the Cyber Essentials requirements have stated that cloud services cannot be left out of an assessment. Our guide to the new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and Microsoft 365 covers the settings involved.

 

# Which level does your business need?

Level 0 is the level the MOD has asked for by 31 December. If your contracts carry more risk, they may require a higher level. James Shortle is EMEA Information Security Officer at Lockheed Martin, the first company to receive DCC Level 3 certification. His advice to subcontractors is to check with their prime contractor first.

> **"If you are a subcontractor to a Prime, engage with your Prime and discuss what level you should be looking to achieve. It is fair to say that not every supplier will require the Level 3 and indeed 2."**
> 
> **JAMES SHORTLE, EMEA INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER, LOCKHEED MARTIN**

# What if you get asked for DCC and don't have it?

The government's guidance states that a supplier who cannot meet a contract's cyber security requirements, including DCC certification, must submit a Cyber Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP sets out when the supplier will reach the required level, and it forms part of the contract.

 

# Does your DCC need renewing?

DCC certification needs confirming every year, with full recertification every three years. Your Cyber Essentials certificate also needs renewing every year, with its scope kept in line with your DCC scope.

![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DCC_countdown_graphic2_route%20(1)-png.png?width=2400&height=1350&name=DCC_countdown_graphic2_route%20(1)-png.png)

 

# Get your DCC Started with labdesk

labdesk gets defence suppliers ready for Cyber Essentials and DCC through its Microsoft 365 Accelerator. We prepare your business and your Microsoft 365, and an IASME-licensed certification body carries out the assessment.

- **Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) + Cyber Essentials sorted for your business** - labdesk gets your business certified securely and in time for the 31 December deadline.
- **A 'yes we have it' ready if your prime contractor asks** - no last-minute DCC panic.

 DCC Discovery Call

 

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