Cyber Essentials for Defence & Aerospace
Every organisation in the Ministry of Defence supply chain, from a large prime contractor down to a small parts supplier, is expected to hold a level of cyber security assurance that matches the sensitivity of the work under the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership's Cyber Security Model. Cyber Essentials sits at the entry point of that model and is very often the minimum a contract requires before any defence-related data or systems are shared with you. Defence supply chains are a known target for state-sponsored attackers precisely because a smaller, less defended sub-contractor can be the easiest route into a much bigger prime's systems, so this isn't paperwork for its own sake.
Why it matters for defence & aerospace
Every organisation in the Ministry of Defence supply chain, from a large prime contractor down to a small parts supplier, is expected to hold a level of cyber security assurance that matches the sensitivity of the work under the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership's Cyber Security Model. Cyber Essentials sits at the entry point of that model and is very often the minimum a contract requires before any defence-related data or systems are shared with you. Defence supply chains are a known target for state-sponsored attackers precisely because a smaller, less defended sub-contractor can be the easiest route into a much bigger prime's systems, so this isn't paperwork for its own sake.
This covers defence and aerospace prime contractors as well as the smaller sub-contractors and specialist suppliers, of any size, who handle MOD-related contracts, designs, parts or data anywhere in that supply chain.
Common threats faced
- State-sponsored targeting
- Intellectual property theft
- Sub-contractor as weak entry point
- Sensitive design data exposure
Steps to get certified
A guided, hands-on path from scoping to certificate, no jargon, no guesswork.
Scoping
We agree the boundary of your assessment: a device, a network, or your whole organisation.
Self-Assessment
Complete a guided questionnaire against the five technical controls, with our support throughout.
Review
We check your submission and flag anything that needs addressing before it goes for formal assessment.
Certification
Your certificate is issued, backed by IASME/NCSC accreditation, valid for 12 months.
Services we recommend for defence & aerospace
Defence & Aerospace questions
The requirement is set through a risk assessment your customer or contracting authority carries out under the Cyber Security Model, which grades the risk of the specific contract and tells you the assurance level needed. Your contract documentation or the prime contractor you work under should point you to this, so ask directly rather than guessing.
Size doesn't exempt you if the contract itself has been assessed as needing it. Smaller suppliers are often asked for this precisely because attackers know they can be a softer route into a larger prime contractor's systems, so a small design or parts supplier handling sensitive data can face the same requirement as a much bigger business.
Certification isn't tied to a single contract, so one valid certificate can support multiple bids or contracts while it remains current. What can differ is the level required, so a contract assessed as higher risk may still ask for something beyond standard Cyber Essentials even if you already hold it.
No, and this is an important distinction. Cyber Essentials addresses basic technical cyber hygiene, not export control compliance, security clearances or the handling of classified material, which sit under entirely separate regimes. Treat it as one part of your overall defence compliance picture, not the whole of it.
Latest from the blog
Browse related sectors
Get certified in as little as 5 days
Tell us a little about your organisation and we'll send an itemised quote, no obligation, no sales call required to get pricing.