Before applying
Before applying, it is important to:
- Be familiar with the Defence Security Principles Framework (DSPF) Principle 16 and Control 16.1 (Defence Industry Security Program) and the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) membership level requirements.
- Determine ability to meet the requirements for the DISP membership level that is being applied for.
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Identify a Chief Security Officer (CSO) and Security Officer (SO).
Chief Security Officer and Security Officer roles and responsibilities factsheet (PDF, 707.79 KB)
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Organise the security governance documentation and go through the DISP Membership Requirement Checklist to help build the evidence to support the DISP application.
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Have an established email address in the format of DISP@your entity name.
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Satisfy requirements for foreign ownership, control or influence.
Foreign ownership control and influence fact sheet (PDF, 644.62 KB)
- Ensure that all information provided about the entity matches information recorded in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission register, especially any registered business address and ABN/ACN.
- CSO’s and SO’s should obtain a Australian Government Digital Identity, which is linked to the entity via Relationship Authorisation Manager.
- Find out more information on the Digital ID and RAM requirements over on the DISP Member Portal, under the heading Digital ID and Authorisation Management.
Submitting an application
Complete the application on the DISP Member Portal.
The first step when entering the DISP Member Portal is to update your profile. This includes providing Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) personal security clearance details and acknowledging whether the CSO and SO have completed SO training.
After the profile is complete, there are 9 sections of the application that will need to be filled out:
- Entity details
- Officer details
- Contracts and panels
- Physical and ICT
- Membership levels
- Foreign ownership, control and influence
- Cyber questionnaire
- Attachments
- Preview and submit.
Once the application is complete and prior to submitting:
- Ensure that the CSO has reviewed the application in full.
- Update any required information appropriately.
- Double check the information to ensure its accuracy.
Processing and timeframes
Defence continues to experience significant demand for DISP accreditation. This rapid growth, combined with changes to the delivery model, has contributed to a backlog of applications and a need to focus on priority memberships. Defence is actively addressing this challenge and is moving aggressively to reduce the backlog.
All current applications are assigned and actively being processed, with prioritisation based on factors such as current Defence contracts or sub‑contracts, involvement in tender processes, participation in Defence panels, supply chain roles, or alignment with key government priority initiatives. Applications endorsed as urgent by a senior Defence official (Band 1 / 1 Star) are placed in a priority queue, with priority applications currently taking around 90 days to process once an officer is assigned. Entities can support faster processing by ensuring security documentation is complete and responding promptly to information requests.
In 2026, DISP is focused on improving the application experience, strengthening compliance and assurance, and keeping industry informed of updates and enhancements. To reduce delays, DISP has introduced a conditional membership pathway that allows applicants to progress without fully completing their Essential Eight (E8) Maturity Level 2 (ML2) Maturity Action Plan (MAP) prior to membership being granted. A 12 month MAP extension is also available for existing entities that have submitted their MAP and are awaiting their cyber assessment.
While additional resources are coming online and will expand processing capacity, initially targeting applicants with current Defence contracts and those involved in tendering, industry input remains critical, particularly for complex or higher-level applications and in meeting increased ICT security obligations under the E8 and strengthened foreign ownership, control and influence (FOCI) requirements. Defence is also progressing improvements through increased automation within the DISP Membership System and simplified policy settings to streamline the end‑to‑end process.