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DISP stands for Defence Industry Security Program. It's a mandatory security accreditation framework for Australian businesses working on defence contracts. DISP requires organisations to demonstrate security governance, personnel screening, physical security controls, and ICT security across four critical domains. The Defence Industry Security Office (DISO) assesses DISP compliance through documented evidence and controls.

Yes, DISP membership is now a contractual requirement for the majority of Australian defence suppliers. If you work on Australian Government defence projects, your contracts will include DISP compliance obligations. DISP is not optional—it's mandatory for defence-related work.

The four DISP domains are: (1) Governance - security frameworks, policies and reporting; (2) Personnel Security - workforce screening and clearance management; (3) Physical Security - asset and facility protection controls; (4) ICT & Cyber Security - Essential Eight and Information Security Manual alignment. All four DISP domains must be actively managed and evidenced.

DISP compliance means meeting the requirements of the Defence Industry Security Program. DISP accreditation is the formal assessment and approval of your DISP compliance by the Defence Industry Security Office. You must be DISP compliant and accredited to work on defence contracts.

DISP is an ongoing compliance requirement, not a one-time accreditation. You must continuously maintain DISP compliance and participate in annual DISP reviews. The Defence Industry Security Office monitors DISP compliance throughout your tenure as a defence supplier.

During DISP assessment, the DISO examines evidence of active, implemented controls across all four DISP domains. They verify that your security governance, personnel protocols, physical controls, and cyber security measures are documented, demonstrated, and genuinely operational—not just paper exercises.

Yes. Our Managed NV1 Application Process handles national security vetting applications on your behalf as part of our DISP-as-a-Service offering. This is one of the most time-consuming aspects of DISP compliance, and we manage it end-to-end.

Defence Ready is Empire's purpose-built, Australian-hosted software platform that consolidates all DISP obligations into a single secure system. It provides centralised documentation, task management, full auditability, incident tracking, and one click reporting for stakeholders and regulators essential for ongoing DISP compliance.