Idela certifies UK organisations across four schemes. Readiness-first — we identify gaps before formal assessment begins, so you submit when genuinely ready.
Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed scheme that demonstrates your organisation has the essential technical controls in place to defend against the most common cyber threats. Required for public sector contracts and increasingly mandated across supply chains.
DCC is the MOD and IASME’s replacement for self-assessment across the defence supply chain. Every organisation supplying to the MOD or a prime contractor will need it. Idela is one of the first CBs authorised at Level 0 and Level 1. CE is included in every DCC engagement as the mandatory baseline.
IASME Cyber Assurance is a UK-developed standard designed for SMEs who need to demonstrate a broader level of cyber maturity beyond CE. It covers governance, risk management, access control, incident response, and supplier management — aligned to ISO 27001 but designed to be achievable for organisations without a dedicated security team.
Most organisations start with Cyber Essentials. Which comes next depends on your contracts, clients, and sector.
| Feature | Cyber Essentials | IASME Cyber Assurance | DCC Level 0 | DCC Level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government-backed | Yes | Yes | Yes — MOD | Yes — MOD |
| Required for public sector | Yes | Often | Defence only | Defence only |
| Required for MOD supply chain | As baseline | No | Yes | Yes |
| Controls covered | 5 technical | Governance + technical | 3 DCC controls | 101 DCC controls |
| Certificate validity | 1 year | 1 year | 3 years | 3 years |
| Independent assessment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Idela CB authorised | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Both tools are free, take under 5 minutes, and produce a shareable report. No login required.
Book a free 15-minute readiness call. We will confirm which certification you need, check your current position, and give you a clear timeline. No obligation.
Book a free readiness call