Overcome Barriers, Meet Regulations, Get Certified

Are You Defence Ready?

Help with security or cyber requirements to bid on Canadian Defence contracts is here.

Request a free Assessment or Consult with an Expert

Is your company defence ready? Have you all of the compliance that you need to be able to work in Defence? Ask for our Defence Readiness Security Assessment to determine the maturity of your security posture.

Is your company even eligible to work in the Canadian Defence sector? To find out, answer the 8 questions.

Security clearance, regulations and cyber security certifications are all barriers to Defence contracts, but there is help! If you are eligible… we will get you on the quickest path to Defence contract readiness.

Answer these 8 questions:

Find out if your company is eligible to access Defence Industry contracts.

You must answer YES for first 6 questions:

Are you a Canadian Company with your head-office in Canada?
Do your key employees, those who would be used to deliver your Defence services or products, reside in countries considered to be our allies such as the US, NATO, 5 Eyes?
Could all of your key employees who may require "Security Clearances" to work on the desired projects pass criminal and financial background checks?
Do you have existing relationships, partnerships, or teaming arrangements with companies already operating in the Canadian defence supply chain?
Do you have – or are you willing to build – a formal security governance structure, including the appointment of a designated Company Security Officer and written security policies?
Does your company leadership agree that the size of the opportunity in the Defence Sector merits a one-year commitment of time and resources to meet all necessary contractual and security requirements?

The next question requires a NO for an answer:

Do you have a parent company outside of Canada that would be considered as "foreign principals", including foreign companies, governments, or political parties, as described in the Foreign Influence Transparency Registry (FITR)?

The next question is more tricky. Straight “off-the-shelf” products for the most part can be sold to the military with little friction. But once there is any customization, integration of on-site delivery or installation, these conditions may change your eligibility.

Does your product or service require customization, integration, or on-site delivery or installation?

If you would like to discuss your answers, schedule a 15 minute free consultation. We may be able to offer you a free 25 question Security Maturity assessment that will help you determine the amount of time and effort required for your company to be Defence Ready, Canada needs a strong defence supply chain! Take the time to see how your company could open the door to new opportunities!

Once you know that you are eligible… a second set of 25 questions needs to be explored. Answer these and we will be able to assess your Defence Ready maturity and craft a path that opens up opportunity. (Fingers crossed)

Let's talk
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To request a 15 minute consultation with one of our defence ready veterans register here

The Defence Ready Security Assessment

The 123 Defence™ Defence Ready Security Assessment is designed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Canadian Defence Industrial Base estimate their compliance maturity across the three key federal security programs governing defence procurement: the Contract Security Program (CSP), the Controlled Goods Program (CGP), and the Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification (CPCSC).

Twenty-five questions help an SME identify priority actions to accelerate their path to participation in Canada’s defence industrial supply chain.

Contact an advisor at 123 Defence™ to get a copy of the Defence Ready Security Assessment.

In a 30 minute free consultation (after you have completed the assessment), they will help explore the implications of the answers and chose the best options for a path forward.

Why Defence Readiness Now?

The government of Canada has pledged to NATO and our allies that we will spend 2% of our GDP on Defence in 2025-26 with the Goal of spending 5% by 2035.

Over $500B will be spent in the next ten years strengthening Canada’s National Defence and ensuring our sovereignty. Our Defence Industrial Base is seven times smaller than that of Australia, a country 60% smaller than ours.

NATO Obligations & Pressure

Canada is boosting spending to meet the NATO 2% of GDP defense investment benchmark, aiming to shed its reputation as a "low-payer" and strengthen international reputation.

Geopolitical Uncertainty

Rising global conflict and threats to sovereignty, particularly in the Arctic, have created a demand for increased military readiness.

Modernization and Personnel

Funding is targeting the acquisition of new, advanced military equipment (such as Arctic patrols and fighter jets) and addressing long-term personnel shortages within the Canadian Armed Forces.

Economic Strategy & Industrial Growth

The government is utilizing the defence sector as a form of industrial policy, investing in Canadian aerospace and manufacturing companies to create high-paying jobs and strengthen domestic supply chains.

Arctic Sovereignty

Increased investments are meant to enhance surveillance and security in the Arctic, a region where Canada's sovereignty is increasingly tested

Who is behind the

123 Defence™ program?

Veterans, all but one, who run 123 Cyber, witnessed business after business struggle to find their way into the Defence Sector. Getting into defence was too much trouble and took too long! Many businesses just gave up. So, the 123 Defence™ Program was born.

Soldiers Know Soldiers

And veterans, who were all once soldiers, know better than anyone that the maze of regulations, compliances and certifications in the Defence sector create an unintended barrier to entry for many Small and Medium (SMEs) sized businesses.

The Focus on Security is Not by Accident

Security of our Intellectual property and our defence supply chain is a very serious matter for our National defence and sovereignty. Compliance to security regulations is not just “red-tape”. If an enemy of Canada, a criminal organization or state actor “hacks” into a Canadian defence supplier, our National security could be compromised. The intensity of focus on security is National priority. Without security our industry would be sitting ducks. So SMES may require some or all of these, to name a few:

Contract Security Program

Personnel Security Clearances at different levels

Designated Organization Screening

Facilities Security Clearance

Document Safeguarding Capability

Controlled Goods Program

Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification

The Time is NOW

The Government of Canada has made it’s Commitment! 5% of GDP to be spent on Defence by 2035, and with a “Buy Canadian” focus. With tremendous geopolitical pressures at every turn, Canadian owned SMEs are critical to the success of our Defence Industrial Base (DIB). And our DIB needs to grow! Imagine Australia, a terrific ally, but smaller country has a DIB 7 times the size of ours!

Veterans Know Defence

Together with the Commissionaires, Canada’s premier security company providing fingerprinting, criminal record checks (CPIC), security guarding, and more, https://commissionaires.ca/en/, 123 Cyber is growing an army of veterans with compliance expertise. These fractional (part-time) contract resources have the training and systems to take the burden of compliance off the shoulders of business leaders and let them focus on the business of their business now!

The 123 Defence™ solution is comprehensive, customized to every client and always a cost-saving solution of the employment of full-time compliance employees.