Capability Statement – Essential Eight & DISP for Defence SMEs
We innovate where others won’t
Essential Eight Cyber Security & DISP Capability Uplift for Defence SMEs
Calexi is a Canberra-based cybersecurity and ICT engineering firm specialising in Essential Eight uplift and DISP readiness for defence SMEs, small business, and regulated SMEs.
The Essential Eight is a prioritised set of mitigation strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) under the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), providing a practical cybersecurity baseline for Australian organisations including SMEs and small businesses.
We work with Defence SMEs (sub-100 staff), critical infrastructure operators, and high-risk organisations that need practical, defensible cybersecurity and Essential Eight (or essential 8) outcomes, not compliance theatre. We specialise in supporting organisations that are pursuing DISP Membership and need to demonstrate ASD Essential 8 / ACSC Essential Eight aligned Essential 8 cyber security outcomes.
Calexi delivers right-sized, productised cybersecurity uplift pathways, ranging from governance and assurance foundations through to fully engineered Essential Eight and Essential 8 services designed for SME environments.
If you’re assessing your current maturity or planning an uplift program, see our DISP & Essential Eight Uplift or Essential Eight Compliance Done Right for Defence SMEs.
Download our capability statement to learn how Calexi supports Defence and regulated SMEs with security uplift that is explainable, auditable, and sustainable.
Who this is for
- Defence SMEs (sub-100 staff) seeking DISP Membership and Essential Eight assurance
- Organisations struggling to evidence ACSC Essential Eight / ASD Essential 8 cyber security maturity
- Regulated or high-risk SMEs and small businesses, including critical infrastructure
- SMEs seeking practical Essential 8 uplift without enterprise platform costs
What We Specialise In:
- Essential 8 uplift designed for SME cybersecurity environments
- Right-sized, productised delivery models
- DISP-aligned security foundations
- Evidence-driven security outcomes
- Secure-by-design engineering, not compliance theatre
What We Deliberately Avoid in SME Cybersecurity
- Tick-the-box compliance exercises
- Enterprise platforms by default
- One-size-fits-all uplift programs
- Security theatre disconnected from operations
Why Calexi:
Veteran-owned
Defence and regulated environment experience
Security-cleared
Featured Work:
![defence security analyst looking at cyber metrics on screens]()
Building a Sovereign Cyber Training Capability for Defence
Defence faced mounting challenges in building a skilled cyber workforce, from costly overseas training to critical skills gaps. Calexi staff designed and delivered a sovereign…
![A glowing digital shield symbolising Defence assurance stands at the centre, surrounded by four illuminated pillars. Each pillar features an icon representing a DISP domain: governance, physical security, personnel security, and information & cyber security. The image uses blue and teal tones with subtle circuitry patterns to convey trust, structure, and compliance.]()
DISP – Defence Industry Security Program Uplift
A Defence SME needed DISP compliance but faced limited resources and low security maturity. Calexi delivered a full uplift within 6 months, achieving Maturity Level…
![A glowing digital shield with a central padlock symbol, surrounded by eight evenly spaced turquoise-blue nodes connected in a circular pattern. The background features a dark blue gradient with subtle circuit lines, symbolizing cyber security, Essential Eight compliance, and Defence-level protection.]()
Cyber Security Tabletop Exercise for Large Organisations
A transport critical infrastructure project was at risk due to cascading system failures caused by poor maintenance in a high-security environment. Calexi rapidly stabilised the…
