DoD 8140 Certifications: What Contractor Cyber & IT Roles Require

8570 → 8140 in plain language

DoD replaced the 8570 Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program with the 8140 Cyber Workforce Qualification Program when it issued DoD Manual 8140.03 in February 2023.

8570 sorted people into broad categories — Information Assurance Technical (IAT), Information Assurance Management (IAM), and IA System Architect and Engineer (IASAE) — each at Levels I, II, or III, and prescribed baseline certifications for those system-focused responsibilities.

8140 is built on the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF). Instead of IAT/IAM levels, each position is coded to a specific work role and a proficiency level: Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced. Qualification can be met through education, training, experience, or certification — a certification is one option, not the whole requirement.

There is no official crosswalk between 8570 and 8140. A certification that satisfied an 8570 baseline may still qualify for an 8140 work role, but only the work role and proficiency level assigned to the position decide what applies. 8140 also dropped the appointing-letter requirement; the work-role coding is the designation.

How to read a contractor posting

A posting written to 8140 should name the DCWF work role and the proficiency level the position is coded to. The qualification that satisfies the role is whatever the DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix lists for that work role and level.

• If the posting names a work role and level (for example, "Cyber Defense Analyst, Intermediate"), look up that work role in the DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix to see which certifications, training, or experience qualify.
• If the posting only says "IAT II" or another 8570 term, that is the old framework. Ask the recruiter which 8140 work role and proficiency level the position is coded to before you assume a certification satisfies it.
• If the posting lists a specific certification, treat it as the employer's stated requirement for that requisition. Components can add requirements on top of the 8140 baseline, so the posting sets the bar for that job.
• Confirm whether the certification must be held before start or can be earned within the qualification timeline the component allows.

G2G labor category → typical 8140 work-role family

The table maps common GovCon labor categories to the DCWF work-role family they most often fall under. Exact work-role codes and the certifications that qualify for each sit in the DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix — match your target labor category to a work role there before you claim a qualification.

Certification options in the 8140 matrix

Certification options that appear in the DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix include CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA CySA+, (ISC)² CISSP, ISACA CISM, and EC-Council CEH, among others. Which option satisfies a given posting depends on the work role and proficiency level — confirm against the matrix, not the labor-category name.

8140 also accepts education, training, and experience as qualification paths, not only certifications. A posting that names a certification is stating that employer's requirement; the matrix shows the broader set of options that can qualify a work role.

Military jobs that usually land in these roles

Service members from IT and cyber specialties often already perform work that maps to these 8140 work-role families. Common examples:

Where to list certifications on a GovCon résumé

Put your certifications close to your clearance line, near the top of the résumé, so a recruiter sees both in the first few seconds.

For each certification, show the full name and its status — current, in progress, or the year earned. Do not list a certification you do not hold.

• Clearance line first, then a Certifications line directly below it.
• Full certification name (for example, "CompTIA Security+"), spelled out so an ATS can match it.
• Status: "current," "in progress (exam scheduled)," or the year earned.
• Drop lapsed certifications unless you are actively renewing them.

Map your experience to the right labor category

If you are not sure which labor category — and which 8140 work-role family — your experience fits, map it first, then check the matrix for the qualifications that apply.