Written by Dan Neville
In February of 2023 the Department of Defense (DoD) published a new update to Department of Defense Manual (DoDM) 8570.03, commonly known as DoDM 8140.03. Before we discuss the new 8140.03, let’s provide a little background.
History of the Department of Defense Manual
DoDM 8570.01 and 8570.03 were established to demonstrate, through certifications, that both civilians and military personnel with certain job roles were competent to perform the duties associated with that job role.
For example, if your job fell under the Information Assurance Technician II (IAT II) classification, you would need to hold a valid certification such a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CompTIA’s Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), CompTIA’s Security+, or ISC2’s Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP). Each job classification had associated certification requirements.
The replacement to 8570.03 is DoDM 8140.03. It still validates skills through certification requirements, which must be met by February 2025. The biggest change is a more granular mapping of specific job codes to certifications that demonstrate mastery of the skills needed for those job codes.
The changes start with major job classifications. 8140.03 updated the major job classifications into six Elements:
- IT (Cyberspace)
- Cybersecurity
- Cyberspace Enablers
- Cyberspace Effects
- Intelligence (Cyberspace)
- Software Engineering
Within these six Elements, you will find 72 defined job codes, each with their own certification requirements. If, for example, you work in the IT (Cyberspace) Element and your job code is “411 Technical Support Specialist”, you will need to have one of the approved certifications: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+.
If you find yourself needing to acquire a new certification to meet these updated 8140.03 requirements, one of CompTIA’s wide-range of certifications may be a good option for you to consider. In fact, 8 CompTIA certifications have been approved for DoD 8140.03, covering 31 job codes. In the coming weeks, we will explore each of the six Elements, their associated job codes, and the certifications that have been approved for those roles.
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So, as you approach the February 2025 deadline, don’t worry. N2K’s got your six.