Procedures

FAM Loses Security Clearance Due to False Financial Reports

ProPublica reports that a Federal Air Marshal (FAM) has lost her security clearance because she allegedly falsified financial reimbursement information, claiming, on two occasions, a full day’s per diem despite not being in that city for a full day.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 03, 2010 at 12:43AM | Comments (0)

Faulty Clearance Procedures at Ft. Hood

Walter Pincus reports in today’s Washington Post that a panel set up to review circumstances that led to the Fort Hood shootings found that inadequate security investigations contributed to the tragedy.

Military and Department of Defense civilian security investigations were “incomplete, too limited in scope, or not conducted at all” and that investigations for Secret-level clearances, in the case of shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, were “unsatisfactory.”

Posted by The Editors on Jan 19, 2010 at 05:28PM | Comments (0)

Company Heads Must Have Security Clearance

A January 4 article posted to Satellite Today informs that the senior-most management official of any company wishing to hold a facility clearance license must himself or herself hold a U.S. security clearance. And one company, EMS, recently had to reorganize its leadership to comply.

A facility clearance license apparently allows a company to store and handle classified materials onsite and manage employees who hold security clearances. It may even be required for a company to secure classified government work. Read more about facility clearances here.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 05, 2010 at 08:52AM | Comments (0)

Expiration of DoD Clearances Discussed

On Yahoo! Answers, users discussed when Department of Defense clearances expire after separation from service.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 07, 2009 at 11:54PM | Comments (0)

Security Clearances and Online Social Networking

In this interesting article from the November 2 Federal Times, an attorney examines the risks that participating in online social networking websites, like Facebook and Twitter, can have on the ability to acquire or retain a security clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 23, 2009 at 12:16AM | Comments (0)

Clearance Screening Faulted in Ft. Hood Shooting

A blogger on AmericanThinker.com points out that a question on the official application form for a federal security clearance asking about membership in any “militia” groups is inadequate to identify individuals such as Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter, who held a Secret clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 23, 2009 at 12:04AM | Comments (0)

Confessed Spy Sought Job Where No Poly Required

Walter Kendall Myers, the U.S. State Department intelligence analyst who last Friday pleaded guilty to charges of spying for Cuba, told prosecutors he pursued employment at State because it does not require a polygraph exam as a condition for acquiring security clearance necessary for employment, according to a November 21 article on WorldBulletin.com.

State’s exception to polygraph examinations is said to trace back to an unidentified Secretary who refused to have U.S. diplomats sit for the exam.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 22, 2009 at 11:39PM | Comments (0)

Expunging Criminal Records to Ease Clearance Apps

Some arrests or criminal convictions can sink plans to acquire a security clearance. Job and security clearance applications often ask for disclosures about arrests or convictions.

According to a November 11 article in the Wall Street Journal, amidst the difficult job market, more job-seekers are trying to expunge arrest and conviction records and more states are passing laws to help them do so. Also, more law practices are helping clients in this area, often for as little as $1,000.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 11, 2009 at 10:08AM | Comments (1)

Blogger Shares Insights on Clearance Adjudication Process

A blogger recently shared details about the processing of his or her security clearance, apparently at the Department of State.

The blogger says 80% of clearances in process end up going to an adjudicator for final determination, which the blogger was told can take 15-30 days.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 30, 2009 at 11:25PM | Comments (0)

New Hiring Spurs Quicker Clearances for Some

According to a blog entry by a McClatchy news reporter, processing of Q-level security clearances for new hires at a Tennessee nuclear weapons plant is taking less time because of increased demand for workers.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 30, 2009 at 11:07PM | Comments (0)

Confessions Key to Polygraph Success

The highest-level security clearances usually require successful completion of a polygraph exam. The CIA, FBI, NSA, U.S. military, and others employ the exams routinely.

Before sitting for the exam, it is helpful to know what it’s all about. Few do.

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal mentions the importance of volunteered confessions to the success of polygraph exams and serves as a reminder that it is not the exam itself that reveals sensitive information but, rather, the perceived ability of it to do so that scares its victims into confessing actual or perceived wrong-doing.

Use ClearedCommunity.com’s search function to locate previously posted articles and readers’ comments on this topic.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 21, 2009 at 10:21AM | Comments (0)

Putting a Security Clearance in Hibernation Until Needed

A blog recently discussed putting a security clearance, effectively, in hibernation upon transitioning to a job within the same company not requiring a security clearance, so that it might be restored more easily when once again needed.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 08, 2009 at 05:17PM | Comments (0)

Lengthy Vetting Deterring Some From Govt Service

The New York Times reported on July 14 that a “more demanding” security clearance process under the Obama Administration is making it more difficult to fill political appointments. Secretary of State Clinton, probably recalling her own vetting process for her job, said financial and personal reporting requirements were so onerous they are “ridiculous” and that “several people” had declined appointments.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 24, 2009 at 12:11PM | Comments (0)

State Clearance Procedures Faulted in Spy Case

An online pundit questions the thoroughness of Department of State security clearance procedures and security clearance reform efforts after the arrest of a former Department employee on charges of spying for Cuba.

Posted by The Editors on Jun 19, 2009 at 05:18PM | Comments (0)

Cost of Processing a Clearance at CBP

According to a recent article in Homeland Security Today, it costs the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol a mere $3,000 to process a new employee for a security clearance.

Each new hire for Border Patrol will cost the agency $170,360…which is an increase of about $11,000 over fiscal 2009…[including] additional $3,000 for security clearance and background investigations.

Posted by The Editors on Jun 19, 2009 at 05:07PM | Comments (0)

Investigating Reasons for a Clearance Denial

The Washington Post recently reported about a man denied an interim Secret clearance at the Department of Defense, in connection to a new job for which he had applied.

Posted by The Editors on Jun 19, 2009 at 04:24PM | Comments (0)

Clearance Investigators Busted for False Reports

The Washington Post reported on April 9 that at least half a dozen security clearance investigators for the federal government have been busted for falsifying reports recommending job applicants for security clearances. The investigators had rushed their reports in order to get more of them done and earn more money.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 10, 2009 at 11:12PM | Comments (0)

Questions Answered About Clearances

Participants in a blog on the Washington Post website recently discussed procedures for renewing an expired security clearance and how to find work without one as a government contractor.

Tips include listing even expired clearances on a resume so that potential government contractor firms will know you’re “clearable” and highlighting for potential employers in government contracting certain skills so that they will want to hire you and find work for you while a new clearance is in process.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 02, 2009 at 01:31PM | Comments (0)

Sign of Progress in Clearance Processing

A blogger wrote last month on the Washington Post web blog that he has been waiting six months for a top-secret security clearance and has been asked to submit to a drug test, seen as a sign of progress that the clearance investigation is moving forward.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 21, 2008 at 09:30PM | Comments (0)

Security Clearances and the Presidential Election

Opponents of U.S. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are jousting online over whether the candidates and their spouses could qualify for a security clearance. One article here and another here question whether Senator Obama’s past associations disqualify him. Others say Todd Palin would face similar problems.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 19, 2008 at 12:49AM | Comments (0)

Security Clearances and the Presidential Transition

In order for the incoming President to better focus on economic and national security matters, the White House has jump-started processing security clearances for some 100 potential senior advisors to Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal reported on October 10.

The White House has been working since the summer to faciliate the security clearances, with a newly-created working group focused on the issue. Some Bush administration national security advisors reportedly were still awaiting clearances when the September 11, 2001, attacks occurred.

The Washington Post also ran the story.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 17, 2008 at 09:57AM | Comments (0)

Bloggers Discuss Security Clearance Procedures

Participants in a weblog, World Affairs Board, recently discussed procedures for acquiring a security clearance, including what types of questions may be asked of a clearance applicant.

Posted by The Editors on Sep 05, 2008 at 03:22PM | Comments (0)

AP: DoD to Increase Polygraph Use

The Associated Press reported recently that the Department of Defense’s Defense Intelligence Agency will step up its use of polygraph exams to screen new and current employees, while others maintain that polygraphs are an unreliable fix to a broken security clearance process. One problem: personnel are rarely allowed an opportunity to challenge a polygraph exam’s findings.

The AP story was also available here.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 28, 2008 at 12:18PM | Comments (0)

Concerns About Clearance Delay Prompted Revocation of Job Offer

In a case now before a Federal court, the U.S. Government says that concerns that a job applicant’s security clearance approval could be delayed because of a sex-change operation justified rescinding a job offer.

A hiring official “had concerns that [the woman’s] gender reassignment would make it a longer process for her to gain a security clearance for the post” and, so, withdrew the offer.

[In mid-September, the Court reportedly ruled in favor of the plaintiff.]

Posted by The Editors on Aug 21, 2008 at 12:26AM | Comments (0)

Review of Basic Procedures to Acquire Clearance

A Washington Post discussion board recently addressed some steps necessary to acquire a preliminary clearance and estimated the number of jobs available requiring clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 11, 2008 at 11:41PM | Comments (0)

Anthrax Suspect Retained Security Clearance

An August 4 article in the Washington Post and one by National Public Radio examine how the FBI’s chief anthrax investigation subject, who recently committed suicide, could have retained a security clearance despite the ongoing investigation and documented concerns about his mental health. It is unclear, from either story, what level of security clearance, if any, the Army biowarfare scientist had.

A former FBI official commented on the shortcomings of federal security clearance investigations:

Any system will miss someone somewhere, he says. And the alternative here is to have a much higher level of scrutiny for everybody in the system…. People generally don’t want to volunteer damning information about themselves, or about others. The result, he says, is a system that will always have flaws.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 07, 2008 at 10:35AM | Comments (0)

Clearance Applicants Place Personal Info at Risk

One cost of applying for or holding a security clearance is the risk one takes in trusting government officials to protect sensitive, personal information.

According to a Department of Defense Inspector General report, hundreds of computers containing such sensitive information went missing from 1997 to 2005.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2008 at 06:03PM | Comments (0)

Poor Security Screening of Arab Americans?

According to a recent editorial in Investors Business Daily, sloppy Federal background investigations of Arab American employees have compromised security. As evidence, the editorial mentions several recent instances where Arab Americans were caught improperly accessing information or working for foreign agents.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 23, 2008 at 12:00AM | Comments (0)

No Clearance, No Badge

Guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management regarding presidential transition teams reportedly state that persons who, for whatever reason, may not be able to acquire a security clearance also cannot be issued a computer-readable security badge by a federal agency.

Posted by The Editors on Jun 14, 2008 at 11:12PM | Comments (0)

Lawyer's Essay on Security Clearances

The May 22 edition of the Daily Record, a Rochester, NY, legal newspaper, includes an article by a local lawyer who uses a fictitious example to illustrate problems companies may encounter while contracting with the Department of Defense on work involving security clearances. He discusses how “personal conduct” and “financial considerations” can negatively impact a security clearance determination. He also discusses the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Unfortunately, the article is not available online, but a copy can be requested by e-mailing editor@clearedcommunity.com

Posted by The Editors on Jun 12, 2008 at 09:46AM | Comments (0)

Does a Lack of Friends Hurt One's Clearance Prospects?

In a recent blog, participants discussed whether lacking a large social network makes it more difficult for someone to acquire a security clearance.

Posted by The Editors on May 15, 2008 at 08:07PM | Comments (0)

Security Breach Highlights Clearance Flaws

The case of a Lebanese national who acquired US citizenship through a fake marriage highlights flaws in security clearance processing at the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she worked for more than a decade, according to an article in Federal Computer Week.

Posted by The Editors on May 08, 2008 at 01:33PM | Comments (0)

DoD Changes Clearance Policy on Mental Health

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that, effective April 18, military personnel do not need to disclose mental health counseling issues unless the treatment was court-ordered or the result of a violent incident.

Posted by The Editors on May 02, 2008 at 11:29AM | Comments (1)

Defense Lawyers Granted Clearance in Rape Case

Last month, lawyers defending an ex-Army private accused of raping an Iraqi girl were granted security clearance to review secret military documents, according to news reports.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 26, 2008 at 07:37PM | Comments (0)

Article Highlights Clearance Reforms at State

An article in the January 16 edition of The Washington Independent reviews instances of alleged poor security clearance procedures at the Department of State.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 31, 2008 at 10:55AM | Comments (0)

Blog Discussion on Secret Clearances for Interns

A physics blog carried a discussion recently about whether Secret-level security clearances acquired through an internship can remain active once the internship has ended.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 31, 2008 at 10:43AM | Comments (0)

New TSA Procedures for Screener Clearances

According to a Knight Ridder article (subscription required) published on October 23, 2007, the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) is now requiring that new screeners successfully complete a criminal background check and a terrorist database search prior to receiving a federal security clearance necessary for employment.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 29, 2008 at 05:07PM | Comments (0)

Canadian Security Clearance Lapses a U.S. Concern

According to an article (registration may be required) in the December 2007 edition of Military and Aerospace Electronics, Canada’s Auditor General has discovered “security deficiencies in issuing and verifying the security clearances given to domestic and foreign contractors.” It is possible that U.S. intelligence shared with Canada could be compromised.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 29, 2008 at 04:14PM | Comments (0)

Legal Training in Security Clearance Procedure

On January 10, the District of Columbia Bar offered its latest course on security clearance procedure, this time on clearance adjudication at the Department of Defense. Click here for the announcement.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 21, 2008 at 07:06PM | Comments (0)

Juggling Job Offers While Awaiting Clearance

A job applicant solicits advice on how to proceed with competing job offers while awaiting a security clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 21, 2008 at 06:57PM | Comments (0)

Questions Probed in Security Clearance Investigation

This recent post on a web blog mentions two questions military investigators supposedly seek to answer when conducting a preliminary security clearance investigation—whether an individual has a “history of untrustworthiness” or “areas in their lives” that would render them susceptible to exploitation by a foreign spy.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 21, 2008 at 06:45PM | Comments (0)

DNI Ponders Closer Scrutiny of IC Staff

In an interview published in the January 21 edition of the New Yorker, summarized here and in this column on page B5 of the January 14 Wall Street Journal, Mike McConnell is reported to have suggested that closer monitoring of Intelligence Community employees’ activities could shorten background checks.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 15, 2008 at 10:21AM | Comments (0)

New Report on Polygraph Use at DOE

A new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report examines the use of the polygraph (lie detector) test by the Department of Energy (DOE). CRS discusses DOE use of the exam for both counterintelligence and employment screening purposes and reviews scientific evidence in support of and against the use of polygraphs.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 29, 2007 at 11:57AM | Comments (0)

GAO: Approach Clearance Reform More Broadly

A closer look at the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) latest report on security clearance reform is especially notable for recommending ways to quantify reforms beyond simply measuring wait-times for clearance approvals. GAO says that greater confidence in the “quality” of the clearance process is necessary, in part to “achieve fuller reciprocity” – that is, mutual acceptance of clearances across federal agencies. This is welcome news to those who support a more accountable and transparent security clearance process.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 24, 2007 at 12:33PM | Comments (0)

Bloggers Discuss Clearance Revocation Procedures

Comments to this blog discuss various procedures for revoking a security clearance. Readers are cautioned to bear in mind that the opinions expressed by these bloggers may not be entirely accurate reflections of proper government procedure in every case.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 20, 2007 at 05:08PM | Comments (0)

Major Defense/IT Contractors See Little Improvement in Clearance Processing

At least two major defense/IT contractors to the Federal government feel that there has been no significant improvement in security clearance processing times, according to a November 12 report in Washington Technology.

‘I don’t think that it’s easing up much,’ said a representative of government contractor SRA, ‘but I don’t think it’s any worse. It’s something that we live with and work with.’

Another contractor, CSC says it is “not experiencing major delays in the clearance pipeline because the company understands the process and the time involved.”

Posted by The Editors on Dec 20, 2007 at 04:51PM | Comments (1)

Feds to Present New Data on Clearance Delays

In testimony scheduled to be heard by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence this week but delayed by other House business, Kathy Dillaman, Associate Director of the Office of Personnel Maanagement’s Federal Investigative Services Divison, planned to release new figures on delays in processing federal security clearances.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 20, 2007 at 03:21PM | Comments (0)

GAO Identifies Ways to Shorten Clearance Process

In a fresh report to the House Select Committee on Intelligence, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends additional steps to consider that may short wait-times for initial and renewed security clearances. Among its recommendations: first determining whether a clearance is necessary for one to do his/her job and, if so, what level of clearance is sufficient. The report notes that Top Secret clearances require ten times as much time and money to process as Confidential- or Secret-level clearances.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 20, 2007 at 03:06PM | Comments (0)

MD Schools to Teach About Security Clearances

In a first-of-its-kind program, the Maryland State education system will teach grade school social studies students about security clearances and the behavioral requirements to acquire them. According to a November 29 article (free registration required) in the Washington Post, schools will warn students that having criminal records, financial difficulties, or other problems make it difficult to get a clearance. The curriculum is intended to prepare students to qualify for one of the many military jobs expected to become available in the state in conjunction with ongoing military base realignment.

[State superintendent of schools] Grasmick intends to create “financial literacy awareness” among students, with a personal resource management course established in all school systems that would teach students how to avoid debt, which also can damage prospects for a security clearance….

She said she wants the security clearance educational programs to be established in all school systems by the start of the next school year.

The Post published a follow-up story on December 2, which should be accessible here.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 06, 2007 at 07:55PM | Comments (0)

Impediments to Clearance For Military Contractors

A recent article distributed by McClatchy news service mentioned some of the impediments contractors face in acquiring security clearance for work with the U.S. military.

Making the switch from civilian IT work contracts to defense contracts was not a quick process…

“You can’t get clearance unless you need it, and you can’t need it until you get a contract. It’s very much a closed market,” said the head of a small contractor company. “It’s nice once you’re on the inside, but not so great on the outside.”

Posted by The Editors on Nov 29, 2007 at 12:06PM | Comments (0)

FBI Agent Accused of Fraudulently Acquiring Clearance

According to a report in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, federal officials have charged a former CIA and FBI employee with fraudulently acquiring U.S. citizenship, and a security clearance.

Nada Nadim Prouty [is]...accused of improperly taking classified information home while at the FBI, and of working with other Lebanese nationals in what appeared to be a conspiracy to gain U.S. citizenship through fraudulent marriages and then get government law enforcement, intelligence and military jobs with security clearances.

Officials…insisted that thorough background checks had been done. FBI spokesman Stephen Kodak said agents interviewed family, friends and associates in the U.S. and Lebanon to make sure Prouty did not pose a security risk, and that Prouty passed a polygraph test.

See also here.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 15, 2007 at 04:42PM | Comments (0)

DOE Institutes Clearance Drug Tests

Following up on a story ClearedCommunity.com first posted last April, the Department of Energy (DOE) will expand drug testing of federal and contract employees with clearances, according to an October 22 article in Inside Energy.

In a September 14 memorandum to senior DOE officials, [DOE Secretary] Bodman required drug tests when employees apply for security clearances, as well as random tests and for-cause checks once employees have received their clearances. In addition, he prohibited DOE from issuing security clearances to applicants whom the department determines have used illegal drugs during the previous year.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 09, 2007 at 11:21AM | Comments (0)

Keeping Your Clearance Upon Leaving USG

A recent article in the Washington Post discussed whether to try to keep your security clearance upon deciding to leave work with the U.S. Government (USG).

With clearances, especially high-level ones, you become very marketable and an attractive candidate to many government contractors…

According to the Defense Security Service (DSS), federal workers or military service members with clearances can be reissued a clearance for another position if the date you left prior federal or military service occurred within 24 months…. DSS also says that if your initial investigation or periodic reinvestigation was not completed within the timeframe described, an investigation may have to be requested before you are granted another clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 28, 2007 at 12:53PM | Comments (0)

British Expat Asks His Chances for Clearance

A British expatriate who once worked for the British Defence Ministry and now seeks cleared work as a contractor to the US Government asks what are his chances of acquiring a security clearance. Read here what respondents had to say.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 27, 2007 at 11:05PM | Comments (1)

Speeding Clearances Remains ODNI Priority

Shortening the amount of time it takes to process new security clearances remains a priority for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), according to an article in Government Executive. One quick fix is for newly-hired employees to be assigned unclassified work until clearance investigations are completed.

The new plan also seeks to reform the hiring and security clearance process by allowing job candidates to work temporary unclassified jobs while they’re waiting for clearances and investigations to be completed. “That way, we’re not losing candidates due to the extensive processing time,” one intelligence official said.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 27, 2007 at 10:47PM | Comments (0)

Wait Times for New Clearances

This article about CIA and DIA job fairs in Florida talks about anticipated wait times for new security clearances.

The biggest drawback to [intelligence] work is the average 440-day waiting period to obtain a security clearance from the government, said Dale Armstrong, a senior partner in the Lucas Group, an Atlanta-based headhunting agency.

A decade ago, the clearance might have taken 150 days.

Armstrong said the private sector frequently raids government ranks, and companies raid each other, for qualified people with a security clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 27, 2007 at 10:28PM | Comments (0)

Training in Acquiring and Managing Clearances

Training was held recently in the Washington, DC, area on how to acquire a security clearance and the roles and responsibilities of a Facility Security Officer (FSO).

Sept. 20 – 21 – Advanced DOD Security Clearance and Facility Security Officer (FSO) Training Workshop, “A 2-Day Workshop on the Methods and Process of Obtaining a Personnel Security Clearance, the roles and responsibilities of a Facility Security Officer and the ‘How to’ of day to day FSO activities,” Market Access Training Center, Arlington, Va.

For more information, go to www.homelanddefensejournal.com.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 26, 2007 at 01:44PM | Comments (0)

Getting a Clearance Requires a Sponsor

A recent newspaper column mentioned that acquiring a security clearance requires having an employer request that one be issued on your behalf.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 25, 2007 at 01:21PM | Comments (0)

Metrics on Clearance Processing Released

The minutes of the May meeting of the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee in Washington reveal useful metrics of progress made in security clearance processing. The minutes also restate mandated federal guidelines for clearance processing times.

Other sections of the minutes address reciprocity issues affecting a cleared employees ability to efficiently move across agencies.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 25, 2007 at 12:30PM | Comments (0)

Lack of Clearances Slows Sensitive DoD Program

A Department of Defense (DoD) program on sensitive armor technology reportedly is being slowed by an inability to identify and hire contractors who possess proper security clearances.

“We’ve got a real bureaucracy that tied down the clearances,” noted one industry expert involved in the program.

See also here.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 25, 2007 at 11:14AM | Comments (0)

Court Weighs in on Clearance Revocation, Job Dismissal

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reportedly has upheld a decision by the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to allow the dismissal of a Department of Homeland Security employee whose security clearance had been revoked. The court’s decision is insightful with regard to policies and procedures involved in the revocation of a security clearance.

The court’s decision is accessible here.

(Hat tip to Fedsmith.com)

Posted by The Editors on Sep 03, 2007 at 10:42PM | Comments (0)

Local LEO Complains About Clearances

A local law-enforcement officer (LEO), a Colorado police chief, complains, in the August 10 Denver Post, that security clearance procedures at the Federal Bureau of Investigation impede his department’s access to information necessary for public safety and security.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 15, 2007 at 11:24AM | Comments (0)

FBI, Chicago Police Duel on Clearances

The Chicago Sun-Times reported, on August 10, that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Chicago Police Department dispute who in the Department is properly cleared for access to threat and other information critical to safety and security of the city.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 15, 2007 at 11:14AM | Comments (0)

Congressman Denied Access to Sensitive Docs

According to a report in the July 20 Oregonian, U.S. Congressman Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon, has been denied access by the White House to documents involving the continuity of government operations in an emergency. No reason was reported for the denial, and it is not clear whether DeFazio already holds a security clearance. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, he very well may – at least at the SECRET level.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 22, 2007 at 10:43AM | Comments (0)

Blogger Proposes Two-Strike Clearance Rule

In reference to a Defense Department request of Congress for greater flexibility in granting security clearance to individuals with criminal records and other less than ideal personal histories, a blogger recommends allowing federal agencies discretion to grant probationary clearances to persons who may have lost or been denied one previously.

The blogger also address expected wait-times for new clearances.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 12, 2007 at 10:45AM | Comments (0)

Senate Cmte Opposes DoD Clearance Relief

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has announced its opposition to repealing a law prohibiting the Department of Defense from issuing security clearances to former convicts who have served a year or more in jail, individuals who are mentally incompetent, are drug addicts, or have been dishonorably discharged from the military. We first reported the issue here, upon introduction of a House bill seeking the repeal.

The controversy was reported, July 10, in The Hill, where statements by various Senators suggested interest in intervening in security clearance issues.

(Hat tip to Secrecy News)

Posted by The Editors on Jul 11, 2007 at 02:34PM | Comments (0)

Clearance Procedure Abuses at State

A recent article thoroughly reviews allegations of misconduct by Department of State officials in handling security clearance investigations, harming the careers of foreign service officers. In some cases, investigations have been allowed to continue, unresolved, for more than four years. The cases highlight the extreme and unchecked subjectivity and independence some federal agencies enjoy in handling clearance issuance and renewals.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 06, 2007 at 05:36PM | Comments (0)

Down and Out After Clearance Denied

A blogger recently revealed her disappointed with the manner and outcome of a security clearance investigation tied to a new job she had hoped to begin. Her frustrations may seem familiar to many and informative for yet others.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 01, 2007 at 08:55PM | Comments (0)

Small Cos. Shut Out of Cleared Work

A recent article in the Maryland Gazette discussed obstacles small construction and other companies face to winning government contracts requiring security clearances. The process of obtaining clearance is reviewed, including issues that might delay granting clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 01, 2007 at 08:37PM | Comments (0)

Security Clearance Disqualifiers on a Polygraph

Recent posts to this blog discuss whether filesharing and copyright infringements are investigated during polygraph exams and whether such activity can disqualify one from acquiring security clearance.

Illegal filesharing is not an automatic disqualifier for attaining a security clearance or employment. However, admissions of substantial illegal activity of any kind may result in a denial and a referral to law enforcement.

Posted by The Editors on Jun 01, 2007 at 12:31PM | Comments (0)

FBI Intern Clearance Processing

Applicants for internships at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly endure the same type of background checks and polygraph exams as do FBI agents and receive identical clearances. In this case, investigations took eight months. The report appeared in the May 29 Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle.

Posted by The Editors on May 30, 2007 at 05:08PM | Comments (0)

Contractors Said to Pad Cleared Roster

In a May 25 letter to the Washington Post, a reader says that government contractors put in for security clearance more candidates than necessary, clogging the system and causing delays in clearance processing:

All too often, cleared defense contractors pad their access rosters with employees who do not require security clearances to perform their official duties, and this in turn drives up the number of clearances that clog an already inefficient clearance-access process…

Contractors benefit by having a large pool of workers to draw on, but many workers go through the arduous process of getting top-secret clearances and never work a single minute on a top-secret project….

Posted by The Editors on May 28, 2007 at 09:08PM | Comments (0)

Bloggers Share Clearance Insights, Experiences

Here is an interesting blog discussion on procedures required to obtain security clearance.

Posted by The Editors on May 18, 2007 at 01:10PM | Comments (0)

DNI Plan to Ease Clearance Reviews for Some

Following up on a story first reported on here in April, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) plans to ease barriers to entry for first- and second-generation Americans with critical foreign language skills by taking on additional risk in granting clearances.

How will it happen? Agencies will have to lower their threshold for risk. When a security officer goes out to interview an applicant’s family members, many experts argue that it can’t be an automatic black ball if that applicant’s cousin once worked for a foreign intelligence service…. At the very least, more questions should be asked.

There’s always a fear that “you might let in the wrong person. That’s just a risk you’re going to have to take.”

Posted by The Editors on May 08, 2007 at 02:15PM | Comments (0)

Insight into State Dept Security Procedures

In the case of a former U.S. State Department official who is alleged to have helped his girlfriend get a job and raise in salary, a recent Department press briefing touched upon issues of clearance and access at the Department. The Department’s spokesman maintains that unescorted access was given to at least one person on official business who, otherwise, held no formal security clearance, despite her being a foreign national.

She went through all the normal clearances that somebody might…undergo when they come to this building. She did not have access to classified information, so did not have a “security” clearance. She did have a building pass that allowed her to walk in the building, enter into the building. But—as do many other contract employees, she wasn’t a contract employee. She was seconded here. But there are others who have access to the building here but who do not have security clearances and, therefore, don’t have access to security information, confidential information….

Posted by The Editors on Apr 24, 2007 at 10:16AM | Comments (0)

Hill Dem Says White House Mishandles Security

In a new letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, reveals multiple reported instances of security lapses at the White House, including the mishandling of classified information, some of which failed to prompt security clearance reviews. White House policy and procedures relating to security clearance issues and its staff may or may not be relevant to the handling of similar issues by security officials at other government agencies.

Rep. Waxman’s letter is also published here.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 24, 2007 at 10:07AM | Comments (0)

New Advertising Supplement on Clearances

In March, the Washington Times introduced a new advertising supplement called the Security Clearance Employment Resource Network (SCERN) Report. For the most part, it includes ads by large government information technology and defense contractors soliciting applications for jobs from persons holding active security clearances.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 21, 2007 at 10:50AM | Comments (0)

IC to Ease Entry for Those With Language, Cultural Fluency

An April 5 report in the Baltimore Sun, also carried elsewhere, discusses the Intelligence Community’s interest in hiring more first- and second-generation Americans with critical skills in language and cultural fluency. At the National Security Agency, some applicants are brought onboard and given unclassified work until clearances are approved.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 14, 2007 at 12:32PM | Comments (0)

WH Leak Never Prompted Adverse Security Clearance Action

A mid-March letter by Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolton cites Committee testimony by James Knodell, Director of the White House Office of Security, which revealed White House policies and procedures with regard to security clearances during leak investigations. The White House took no adverse action against any White House staff while a criminal probe was underway, despite alleged security risks in not doing so. The policies and procedures may or may not be relevant to investigation and security procedures at other Federal agencies.

Posted by The Editors on Apr 08, 2007 at 11:53AM | Comments (0)

DOE Clearance Processing; "Q" Clearance

A web blog targeted to workers in the nuclear field recently hosted a series of messages on “Q” and other clearances required at the Department of Energy (DOE). The messages convey experiences common to many security clearance applicants.

Posted by The Editors on Mar 19, 2007 at 06:31AM | Comments (0)

NJ Court Employee Busted in Clearance Probe

A Newark New Jersey Municipal Court Clerk allegedly took bribes in return for altering the criminal records of security clearance applicants to help ensure they would pass federal background checks. Read more about it here.

Posted by The Editors on Mar 19, 2007 at 06:21AM | Comments (0)

Contractor Indicted For Lying on Clearance Papers

According to an Associated Press story in today’s Boston Herald, a Department of Defense contractor has been indicted in federal court for lying and failing to disclose foreign contacts on her security clearance application.

[Beatrice C.] Ruiz failed to disclose the foreign contacts and activities in response to direct questions and when completing security documentation forms, authorities said.

ClearedCommunity first reported the story last December.

Posted by The Editors on Mar 15, 2007 at 04:41PM | Comments (0)

DHS Clearance Procedures Faulted; Polygraphs of Limited Use

A press report says that the Department of Homeland Security lacks consistent procedures for vetting personnel for security clearances and that the vast number of DHS employees precludes using polygraph examinations as effective security screening tools.

Posted by The Editors on Mar 14, 2007 at 11:17AM | Comments (1)

CRS Reviews DOE Polygraph Use

A new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reviews changes in the use of polygraph exams at the Department of Energy (DOE). The report, “examines how the DOE’s new polygraph screening policy [which limits instances in which the exam may be utilized] evolved and reviews scientific findings with regard to the polygraph’s accuracy.”

(hat tip to SecrecyNews).

Posted by The Editors on Mar 05, 2007 at 04:43PM | Comments (0)

OPM Begins Electronic Transmission of Completed Investigations

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which is responsible for processing the vast majority of federal security clearances, has begun to electronically transmit completed investigation paperwork back to requesting agencies, which should alleviate delays in bringing aboard newly-cleared personnel. Read about it here.

Kathy Dillaman, associate director of OPM’s Federal Investigative Services Division, said OPM plans to offer the new service to every federal agency by the end of fiscal 2007.

The article also discusses ongoing Congressional oversight of reforms in security clearance procedures.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 28, 2007 at 11:33AM | Comments (0)

Feds Held Clearance Despite Faked Creds

A 2004 Government Accountability Office report found that several high-level government officials who listed bogus academic credentials on their resumes nevertheless were able to obtain top-secret security clearances.

Read about it here.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 17, 2007 at 11:03PM | Comments (0)

Man Acquires Clearance Using Fake Identify

The Washington Post reported on February 15 that a man using an assumed identity was able to acquire secret and top-secret security clearances and work as a federal contractor.

(Hat tip to this blog.)

Posted by The Editors on Feb 16, 2007 at 12:28PM | Comments (0)

Steps to Acquire Top-Secret Security Clearance

According to a graphic accompanying an article in yesterday’s USA Today, to get a top-secret security clearance, a candidate must successfully complete several steps…

Posted by The Editors on Feb 15, 2007 at 05:16PM | Comments (0)

WH May Ease Checks to Speed Clearances

Yesterday’s USA Today reported that the White House is considering measures intended to hasten the time necessary to process new top-secret security clearances, including easing up on some aspects of background investigations. A committee is deciding whether to no longer require character references and checks with academic institutions for some clearance applicants.

The goal, says Clay Johnson III, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, is to speed up a process that, according to a series of government reports, wastes millions of dollars and endangers public safety by leaving thousands of defense, homeland security and intelligence jobs unfilled for more than a year.

The backlog of incomplete clearance investigations reportedly totals 350,000. Some three million Americans are said to hold varying levels of clearance.

Here is the story covered by UPI.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 15, 2007 at 04:58PM | Comments (0)

Blog Endorses Adjudication Hearings

Blog Lawyer carries a post urging persons holding Department of Defense clearances to take advantage of adjudicative hearings when those clearances are at risk of suspension or revocation. Persons who do so, the article argues, stand a better chance of retaining their clearance.

In all but the rarest of cases we strongly recommend that your case be decided through a hearing/appearance. For all practical purposes a security clearance decision is going to be won or lost at that hearing.

The article also traces an adjudication process:

...Central Adjudication Facility (CAF) issues a Letter of Intent (LOI); employee responds to LOI; CAF issues Letter of Denial/Revocation (LOD); employee appeals LOD; Administrative Judge issues recommendation; Personnel Security Appeals Board (PSAB) of CAF issues final decision.

Confidential clearances are said to last 15 years; Secret, 10 years, and TS, or Top Secret, five years, before a Periodic Reinvestigation, or PR, is triggered.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 14, 2007 at 12:23AM | Comments (0)

Small Business, Gov't Contracts, and Clearance

According to business officials quoted in a Maryland newspaper article, small businesses face a dilemma when it comes to competing for federal work requiring security clearance:

...Companies must have a security clearance prior to obtaining a contract, but, in a Catch-22 situation, cannot get security clearance without having a contract, said Charlotte Ducksworth, director of the small business initiative for the EDC [Maryland Economic Development Commission].

Posted by The Editors on Feb 14, 2007 at 12:10AM | Comments (1)

DoD Enhances Polygraph Program

Secrecy News, a government secrecy project of the Federation of American Scientists, has posted information about a new Department of Defense directive to enhance the use of polygraph examinations as an employee-screening tool.

Posted by The Editors on Feb 12, 2007 at 03:58PM | Comments (0)

Hill Bill Calls on DHS to Expedite Clearances

Sections of H.R. 1, a bill on Capitol Hill to implement recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (a.k.a. “the 9/11 Commission”), mandate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provide for expedited security clearance processing for certain agents of DHS sub-entities, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and detailees to a new Information Sharing Fellowship Program.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 10, 2007 at 04:27PM | Comments (0)

Jobs Growth Predicted for Cleared Personnel

Citing a surge in new defense contract awards in late 2006, an online employment service for jobs requiring security clearance predicts a boom in demand for cleared personnel. A news article includes statistics on attitudes toward the clearance process and salaries for cleared personnel.

...more than three-fourths of government contractors agreed that the need for cleared employees to work on federal contracts had increased “greatly” (51 percent) or “somewhat” (26 percent) in the past five years…

...But more than half the respondents believed the security clearance process, run by the Defense Security Service and OPM, had worsened (31 percent) or not improved at all (24 percent) in the past year.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 08, 2007 at 04:14PM | Comments (0)

Lying on Clearance Application Draws Sentence

A New Jersey man received three years probation after lying on his federal security clearance application for an Air Marshal job. He reportedly withheld information on two previous jobs and outstanding credit debt.

Posted by The Editors on Jan 07, 2007 at 12:56AM | Comments (0)

GAO Won't Clear Dual Nationals

A recent job announcement for interns at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the GAO will not grant clearances to persons holding dual citizenship.

...CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: United States citizenship is required. Dual citizens (citizens of the U.S. and another country) are eligible for GAO employment. However, GAO conducts some projects that involve classified or otherwise restricted information and a security clearance is required to conduct this work. GAO does not currently grant security clearances to staff that hold dual citizenship.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 24, 2006 at 01:43PM | Comments (0)

Washington Post Cites Clearance Delays

In a November 8 editorial, the Washington Post addressed government delays in processing new security clearances and argued that it should be possible to speed approvals without sacrificing thoroughness.

...the government isn’t filling positions that require security background checks fast enough—and the delay is costing federal agencies money and talent….

...government contractors…are offering bonuses and perks to lure workers who already hold clearances away from direct government employment, significantly increasing the cost of hiring the same people. Long waits for security clearances also drive away talent.

Some of the best reforms the Office of Personnel Management could make would improve both efficiency and quality, such as retraining a crop of inexperienced new investigators….

Posted by The Editors on Dec 09, 2006 at 05:55PM | Comments (0)

OPM, State Plan to Expedite Clearance Investigations Abroad

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and US Department of State have reached an agreement to expedite security clearance investigations abroad using qualified and specially-trained dependents of State personnel as investigators and Department of Defense facilities.

Posted by The Editors on Dec 07, 2006 at 12:57PM | Comments (0)

For Hill Veteran, Clearance Requirement an Unwelcome Surprise

News that a 21-year veteran attorney at the US Capitol Police will be required to undergo a background investigation to acquire clearance necessary to retain his job is a stark reminder that requirements to hold clearance can be unexpected and pivotal to a career.

John Caufield recently learned that a reorganization by Congress that will shift his position from the US House of Representatives to the Capitol Police will require him to submit to the security check.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 28, 2006 at 05:00PM | Comments (0)

Members of Congress Said to Enjoy Lax Clearance Requirements

With Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings most likely to assume the chairmanship of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, attention is being paid to his alleged ethical laspses and qualifications to hold security clearance, and to procedures used to grant clearances to Members of Congress generally.

Read a blog on the topic and about a law firm alleging a double-standard in issuing clearances on Capitol Hill.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 21, 2006 at 10:46AM | Comments (0)

New Article Highlights Clearance Process Woes

An article (purchase required) in the October 2006 edition of National Defense, a publication of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), highlights some impediments to a smoother security clearance process.

The NDIA is concerned about new requirements that the Office of Personnel Management process personal identify-verification (PFV) cards, saying this will further delay clearance processing.

Industry also has significant concerns about the impact that Homeland security Presidential Directive 12 could have upon the investigative process for security clearances once. In short, HSPD-12 requires that, by October 27, 2007, everybody needing access to a federal information system or a federally controlled facility must have a biometrically encrypted identification card. This directive applies to government, contractor and subcontractor employees alike. Recently, an interim Federal Acquisition Regulation was published, applying the directive to contracts and subcontracts…

This rule further requires that the procedures use the OPM Federal Investigative Services for the personal identity-verification investigation and the FBI records databases for the criminal background check.

It is the requirement for using OPM that is most disconcerting. Industry is concerned that since OPM, thus far, has had significant difficulty in processing the existing applications for security clearances in a timely fashion, the process will only degrade further once agencies begin to submit applications for PFV investigations.

See a recent ClearedCommunity.com item on the new ID cards here.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 10, 2006 at 11:23AM | Comments (0)

Former Air Marshal Sues Over Dismissal

The Secrecy Project of the Federation of American Scientists has posted an update about a former Federal Air Marshal Service employee fired after disclosing to the media “sensitive security information” (SSI) he felt exposed mismanagement. Although it is not clear whether the case involved revocation of a security clearance, it demonstrates new government processes for designating and protecting certain unclassified information which security clearance-holders may be required to protect.

The US Government – in particular, the Department of Homeland Security – is making more frequent use of SSI as a means to protect certain information otherwise unclassified. The Secrecy Project has more here.

Posted by The Editors on Nov 08, 2006 at 12:31PM | Comments (0)

GAO Cites Shortcomings in OPM and DoD Clearance Processing

The General Accounting Office (GAO) has released a new report (highlights here) citing delays and quality concerns in security clearance processing at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Department of Defense (DoD).

Read news coverage on the GAO report here, here, and here. Readers may also find more information on the GAO report in a November 2 Defense Daily article.

US Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), a vocal advocate of security clearance reform, issued a press release on the GAO report. The release is also referenced here.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 30, 2006 at 02:13PM | Comments (0)

State Inspector General Report Finds Delays but Few Abuses in Clearance Review Process

A recent Department of State Inspector General report on State’s clearance revocation process has found unnecessary delays in hearing appeals but no evidence of claims of “bias, prejudice, or ignorance.” The claims were raised by Concerned Foreign Service Officers (CFSOs), a small coalition of State employees whose clearances, and jobs, are threatened.

Read more on the report’s findings here. Order a hardcopy of the report by following instructions here or read an online PDF version here.

Read CFSOs press release highlighting deficiencies in the Inspector’s General report.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 24, 2006 at 09:44AM | Comments (0)

Air Force Has Plan to Expedite Clearance Processing

The United States Air Force reportedly plans to launch a new technology that will process security clearances using digital signitures to cut down on paperwork. Currently, the Air Force says it sends paperwork to the Office of Personnel Management, causing a delay of as much as six weeks before background investigation may begin.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 23, 2006 at 03:41PM | Comments (0)

How New SmartCards Will Impact Clearance-Holders

According to an October 16 article on FederalTimes.com, new SmartCards – high-tech IDs being issued by federal agencies – contain access information, such as security clearances and access codes, but require no further clearance processing, while those without existing clearances are subject to a background investigation, supposedly not to extend beyond five days.

Everyone getting a smart card will need to have a background check. Some fear the background checks could choke the Office of Personnel Management’s already stressed system. But Kathy Dillaman, associate director of OPM’s Federal Investigative Services Division, said Sept. 26 at a San Diego conference that people with security clearances won’t need additional background checks. All others will require a less stringent check that can largely be automated, Dillaman said.

SmartCard holders are able to visit other agencies, and even access e-mail and other data while there, without passing clearance information head of time, eliminating what can be an administrative nightmare.

If an employee visits another federal agency, he won’t have to sign in at the door and get a visitor’s badge — just another swipe and fingerprint scan. And while visiting another federal office, a fed can plug his card into a computer to remotely check his office e-mail or access information on his agency’s database.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 18, 2006 at 09:58AM | Comments (0)

Foreign Links Impede Clearance

In an October 11 Washington Post article on the lack of FBI agents proficient in Arabic, the FBI’s head of language services acknowledges that foreign links complicate Bureau security clearance investigations.

Special agents, for example, must be U.S. citizens. They also must undergo background checks that are much more difficult to pass if the candidate has relatives or friends overseas.

According to the article, this concern is shared by Georgetown University professor, Daniel Byman:

It is easier to get a security clearance if you don’t have any interaction with foreigners, which is not what you want if you want better interaction with foreigners, Byman said.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 11, 2006 at 10:07AM | Comments (0)

Expedited Airport Screening for Persons Holding Clearances?

In July 2006, ClearedCommunity.com posted information about a policy recommendation that persons holding government-issued security clearances ought to be allowed expedited screening at airports because they had already endured vigorous screening to acquire their clearance. This recent article, includes several reasons why such special access is a bad idea.

Posted by The Editors on Oct 05, 2006 at 06:37PM | Comments (0)

Clearance Applicants With Foreign Links to Face Less Scrutiny

The Office of the Director for National Intelligence plans to ease security clearance investigations for selected applicants with foreign contacts. The measure is intended to alleviate delays in security clearance processing.

Glenn Stampler, deputy director for oversight and liaison for the Director of National Intelligence’s Special Security Center, said the stringent background checks are backing up the security clearance process.

Only intelligence offices within the Defense and State departments, which have borne the brunt of these clearance requirements, would be affected by rule changes, he said:

“It’s driving the military crazy,” Stampler said. “They cannot get people cleared fast enough, because people who are stationed overseas marry foreign nationals.”

Also, Foreign Service officers at State have to make foreign contacts as part of their job, he said.

Posted by The Editors on Sep 27, 2006 at 04:25PM | Comments (0)

Security Clearances and Terrorist Trials

A deal brokered between Senate Republicans and the White House on procedures in detainee trials reportedly will allow accused terrorists access to an unclassified summary of classified information used against them.

... while the administration wanted to keep classified information at military trials out of the hands of accused terrorists, senators say they have prevailed in insisting that the defendants have a right to see any government evidence that could lead to a conviction. The agreement guarantees defendants an unclassified summary of classified evidence.

However, the House may pursue a different arrangement that allows cleared officers of a military court access to classified information, thereby avoiding release of an unclassified summary or granting clearance to defendants’ counsel.

“We think on the House side we should be able to bring about convictions without classified evidence that is disclosed to the defendants,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Hunter is pursuing an arrangement permitting an officer of a military court with a security clearance to see classified information and cross-examine witnesses without a defendant seeing the evidence.

Posted by The Editors on Sep 22, 2006 at 05:09PM | Comments (0)

DHS Aims to Shield Investigative Files From Public

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy Office will soon keep secret more of its files on personnel security clearance and other investigations, according to a recent report.

In a recent proposed rule published in the Federal Register, DHS stated that it is seeking to exempt parts of its Office of Security File System from the [1974 Privacy Act]. The file system will be used beginning Oct. 12 and will contain documentation of background reviews for clearances and espionage investigations…

Other federal agencies reportedly already enjoy the partial exemptions from privacy laws that DHS seeks.

Posted by The Editors on Sep 21, 2006 at 09:36AM | Comments (0)

The Polygraph Revisited

The Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy’s Secrecy News has disseminated a tribute to David Lykken, a “psychologist who did pioneering research and public education on the limits and abuses of polygraph testing,” who died this week.

Secrecy News references a newly-released Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General report which reviews the use of polygraph examinations by DOJ entities, including the FBI. The report is a critical tool for understanding the types of exams and circumstances in which they are employed by DOJ in administrative, security, and criminal, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence investigations. Anyone planning to take the exam for any reason would be wise to first read the report, as well as other resources on polygraphs available by searching ClearedCommunity.com

Posted by The Editors on Sep 20, 2006 at 10:09PM | Comments (0)

More Criticism of Administration Decision Denying Clearances to Investigators

An article in the August 21 edition of The New American discusses the Bush Administration’s refusal to grant the necessary security clearances required for Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) lawyers to examine what, if any, role Department lawyers had in approving a controversial warrantless wiretapping program.

Posted by The Editors on Sep 06, 2006 at 10:12PM | Comments (0)

Bush Administration Reportedly Denying Clearances to Prevent Oversight

The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition, citing recently-acquired Congressional correspondence, alleges that the Bush White House is purposely denying security clearances to investigators in order to prevent oversight of controversial domestic intelligence-collection programs.

[Despite the political undertone of this item, the editors of ClearedCommunity.com elected to post it anyhow because they judged that the alleged denial of clearances on political grounds bears relevance to the site’s mission of educating the public on all factors which may impact the successful acquistion of a security clearance.]

Posted by The Editors on Sep 05, 2006 at 11:11PM | Comments (0)

Personnel Shortage Precipitates Lax Security Screening?

According to an unsourced article on the “Strategy Page,” a shortage of sufficent numbers of cleared personnel due to retirements, including at the Department of Defense, is resulting in more lax security screening of new employees. Polygraph exams, administered for the most sensitive clearances, reportedly no longer focus on “lifestyle” as much as they do on loyalty to the United States.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 20, 2006 at 09:35PM | Comments (0)

Quasi-Government Group Questions Polygraph Exams

The Jan/Feb 2003 edition of Skeptical Inquirer reported on a National Academy of Sciences study that questioned the value of polygraph exams.

A long-awaited report on polygraphs from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) says the U.S. Government should not rely on polygraph examinations for screening employees to identify spies or other national security risks because the test results are too inaccurate when used this way.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 15, 2006 at 12:28PM | Comments (0)

Guiding Employers on Clearance Investigations

Washington, DC, attorney Rand Allen teamed with a colleague to pen a thorough review of policies and procedures involved in a security clearance investigation.

In light of the opportunities available to defense contractors and other businesses seeking to obtain contract awards after 9/11 or the post-war Iraq era, a decision to deny or revoke a security clearance of a particular officer or employee can have serious ramifications for that government contractor…

The article cautions employers to seek to identify potential impediments to clearance in the pre-employment process and offers strategy on responding to the government’s Statement of Reasons (SOR) denying or revoking a clearance.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 10, 2006 at 04:09PM | Comments (0)

Dept of State Extends Student Clearances

In February 2005, the U.S. Department of State announced improvements to the Visa Mantis program, which pre-clears foreign students for travel to U.S. educational institutions. According to a report in Chemical & Engineering News, students may now be pre-cleared for the duration of their studies

Posted by The Editors on Aug 10, 2006 at 03:26PM | Comments (0)

Pentagon to Allow Contractors With Expired Clearances to Continue Work

The Office of Connecticut Congressman Rob Simmons reports that the Pentagon will allow defense contractors with pending but delayed clearance renewals to continue to work at a site in the State. Correspondence the Congressman received from the Pentagon clarifies DoD policy on handling of “expired” clearances. See also this story and this story.

Posted by The Editors on Aug 03, 2006 at 02:16PM | Comments (0)

Changes Forthcoming in Clearance Reciprocity

July 17, 2006: According to the Secrecy Project of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), “reciprocity” refers to “the acceptance by one agency of a security clearance granted by another agency, and vice versa”. Read more from FAS on this here.

The White House has issued a Checklist of Permitted Exceptions to Reciprocity.

The Strategy Page opines that denying reciprocity may enhance national security by allowing more detailed investigations that may identify persons of risk.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 28, 2006 at 10:22PM | Comments (0)

Government Applies New Tool in Clearance Investigations

July 6, 2006: USAToday has printed a detailed story about the Federal government’s use of National Security Letters (NSLs) to request consumer, financial, travel, and other personal information about investigation suspects. The FBI reportedly uses such letters to collect consumer, financial, travel and other data from “all commercial entities” in investigations of Executive Branch employees holding security clearances.

What details can you share about the Government’s use of NSLs in investigating federal employees? Share your insights below.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 28, 2006 at 09:18PM | Comments (0)

Are Polygraph Exams Arbitrary and Unfair?

June 20, 2006: A Washington Post article discusses how polygraph examinations are interpreted differently among various government agencies during security clearance deliberations.

Visit our Links for more information on polygraph exams.

Do you have helpful suggestions for others on how to prepare for and survive a polygraph exam? Share them below, or post a message on the ClearanceWatch message board.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 09:32PM | Comments (0)

Laptop Mismap Prompts VA to Ramp Up Security Investigations

May 26, 2006: According to news reports, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to review current employees’ access to sensitive data and require new background investigations in response to the loss of a laptop computer that held data on millions of veterans. (The laptop was later recovered and the data found uncompromised.)

A VA policy nominee pledges to make protecting sensitive information a priority.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 08:50PM | Comments (0)

GAO Seeks to Explain Delays in Contractor Clearances

May 17, 2006: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report reviewing the timeliness and completeness of security clearance processes for industry personnel working on Federal government contracts. GAO found that communication problems among clearance processing agencies and inadequate performance by clearance investigators were responsible for delays in processing clearances.

You may read a senior GAO official’s Congressional testimony on the report here.

Are GAO’s findings having any impact yet upon security clearance processes at your agency? Are its conclusions reflected in procedures at your agency as well? Let’s others know your thoughts below.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 08:44PM | Comments (0)

DoD Officials Say Clearance Delay Indefinite

May 12, 2006: A news article reports that Department of Defense (DoD) officials are unsure when security clearance investigations, halted for lack of funds, will resume.

Is your DoD-issued clearance delayed? What have you learned about the reasons why and the process going forward? Share your insights with us below, so others may be “in the know,” too.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 05:33PM | Comments (0)

DoD Inspector General Cites Needed Improvements in Clearance Process

April 2006: The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General (IG) issued a report on security clearance processes within DoD. The report “discusses impediments to the DoD security clearance process and the need to develop and issue policy to ensure consistent implementation of the personnel security clearance program.”

How has the IG’s report been received throughout DoD? Have you been caught up in seemingly endless procedures with regard to your DoD-issued clearance? Give us your thoughts and recommendations below.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 04:51PM | Comments (0)

Survey of Measures and Reforms to Protect Classified Information in Congress

June 2006: The Congressional Research Service released a survey of measures employed to protect classified information in Congress. The report includes information on security clearance requirements of elected officials and staff on Capitol Hill. Proposed reforms are addressed, including expanding the categories and numbers of persons requiring clearance and requiring financial disclosure and polygraph exams of those granted clearance. The report may also be found here and here.

Are you a Hill staffer or elected official with insights to share on the handling of classified information or security clearances in Congress? If so, share them below.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 04:21PM | Comments (0)

Best Practices in Completing Security Clearance Applications

October 2005: An article in Federal Computer Week discussed how to best complete required security forms in order to facilitate the expeditious processing of a security clearance application.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 02:37PM | Comments (0)

GAO Seeks Answers to DoD Clearance Delays

June 2005: The General Accountability Office (GAO) issued a preliminary report on security clearance delays at the Department of Defense. Delays were reported in identifying which jobs (and personnel) require clearance, completing security investigations, and monitoring the status of clearance adjudications by integrating several government databases.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 27, 2006 at 02:35PM | Comments (0)

Snow in the Dark at White House

July 21, 2006: Three months after assuming the post of White House Press Secretary, Tony Snow is still awaiting issuance of a security clearance and admits he cannot speak in detail about some crises because he is not privy to the intelligence.

Posted by The Editors on Jul 25, 2006 at 04:38PM | Comments (0)