Security clearance

A security clearance is a status granted individuals, typically members of the military and employees of governments and their contractors, allowing them access to classified information, i.e. state secrets. The term "security clearance " is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal process to vet employees for access to sensitive information. A clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access; the organization must determine that the cleared individual has a "need to know" the information. No one is supposed to be granted access to classified information solely because of rank, position, or a security clearance.

United States

Hierarchy

A security clearance is generally granted to a particular level of clearance. The exception to this is levels above compartmentalized access, when an individual is given access to a particular type of data.

Confidential

The simplest security clearance to get. This level typically requires a few weeks to a few months of investigation. A Confidential clearance requires a NACLC investigation and must be renewed (with another investigation) every 15 years.

Secret

A Secret clearance, also known as Ordinary Secret, requires a few months to a year to fully investigate depending on the individual's activities. Some instances where individuals would take longer than normal to be investigated are many past residences, having residences in foreign countries, or have relatives outside the United States. A Secret clearance requires a NAC/LAC/Credit investigation and must be reinvestigated every 10 years.

Top Secret

Top Secret is a more stringent clearance. A Top Secret, or "TS", clearance, is often given as the result of a Single Scope Background Investigation, or SSBI. Top Secret clearances generally afford one access to data that affects national security, counterterrorism/counterintelligence, or other highly sensitive data. There are far fewer individuals with TS clearances than Secret clearances. A TS clearance can take as little as 3-6 months to obtain, but more often takes 6-18 months, while sometimes taking up to 3 years to obtain. The SSBI investigation must be reinvestigated every 5 years.

Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)

As with TS clearances, Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearances are assigned only after one has been through the rigors of a Single Scope Background Investigation. SCI access, however, is assigned only in "compartments." See Compartmentalisation. These compartments are necessarily separated from each other organizationally, so an individual with access to one compartment will not necessarily have access to another. Each compartment may include its own additional clearance process.

Compartments of SCI (incomplete list):

Crypto: cryptography
TK: Satellite intelligence
SI: Special intelligence (primarily intelligence organizations)
Q: Nuclear weapons

Such compartmentalized clearances may be expressed as "John has a TS/SCI TK/Q clearance", where all clearance descriptors are spelled out verbally.

Certain U.S. government departments may also establish special access programs (SAP) when vulnerability of specific information is exceptional; and the normal criteria for determining eligibility for access applicable to information classified at the same level are not deemed sufficient to protect the information from unauthorized disclosure. The number of people cleared for access to such programs is typically kept low. Information about stealth technology, for example, often requires such access.

Requirements for a clearance

The vetting process for a security clearance is usually undertaken only when someone is hired or transferred into a position that requires access to classified information. The employee is typically fingerprinted and asked to fill out a detailed life history form, including all foreign travel, which becomes a starting point for an investigation into the candidate's suitability. This process can include several types of investigations, depending on the level of clearance required:

National Agency Check with Local Agency Check and Credit Check (NACLC). An NACLC is required for a SECRET, L, and CONFIDENTIAL access. (See: Background check)
Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). An SSBI is required for TOP SECRET, Q, and SCI access, and involves agents contacting employers, coworkers and other individuals. Standard elements include checks of employment; education; organization affiliations; local agencies; where the subject has lived, worked, or gone to school; and interviews with persons who know the individual. The investigation may include an NACLC on the candidate’s spouse or cohabitant and any immediate family members who are U.S. citizens other than by birth or who are not U.S. citizens.
Polygraph. Some agencies may require polygraph examinations. The most common examinations are Counter Intelligence (CI) and Full Scope (Lifestyle) polygraphs. While a positive SSBI is sufficient for access to SCI-level information, polygraphs are routinely administered for "staff-like" access to particular agencies.

If issues of concern surface during any phase of security processing, coverage is expanded to resolve those issues. At lower levels, interim clearances may be issued to individuals who are presently under investigation, but whom have passed some preliminary, automatic process. Such automatic processes include things such as credit checks, felony checks, and so on. An interim clearance may be denied (although the final clearance may still be granted) for having a large amount of debt or having admitted to seeing a doctor for a mental health condition.

Investigations conducted by one federal agency are no longer supposed to be duplicated by another federal agency when those investigations are current within 5 years and meet the scope and standards for the level of clearance required. The high level clearance process can be lengthy, sometimes taking a year or more. The long time needed for new appointees to be cleared has been cited as hindering U.S. presidential transitions.

The security clearance forms are available at http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do by searching for SF86 and SF85.

Security briefings

In the U.S., once the clearance is granted the candidate is briefed on "the proper safeguarding of classified information and on the criminal, civil, and administrative sanctions that may be imposed on an individual who fails to protect classified information from unauthorized disclosure." He or she is also required to sign an approved non-disclosure agreement (e.g. form SF-312). High level clearances are reviewed periodically and any "adverse information" reports received at any time can trigger a review. When a cleared person leaves their job they are often "debriefed" -- reminded of their ongoing obligations to protect the information they were allowed to see.

Individuals who have had security clearances revoked

In the post World War II era there have been several highly publicized, and often controversial, cases of government officials having their security clearances revoked. These officials include:

United Kingdom

Clearance is checked at four levels depending on the classification of materials that can be accessed — Basic Check (BC), Security Check (SC), Developed Vetting (DV), and Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC). Those with security clearance must usually "sign the Official Secrets Act".

External links

Espionage | State security | United States government secrecy

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