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.

Levels

A security clearance generally specifies a level of access. in the United States government there are three primary levels: confidential, secret and top secret. These levels are hierarchical, thus someone holding a secret clearance could access confidential information, but not top secret information.

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There are often special categories of information that require additional clearances by law or regulation. Some examples in the United States included:

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• CIA intelligence information, which requires a Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance from the Central Intelligence Agency
• NSA intelligence information, which requires a Special Intelligence (SI) clearance from the National Security Agency. These may be required to access signals intelligence (SIGINT) from NSA listening posts or communications security (COMSEC) information about critical NSA cryptographic systems
• Nuclear weapons and special nuclear material - requires special clearance from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Atomic Energy Act, for example, a Q clearance for top secret access.
• War plans (SIOP)

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 often requires SAP access.

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