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.

Requirements for a clearance

The vetting process for a security clearance is usually undertaken only when someone 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 candidates suitability. This process can include several types of investigations, depending on the level of clearance required:

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• 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.

If issues of concern surface during any phase of security processing, coverage is expanded to resolve those issues. 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.

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