Security Clearance Jobs Blog

Ask your questions here regaring security clearances and our regular contributors will try to answer them. Here are the rules:

1. Please do not address a contributor by name to ensure anyone who has knowledge might answer.
2. Do not include your own name, email address, or other information that can identify you. This is a public forum and clearance holders have a responsibility for covertness.
3. If you have questions regarding careers, job hunting, salaries, interviewing, or other career-related topics, see the other threads dedicated to this purpose.
4. Understand that the suggestions and comments contributors provide are their opinions only. The owners of this site are not responsible for the suggestions and guidance from outside contributors.

Thanks!

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An article in the Washington Business Journal on Friday, April 25, 2008 reported information from a survey of more than 100 government contractors, made by the National Defense Industrial Association and the Information Technology Association of America regarding security clearance processing.

“Businesses say the federal government has made some ‘modest progress’ on chipping away at the backlog of security clearances, but it still has a long way to go before the system for granting clearances meets the still-growing demand.”

One of the more interesting results of the survey was that 71 percent of the respondents said that “one or more agencies failed to recognize clearances already held by employees.”

What’s interesting is this recent OPM quote:

“Office of Personnel Management officials say that with recent improvements, most employees are now cleared in 120 days.”

Something doesn’t add up here.. Your thoughts?

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An April 27, 2008 Los Angeles Times article reported on a new study, released in March, by the Pentagon’s little-known Defense Personnel Security Research Center, which examined the changing nature of espionage from 1947 to 2007.

. . . the biggest change in espionage is in the motivation to commit the act in the first place. The multinational, globalized spy of 2008 is less tempted by money than by ideology and “divided loyalty, loyalty to both the U.S. and another country” with 57% spying solely as a result of divided loyalties.

The study also reported that:

While before 1990, roughly 80% of American spies were native-born citizens, since 1990 the percentage of native-born offenders has fallen to 65%, while the corresponding percentage of naturalized citizens rose to 35%. Also since 1990, the percentage of American spies with foreign attachments (relatives or close friends overseas) increased to 58% and those with foreign business or professional connections jumped to 50%. From less than 10% before 1990 who had cultural ties to foreign countries, that percentage with foreign cultural ties increased to 50%.

Your thoughts?

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By popular demand, a place to ask questions on defense careers. All topics are open, including: career advice, salaries, best places to work, company research, interviewing, resume help, and more. Ask your questions, but please do not identify yourself or post your email address. If you have questions regarding security clearances, or security clearance investigations, see the thread below. Thanks

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No doubt, this blog is the most popular and reliable place to ask questions regarding an inherently confusing subject – security clearances. Ask your questions here and our regular contributors will try to answer them. Please do not address a contributor by name to ensure anyone who has knowledge might answer. Do not include your name, email address, or other information that can identify you. If you have questions regarding careers, job hunting, salaries, interviewing, or other career-related topics, see the thread above.

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