Security Clearance Jobs Blog

The Atlantic reports (courtesy of Registan blogger Joshua Foust) of a recent job posting for agricultural specialists, security clearance required. It points to the dramatic increase in recent years for the need for individuals in a variety of occupations to hold security clearances – from executive assistants and janitorial crews working in cleared facilities to, in this case, farmers deploying to help native populations in combat zones. As the Atlantic notes there’s good reason for individuals deploying to locations like Iraq and Afghanistan to have clearances – sensitive information is on the line and individuals working alongside deployed troops and in secure facilities will most definitely have unique access.

The need for farmers with security clearances also points to the increase number of security clearances issued in recent years. The number of clearances has become so significant, in fact, that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is having trouble coming up with the exact number, according to reports from Secrecy News. While the director of the ODNI special security center stated in a Capitol Hill briefing that they would divulge the number of security clearances held sometime after the first of this year, the figure has yet to be disclosed.

Secrecy News reports that ODNI will still provide the number – but will include it as a part of the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2010, which required disclosure of the total number of clearances. All of this leads to the conclusion that keeping tabs on exactly how many security clearances have been issued and are active is easier said than done. A 2010 GAO report estimates the number at 2.5 million, but only ODNI knows for sure.

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A story on 10News in San Diego highlighted a 32 year-old man who held a security clearance and was working at a Defense Contractor.  He was let go from his job after a random drug test, which was preceded by his disclosure to a co-worker that he had a medical marijuana prescription for his depression.

Under federal law (Section 3002 of 50 U.S.C. 435b) a current user of illegal drugs can not be granted a security clearance. Using illegal drugs a few months prior to submitting a clearance application form can be considered current use.

A 2003 national survey of drug use showed that about 60% of Americans between 19 and 30 years of age had used an illegal drug and about 20% had used a prescription drug for non-medical reasons some time in their lives.

Read more about Drug Use and Security Clearances | Watch ClearanceJobsTV – Drug Use

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The 2009 Security Clearance Salary Survey of 5,023 security-cleared job seekers conducted by ClearanceJobs.com has been released! See how you compare with your colleagues!

After you complete this short survey, you will be provided with the most current salary survey results in an 8 page [pdf] report for free!

Get the Security Clearance Salary Survey

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A Washington Post article on June 24, 2009 reported the planned establishment of a Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber-Defense Command by October 2009 with full operational capability by October 2010. The Cyber-Defense Command’s mission will be to defend military networks, but will assist federal civilian networks.

But a July 22, 2009 Associated Press article reported that a private study found “severe shortages of computer specialists in the federal government. Of concern is the potential threat to national security from increasing coordinated cyberattacks. In the article Ron Sanders, chief human capital officer for the national intelligence director’s office, acknowledged that the intelligence community has more flexibility and resources to attract computer specialists but said there is still an overall shortfall of U.S. citizens with the needed expertise who can also meet security clearance requirements. DoD claims more than 90,000 cybersecurity workers; other federal agencies are estimated to have a total of 35,000 to 45,000 personnel. The private study, Cyber IN-Security: Strengthening the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce, “which details serious problems within the professional community charged with protecting the government’s computer networks against attacks, was produced by the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Related articles: U.S. CyberSecurity Initiative Puts Focus on IT Security Skills, Cyberspace Policy Review, Cyber Threat Posed by North Korea and China to South Korea and US Forces Korea

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When you are security-cleared, everyday life events like vacations, new friends and neighbors, and personal relationships can have an impact on national security. Take a few minutes and watch our very own Emelyne Smith discuss the many seemingly common activities that are of concern to the U.S. government and those with security clearances.

View the ClearanceJobs Channel on YouTube for additional videos and information.

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An article in The Houston Chronicle detailed a two-year forbidden foreign love affair that got a Houston engineer six months in federal prison. The engineer wasn’t accused of spying, but was accused of and pleaded guilty to conspiring to make false statements.

Gregory W. Blackard, 38, was sentenced for hiding his affair with a Chinese woman while working on construction of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Having a high-security clearance to work on the embassy, Blackard was banned from fraternizing with Chinese nationals. He met other Chinese people through the woman and traveled with her to places such as Hong Kong, the Great Wall, and Long Mai Hot Springs.

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Veritas Capital, a leading private equity firm, announced the acquisition of Kroll Government Services, Inc. from Kroll, Inc. Kroll Government Services, Inc. has been a leading provider of U.S. government security-clearance background investigations.

Kroll Government Services, Inc. has been renamed KeyPoint Government Solutions, Inc.

KeyPoint will continue to service U.S., state and local government customers including the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Justice, the US Coast Guard, the Army National Guard and the Los Angeles Police Department, among others.

KeyPoint Government Solutions is currently looking for Background Investigators.

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A FCW.com article on the 4 Feb 09 has confirmed that SRA International‘s computer network was infected by a virus, which may have exposed a number of federal employees’ personal information.

“The breached information could include names, addresses, dates of birth, health information and Social Security numbers. Personal company computers with data from questionnaires related to employees security positions may have been exposed to unauthorized access too, according to SRA’s notification letter.”

Hackers may have also been able to access the data SRA collects in its security position questionnaires, the company said. SRA doesn’t know if any data has been compromised but is taking the precaution of notifying customers that their data may have been accessed…

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In their 17 September 2008 written remarks to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management, John Fitzpatrick, Acting Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Security and Elizabeth McGrath, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation reported that eAdjudication of clean cases for Secret clearances will begin at selected adjudication facilities by the end of the year. About 25% of Secret clearances will be eligible for eAdjudication. This should speed up the process by allowing adjudicators to spend their time on more complex cases.

According to the print edition of the Federal Times, McGrath told the subcommittee in follow-up testimony that the Army will begin a pilot eAdjudication program by the end of December and that it will cover Army personnel, civilian employees and contractors. The administration wants eAdjudication to eventually cover all federal agencies.

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