Author Archive

Marko Hakamaa

Marko Hakamaa served in various military police positions with the United States Army worldwide for 22 years before retiring in 2006 as a Master Sergeant. Afterwards, he transitioned into the civilian workforce as a contractor background investigator for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before entering civil service as a Security Specialist in 2009.

Security Clearance Jobs

While recent news reports have focused on the NSA’s PRISM program and the government’s use of personal data to detect terror threats, a recent news report sheds new light on the massive commercial business of collecting and selling personal data. CBS News recently broadcast a special investigative report regarding data brokers who collect personal

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Security Clearance Denial

In a recent Defense Office of Hearing and Appeals (DOHA) case the original decision by the Department of Defense (DoD) to deny the applicant a security clearance was upheld by the board.  This particular case involved Guidelines J (Criminal Conduct) and E (Personal Conduct).  The applicant had a history of

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Security Clearance Denial

Due to an ongoing investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the current Director of Naval Intelligence, Vice Admiral Ted Branch, has had his security clearance suspended for the past 9 months. According to information in an article posted recently on Federal News Radio,

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Security Clearance Process

Can individuals access classified national security information without having undergone the background investigation process and been granted a security clearance?  Normally the answer is no, but there are certain instances where the requirement is waived.  Here are some of the exceptions: The President and members of the U.S. Senate and

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