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 Denial

The Bond Amendment states that an agency may refuse to grant or renew a security clearance for an individual who “has been convicted in any court of the United States of a crime, was sentenced to imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year, and was incarcerated as a result of

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Security Clearance Jobs

Technological advances in mobile phones, cameras, listening devices and storage has made life easier for foreign intelligence operatives engaging in espionage. However, social media sites are an even more effective method of luring unsuspecting prey, e.g., a security clearance holder. China and other foreign governments are using professional networking and social

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Security Clearance Denial

I was reading through the transcript of a recent Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Hearing and Appeals case and was astounded when I came to the part about why this DOE contractor used marijuana while possessing a security clearance, and then lied about it. In 2017 the contractor underwent

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Security Clearance Jobs

Two years ago, all national security background investigations that required an applicant or source interview were done in-person by a background investigator. Only in extreme circumstances (e.g., deployed, geographically challenging to be cost effective, or hospitalization) were telephonic or video interviews allowed. Fast forward to March 2020, now most interviews

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