Background Investigations

Automating Security Clearances

A March 11, 2009 article in the Federal Times revisited The Joint Security and Suitability Reform Team‘s aims, including creating an automated end-to-end clearance process by the end of 2010. The idea is to use computers to automate what can be automated and to help better direct investigators toward areas where more scrutiny is needed…

The government also wants to automate the process of approving and disapproving ” known as adjudicating” secret security clearances…Roughly one-quarter of secret investigations find no red flags that would cause adjudicating officials to take a closer look”…

The Army started experimenting with e-adjudication in November and will soon (June) be conducting automated record checks.

“Some industry observers, however, expect the effort will take at least three to five years to complete”…