Background Investigations

Almost weekly I get an inquiry from someone who was contacted by a background investigator via text or email for an interview. They usually ask me if it is legit or if it is some phishing attempt to get personal information. I tell them “Yes, investigators conducting personnel security or

Background investigators go through a lot of hoops to be certified to conduct federal background investigations. First, they must undergo the Top-Secret security clearance process, then attend and pass the field investigator training course. Once those are completed, they receive their badges and system accesses, then hit the street, learning

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Director David Cattler, who has been the agency director since March 2024, recently accompanied a special agent background investigator as a ride along while conducting field work on multiple background investigations. The director wanted to better understand the multiple mission areas throughout DCSA, and

There has been a slew of instances where federal background investigators have been indicted for falsifying their work in regard to completing records checks and interviews. The Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled the latest occurrence in which Christopher Laughlin, a federal background investigator first with the Office of Personnel Management in 2018,