Security Clearance Process

Special Access Programs (SAP) are established to protect national security by employing enhanced security measures to strictly enforce need-to-know and have access requirements that exceed those normally required for information at the same classification level. SAPs can be classified at all clearance levels but are heavily restricted when it comes

Background investigators can tell you they hate it when they are interviewing someone who has listed information way beyond what the scope of the questions are asking for on the Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86). That is because the investigator has to cover all of the information listed by

In 2018, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law, enabling those undergoing background investigations to keep a credit report security freeze in place without any impact to completion of the investigation. At the time, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided guidance to all Federal agencies

Like the Intelligence Community (IC) agencies, the Department of State processes their own background investigations and security clearances by using the personnel security resources from their Bureau of Diplomatic Security, specifically, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The DSS also assist other federal agencies in processing their background investigations. According to