Security Executive Blog

Industry Sponsored Certification Certification says a lot about a professional. This individual has dedicated personal time and has committed to intensive study to improve their skills on the required topics. Supervisors and managers may set a goal for employees to reach a level of experience or even challenge them to seek a certification. Employees who have achieved a professional certification have experienced preference in job hiring, retention and promotion. Though a certification does not guarantee an employee such benefits, it does demonstrate a few important qualities to their management. Primarily, those certified convey a commitment to the profession, investment in the enterprise, and a high level of experience and knowledge. Organizations that hire employees with certifications or encourage employees to become certified benefit from the experience. In many cases, employers pay for the certification exams and other fees related to the certification requirements. They reco...

Metrics are tools leaders use to assess the effectiveness of their programs. These metrics indicate success, failures or areas where significant improvement is needed. Metrics data is found in surveys, inspections, and reports and are pulled for the specific purpose of understanding where the program is. The other part is to understand where the organization should be and comparing it to the results. FSOs should make metrics development and use a top priority. Chief security officers, chief information officers and other executive level security managers understand how to read metrics and use them to focus with pinpoint intensity on directing their security programs within their companies. Security managers in lower positions can use the same skills to gain influence in their companies. Because of the nature of compliance with government regulations, the task may be easier for FSOs to accomplish. An FSO has readily available data to determine and communicate the effectiveness of ...

Working on classified projects may seem intimidating at first. Overtime, the work quickly becomes routine and perhaps mundane. The cleared employee can quickly go from being impressed with their responsibilities and alert in their actions to a more relaxed attitude. Soon the classified items and the markings can become invisible and ineffective. Many modern examples of security violations include cleared employees leaving classified information unattended at their desks, lunch rooms and other unsecure areas. Such actions have led to possible compromise as safes have even been left open and unattended or accidentally removed from a cleared facility with classified information still inside. Even security employees have left safes unattended and have misplaced classified materials. REMINDERS Though markings do relay intended information, they should not be the “stand alone” technique. Some industrial security specialists have added even more markings to already cluttered media hopin...

A cleared contractor can help reduce costs by preparing ahead of time. This is where an experience FSO can anticipate expenses, perform risk assessment while implementing NISPOM and advise on ways to reduce costs while being compliant. The more money saved on overhead expenses, the greater the overall company profit. The earlier into the process the assessment is conducted the better the company performs overall. Timing is the key as some of the security requirements depend on the approval of the CSA. Conducting the assessment or coordinating with DSS after the committing to the contract may place the contractor in the tough position of building “closed areas”, rooms for classified meetings, or ordering more GSA approved containers (safes) and meeting tough governmental compliance with short notice before being able to perform on the contract. Such late planning could prove costly. The FSO works with managers and all within organization’s decision making process. This team consists ...

We’ve all been there, the calls coming in just as we reach our homes or late at night. Someone didn’t properly security classified information. Many times investigations conclude that classified information has not been compromised. However, time, energy and resources are spent to conduct investigations, find root causes and re-train. To prevent the above situation, end of day checks serve as a precaution against leaving classified information unattended. The last cleared employee departing an area where classified material is used, stored, transmitted or is otherwise accessed, should follow a check list prior to leaving. The checklist leads the employee to inspect storage containers, tabletops, walking surfaces, printers, copiers, and computers to ensure that no residual classified material is left unattended. While the end of day check is vital when leaving classified areas unattended, they are not required when an area is manned 24 hours per day, seven days per week. This is acco...

Nine recipients out of 13,000 cleared facilities nationwide earned the Cogswell Award this year. This award is the ultimate achievement for the security program at any cleared facility. How do winners do it? They develop a program that is worthy of such an achievement. Your company can do this too. One requirement is to go “above and beyond” the requirements of the NISPOM. The hardest part is with institutional training and getting the rest of the organization on board with the security program. Setting security goals that everyone understands, creating an organization-wide security culture everyone can live with is extremely important. Institutional training also encourages your employees to report any and all security violations, suspicious contacts, and foreign travel, which will further enhance those efforts. Being prepared for the annual security inspection by implementing a daily security management processes is the key to receiving a superior rating. An in-depth security pr...

Facility Security Officers (FSOs) are highly trained to meet the requirements of NISPOM. Training should reflect NISPOM requirements as reflected in the Contract Security Classification Specification (DD Form 254). If the FSO is in a non-possessing (no classified holding), the training requirements are baseline. However, possessing facilities have more requirements that the FSO should be prepared to meet. Objectives of the FSO Program Management Course are to prepare the FSO to implement and direct a NISPOM based security program in their cleared contractor facility. The training includes, but is not limited to the following topics: Protecting classified material – The proper receipt, accountability, storage, dissemination and destruction of classified material. The FSO learns how to protect classified information in a cleared contractor facility. Required cleared employee training – This instruction helps the FSO establish an ongoing training program designed to create an environ...