Security Executive Blog

Give your cleared employees the training they need to be able to focus on how to protect their classified contracts. We all know that to check the block, the annual refresher training should complement the initial security training. But does it have to be the same presentations over and over? Engineers, supervisors, program manager and others are extremely intelligent and want to be challenged. Here aer some great suggested to help you do just that.      1. Build on last year’s training. Many FSOs make the mistake of providing initial security briefing every year with here’s how to mark, lock it up in a security container, and on and on. This insults people’s intelligence and limits your effectiveness.   For example, you might demonstrate the importance of reporting by highlighting how reporting has helped reduce security violations or even streamlined a process.      2. Make training relevant to the cleared employee’s mission. Things to conside...

Complimentary Downloads of Forms Cleared Defense Contractors and Facility Security Officers need. All forms are referred to in DoD Contracts and Security Clearances Guidebook and can be downloaded straight to your computer.

These standard security forms are used in administering the security classification programs in Government. Industry members should contact their contracting agency for information on how to obtain these forms. The majority of these items are available through the General Services Administration's (GSA) Federal Supply System. Some of the forms are available online at the GSA web site or can be obtained by calling 1(800) 525-8027. *     SF-312 Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement The SF-312 is a contractual agreement between the U.S. Government and a cleared employee that must be executed as a condition of access to classified information. By signing the SF-312, the cleared employee agrees never to disclose classified information to an unauthorized person. *     SF-700 Security Container Information The SF-700 is a form that contains vital information about the security container in which it is located. This information includes locatio...

As a Facility Security Officer, you take the lead in creating a security program designed to protect classified information. You are at the cutting edge of your cleared contractor organization's capability of getting and keeping classified contracts. As such, you should also be the senior executive's right hand and have successfully established the required relationship to provide sage security council. Some topics relevant to your organization might be: Where are we heading? What type of classified storage might this require? What will be the cost and impact to the company? How is my security program poised to support current and new contracts? If a new or existing contract requires dedicated space to perform on and store classified information, a "Closed Area" may be required. A closed area is used to safeguard classified material of unusual "size, nature, or operational necessity, and cannot be adequately protected by the normal safeguards or stored during n...

Dear FSO, I was wondering if you could have your folks move my desk for me. The executive assistant recommended that I contact you since you are the "facilities officer".  ***** Move M. Emuch Dear Move, Chapter three of the NISPOM lists training requirements that all cleared employees must take. The FSO's challenge is to ensure that the cleared employees understand their requirements, understand the training, implement what they learned and of course sign the training record. When you invest in security training your employees will benefit. Required training topics include NISPOM requirements:   Threat Awareness Defensive Training (foreign travel briefing) Overview of the Security Classification System Employee Reporting Obligations and Requirements Security Procedures and Duties Applicable to the Employee’s Job Marking Classified Material Safeguarding Classified Material Control and Accountability Storage and equipment Transmission Origina...

Dear FSO, I was wondering if you were going to contribute to the coffee fund. I noticed that you were participating, but I need to sign you up. Coffee Joe, Dear Coffee, To have an effective security program it's important to have the organization buy into the security program from the top down. Having the most senior executive support and implement the security program into the entire company culture is key. The NISPOM also requires that the most senior officer of the company and the FSO to be cleared at the highest level of the facility clearance (FCL).

Security in depth is a concept similar to peeling back the skin of an onion. Each layer you pull back reveals another layer. The more you peel back, the more layers remain. Eventually you wear it away, but it takes a while to get there. According to Defense Security Service DSS security training, "Security-in-depth is a concept that employs security measures in levels or steps."  This concept can be demonstrated in a walk through a virtual walk through a cleared facility. The cleared facility is approved to store secret information. As such, the only requirement is to keep the classified information in a General Services Administration GSA approved container or safe.  Let's begin at the security container. The container provides the deter and detect capability necessary to protect the secret information, documents or hardware. It is difficult, but not impossible to break the container open, but once you do, it will be difficult to hide the damage. Therefore, you'l...

DoD Security Clearances Can you keep a Secret? Do You Know How to Get and Keep a Security Clearance? Turn your passion for business into work for the government. Discover what you need to know about how to get a security clearance and perform on classified contracts. Who this Book is For: Have you seriously considered what it takes to get a security clearance you need to become a cleared contractor employee or build your business as a cleared defense contractor? My book answers the tough questions: How do I get employed if I can’t get a clearance and… ….I can’t get a clearance unless I am employed. The truth is, the government publishes information on how to get a clearance. However it’s not easily accessible nor is it easy to interpret. You need a clearance to get hired. Your business needs a facility clearance to perform on classified contracts. However, you can’t get hired unless you have a clearance. Your business can’t perform on classified work unless it has a fa...