Security Executive Blog

1.      When completing the Request for Visit, the anticipated level of classified information involved include all the following EXCEPT: a.            TOP SECRET b.            SECRET c.             REGISTERED  d.            RESTRICTED e.             UNCLASSIFIED 2.      Which of the following are considered a CSA? a.            Department of Defense b.            Central Intelligence Agency c.             Department of Energy d.    ...

W hat has changed? According to NISPOM Change 1, the cleared defense contractor has the responsibility to provide training for cleared employees who make derivative classification decisions. Where   NISPOM   used to state that training is the FSO’s responsibility, Change 1 omits the FSO as the responsible party and identifies only the contractor entity. Mere oversight or purposeful instruction? This designation represents an important distinction. Now the FSO can strengthen their role in the enterprise and ship from administrator to leader. It is great opportunity for the FSO to shift the training responsibility from performance to oversight. Who should perform the training? At a technical level, the derivative classification training is best provided by the subject matter experts actually performing on   classified contracts , programs and projects. For example, an experienced FSO or designated trainer with a strong security background may be ...

NISPOM With Change 1 Available at www.RedBikePublishing.com Well, it’s here, just this side of six years after the release; Change 1 to the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual. Over the recent three years there have been draft versions of NISPOM submitted, reviewed and resubmitted, but for the most part the NISPOM has remained unchanged. A testimony to an efficient product or policy? Could be. Too many higher level executive order and policy changes? Maybe. Though there has not been a major re-write or even revision, Change 1 does incorporate some important considerations, to include both domestic and international concerns. As programs and research efforts expand globally, Facility security officers (FSO) should know how to protect it in house and train cleared employees to do the same; this includes new markings and storage requirements. The major revision is in NISPOM Chapter 4, Classification Markings, Paragraph 1, Derivative Classification. Prima...

When an employee or potential employee is considered for a security clearance, the employer or sponsor requests a security clearance investigation. An investigation is performed to look into a person’s past and present to gather information. This information is evaluated to determine if the subject can be entrusted with sensitive information. CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET security clearances result in favorable determinations based on a National Agency Check with Law and Credit investigation and for TOP SECRET, the Single Scope Background Investigation. The security clearance request process is finalized during the adjudication period. Here, decisions are made whether or not to grant a clearance based on investigation results as related to the whole person concept and in the best interest of  national  security. The adjudicator evaluates results to determine whether or not an applicant is suited to protect classified information. There are 13 categories of behavior that c...

Currently, there are a little over 13,000 cleared defense contractor facilities supporting classified contracts. These contracts range from services to providing products. Some perform security clearance and classified contracts work at the contractor location and others at customer locations. Some are authorized to store classified material at the locations, while others perform on classified work elsewhere. Each cleared defense contractor is as unique as the statement of work and  Contract Security Classification Specification ( DD Form 254) requirements. What doesn’t change is the requirement to protect classified information while performing. Many large and well known cleared facilities have centralized document control areas, open storage, rooms cleared for classified conversations, open storage, and large areas built especially for working on classified projects. In other words, their entire budget, success and capabilities are supported by infrastructure dedicated t...