Security Executive Blog

This year is still new, but some expectations never change. One thing that you can expect to do is either undergo a self-inspection, a DSS review or both depending on the audit cycle. A DSS review could also be conducted in your facility when applying for a facility security clearance (FCL). Since the DSS review tests security countermeasures and makes determinations of vulnerability and preparedness, it's best to focus on these areas as you prepare for the visit. Begin with the self-inspection. Once you are set up with a security program, you what to know the status and help determine whether or not your security posture is where you expect it to be. In other words, are you able to protect classified information at the level required. Begin with a pre-inspection to plan out your actions. According to DSS, this can be conducted in six steps: 1) Identify all security elements that apply. Cleared facilities are either possessing or non-possessing. The common denominator is...

NISPOM Training Discover how to meet NISPOM requirements Did you know that NISPOM requires cleared contractors to provide employees with: Initial Security Briefings Annual Security Awareness Training Cleared contractors are required to brief their cleared employees upon hiring and provide training every year thereafter. It’s easy when there is a Facility Security Officer (FSO) on site. In that case the FSO is overhead and develops the training as part of their daily duties. Does your business have time to focus on training requirements? Defense contractors and cleared contractors with one to a few hundred employees may have FSOs designated in addition to regular duties. COOs, engineers, CFOs, HR and other professionals don’t have time to create and execute training while performing on contract. That’s where Red Bike Publishing can help. An FSO can spend several hours designing training. At $35.00 per manager work hour, that could end up costing at least $150.00...

Defense contractor?  So What. Cleared Contractor? What does it really mean? Just because an entity does business with the government or is cleared for classified work, doesn’t mean they are at the same level of performance as legacy organizations. It’s tempting to assume that every cleared contractor Facility Security Officer (FSO) as “appointed” by the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual ( NISPOM ) attends professional organization meetings, are Industrial Security Professional (ISP) Certified and fully comprehend International Traffic In Arms Regulations ( ITAR ). But, it’s just not so. Not all defense contractors are created equally. Cleared defense contractors may be approved to possess classified information on location with storage approval. Others may not have storage approval, but cleared to provide security clearances for classified performance at customer or other off site locations. Large defense contractors may have an entire staff devoted to th...