Security Executive Blog

Cleared Defense Contractors , employees, and government workers review classified information, but may not understand how or why the markings are applied. Sure, it's obvious that the markings do warn of the classification level and how to protect it, but the markings also show so much more. Classification markings are applied by the Original Classification Authority and provided for many reasons to include, warning of classification level, determining what is classified, the length of the classification duration, and who made the classification decision. Marking classified material is a method of warning and informing of classification level, the exact information to be protected, of downgrading and declassification instructions, reasons for classification and sources of classification, and special access, control or safeguarding requirements.  In classified documents, the classification level is applied to the front and back covers, top and bottom of pages, paragraph...

https://www.bennettinstitute.com/courses NISPOM Fundamentals Webinar Red Bike Publishing is now hosting a webinar with multiple installations. We used to host it at Udemy, but are hosting our own training. Take NISPOM Classes one chapter at a time Currently we have each of the NISPOM Chapters 1-8 available. Each lesson is 1 to 2.5 hour long consisting of lectures, presentations and graded quizzes. Soon I'll be loading the rest, but you can start training now. Or all at once as we have bundled these courses. We now have the NISPOM Fundamentals course ready to go. This course combines chapters 1-8 and is updated regularly with additional chapters and content. Register now and have access to all updates. As we update, we will be charging more depending on the amount of content. However, if you register now, this registration will include all future updates at no additional cost. The fundamentals of NISPOM is $350.00. However, for the next few days, we offer them for th...

Once a security clearance is granted, the Facility Security Officer (FSO) will contact you and several things will happen real fast. Primarily, if you have been sitting in a temporary position while awaiting your clearance, things are about to get real. The FSO will manage the security clearance under the umbrella of the cleared defense contractor’s oversight. This means that the FSO will  maintain the facility security clearance (FCL)  status administratively as well as meeting compliance requirements. They do this primarily training you and through that training, equipping you to protect classified information and perform work designated by the classified contract. Just as the FSO is certified or provided FSO training, you will also receive required training from the FSO. The FSO manages the clearances, training, classified workspace, etc. and documents the all actions for future reviews by the  Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA) . ...

Get your copy @ www.redbikepublishing.com These NISPOM based questions could be helpful in passing the NCMS ISP Certification and the DoD's SPeD Certification exams including the most recent Industrial Security Oversight Certification ( ISOC) . Taking practice tests is a great way to prepare for an exam. Successful students in grade school and college study using guides and exam preparation questions based on the test subject material. This same successful methodology can also help prepare for professional exams like ISP Certification and SPeD Certification.  Practice tests augment certification exam preparation.  Red Bike Publishing's Unofficial Study Guide  features four complete test length practice exams based on  NISPOM .  We've updated our manual for NISPOM Change 2.  1. TOP SECRET information can be transmitted by which of the following methods within the U.S. and its t...

The skill of storytelling is one of the most successful methods of conveying a message. Public speakers, teachers, and mentors draw on personal experience to relate to their audiences. Performed with skill and confidence a story can enhance training by making tasks teachable and relatable to the audience. However when the message is misrepresented or poorly delivered with bad storytelling, the messenger becomes the focus as they lose credibility and the good message is obscured. Storytelling for the purposes of this article does not necessarily mean creating a work of fiction or spinning a tale. The term storytelling is used as an example to assist with creating a logical flow of tasks conducted to complete a function. For example, a bad story teller may say, “protect classified information or else you could be fired or worse.” A good story teller will convey the task of introducing, using, storing, and destroying classified information throughout its lifecycle in a logical sequ...

Periodically, Defense Security Services conducts reviews of the Cleared Defense Contractors (CDC) under their pervue to ensure classified information is protected according to NISPOM and contractual requirements. Inherently, there are tasks that the CDC must complete to demonstrate requirements, and these tasks are outside of the scope of what the contractor usually charges their customer. If the CDC does not account for costs of maintaining classified information, it could come out of hide. In many cases, small CDCs of just a few employees perform full time on classified work and then spend extra hours on demonstrating compliance that extend beyond the 8 hour day. Documenting evidence of compliance is a challenge that many Cleared Defense Contractors (CDC) face. Compliance is checked through reviews and audits conducted by customers to ensure contractual and government requirements are met. The best practice for CDCs include conducting self-inspections and documenting events to ...

The Self-Assessment Handbook for NISP Contractors provided by the Defense Security Services (DSS) provides an excellent way for a cleared defense contractor to prepare for the annual DSS inspection, form the enterprise self-inspection policy and assess the status of the organization's security plan to protect classified information. This is a great tool for many as it's probably the only way to measure aside from the inspection that counts. When I served in the Army , we had plenty of opportunities to assess our war fighting capability. One of those opportunities was provided by headquarters as an "assistance" visit. This usually preceded the much dreaded Inspector General (IG) inspections. These assistance visits were painful, but gladly received as we could have a "freebie" inspection before enduring the one that counted. My rule of thumb for these assistances visits was for everyone to do the proper work all the time. I never allowed any sol...

I spend a lot of time writing about the security clearance process and how to protect classified information. I write the security clearance process with the newly cleared or yet to be cleared defense contractors in mind. The latter, I write for established contractors as they maintain their classified contracts.  Though I’ve covered it in DoD Security Clearance and Contracts Guidebook , I’ve not yet published an article about what happens after you get the new facility security clearance (FCL.) Once the security clearance is awarded and you begin to work on classified information, your responsibility is to establish the security program and protect classified information the way you promised your government customer you would. Soon enough, your industrial security representative from Defense Security Services (DSS) will be by to verify those security practices. Preparation for the visit begins with understanding your responsibility to prepare the facility to safeguard ...