Security Executive Blog

A former engineer with Boeing Company has pleaded guilty to possessing classified information in an unauthorized location. Does anyone want to guess where? Yes, that’s right, his house. He thought he could take the information home with him and work on it there. You can read more about the information in the article  Boeing Engineer is found guilty.     While many security managers are focused on good training and may think that they have it all under control, don’t rest just yet. Chances are that the involved engineer is not the only one breaking the rules of safeguarding classified material. Those who work on  classified contracts  need to be reminded again and again how to do so while following the laws of our country.     Let’s break this case down. Engineer has access to computer processing. He then downloads the information to a data stick and brings it home with him. Though he probably meant no harm, his actions created tons ...

We spoke with former Counter-Spy and Author John W. David about his experiences with cold war espionage and applying it to counter the insider threat . John has written two books, Rainy Street Stories and Around the Corner . Both are essays of his experiences with the cold war, terrorism, and espionage. John offers several anecdotes and shares past experience of how he has recognized spies and those who would recruit insiders. He weaves relevant stories in the podcasts that are still applicable to a successful insider threat program. Listen to the podcast to hear two of many major points on running Insider Threat Programs. Here are two points to get started: 1. Develop a culture of security by walking around. Security managers should get away from their desks and meet the employees that can work as risk management and security force multipliers. The employees should be comfortable with the office staff and understand what expectations are. One of the primary results o...

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...

Pentagon analyst Gregg William Bergersen, was recently sentenced to 57 months in prison for providing information classified at the SECRET level to the People's Republic of China. The information was classified SECRET, thus having the potential to cause serious damage to national security. The complicated espionage operation involved not only native born U.S. Citizens, but foreign born as well. Though this ring involved several people both U.S. and Non-U.S. citizens, let us spend our focus on the the cleared U.S. Citizen Mr. Bergersen. The foreign operative received the largest sentence, however, let us not waste time tracking them, they are paid to spy and we have agencies dedicated to catching spies. We as security managers entrusted with safeguarding classified information, have to clean up our own back yards. Proactive security specialists are constantly on the look out for indicators of employee espionage. We cannot prevent employees from being corrupted with recruitment, bu...

Prior to travel, a cleared employee should have a good understanding of their responsibilities to protect national security. A Defensive Security Briefing is for those who travel overseas and may be vulnerable to foreign entity recruiting methods. They should be constructed to make the cleared traveler aware of their responsibilities to protect employees, product, customers and those with which they do business. Topics of the defense security briefing should include threat recognition, how to assess and how to respond when approached for recruitment Prior to travel, the employee should notify their security office of all foreign travel plans. This includes plans for Canada, Mexico and Caribbean Countries. The security department can then construct a plan for the specific area after researching the area to be travelled. The state department has a great website can fill security and the traveler in on all necessary travel documentation and what to expect while abroad. Traveling e...

The Washington Post ran an article called, Man, 84, Is Charged With Spying for Israel in 1980s . Ben-Ami Kadish had worked for the Army as an engineer. For some years in the 1980’s until 1985, he passed documents to his contact, named as Yosef Yagur. Yosef was an experienced agent who had also handled Pollard, another spy convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Elicitation is a recruiting method using subtleness to gain information. It is not an overt or threatening type of interrogation, but one of building relationships and creating consent for further communication and finally dedication or commitment to providing information. In the case of Kadish, his handler paved the way by asking Kadish to provide documents to help Israel maintain her security. Kadish never accepted payment other than small gifts. Thiers was a relationship of socializing. According to the article, Kadish removed documents from his office and provided them to his handler. You may recall a more recent ...

Original Classification Authority- For over 18 years John A. Walker, Jr. had sold secrets during and after his career in the Navy. Though entrusted with a security clearance and a “need-to know”, he did not demonstrate the trustworthiness of which his thorough background investigation deemed him worthy. When the opportunity revealed itself, he took advantage of his position and responsibilities to smuggle classified information to his Russian connections. During the investigation into his arrest, authorities discovered a complex spy ring consisting of family members and other recruited operatives. Walker had earned the trust and cooperation of his family to commit one of the most notorious of all espionage cases. As a result of his crimes, he received two life terms plus 10 year, his son received 25 years and the damage to the U.S. national security was tremendous. According to the NY Times, “It has been estimated by some intelligence experts that Mr. Walker provided enough code-data i...