Types of Security Clearances

Clearances are generally granted to a particular level of information, so a job that requires access to confidential information would require a confidential clearance.

Security levels are detailed below from lowest to highest:

• Controlled Unclassified Information. Not a classification level, but a marker for information that cannot be distributed.
• For Official Use Only (FOUO). Also known as Official Use Only (OUO). Not a classification level, but a marker for information that must be protected under the Privacy Act or other sensitive data.
• Confidential. Also known as Public Trust. Provides access to information that reasonably could be expected to cause damage to national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources. Often given to military personnel. The investigation requires National Agency Check with Local Agency Check and Credit Check (NACLC) and goes back seven years. The investigation takes a few weeks to a few months. The clearance must be renewed every 15 years.
• Secret. Also known as Collateral Secret or Ordinary Secret. Provides access to information that could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to the national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources. The investigation requires an NACLC and goes back seven years. The investigation takes a few months to a year. The clearance must be renewed every 10 years.
• Top Secret (TS). Provides access to national security, counterterrorism, counterintelligence or other highly sensitive data that could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if disclosed to unauthorized sources. The investigation requires a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) and goes back 10 years. The investigation takes three to 18 months. The clearance must be renewed every 5 years.
  

Agency-Specific Clearances

Many federal agencies use customized clearance levels such as:

• L clearance -- Civilian access to nuclear materials and information (U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC])
• Q clearance -- Access specifically relating to atomic or nuclear-related materials for non-military personnel (DOE, NRC)
• Bureau of Immigration (BI) clearance -- Used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) -- Used by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
• Yankee White -- Administrative nickname for a background check for personnel working with the president (Executive Office of the President)

Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)

Many agencies append Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) to Top Secret clearances for a combination known as TS/SCI. Information access is assigned in "compartments" for a short or extended time so that a person with access to one compartment has no access to others. Compartmented access could include cryptography, overhead reconnaissance, communications intelligence or nuclear stockpile information. Specific SCIs are known as "riders" when appended to clearances.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) uses both SCI and a similar concept, special access programs (SAP), for exceptionally vulnerable information. SAP access could include information such as stealth technology.

Both SCI and SAP designations require an SSBI investigation plus a special adjudication process.

Non-Government Clearances

Private-sector organizations occasionally use the term "security clearance" when granting access to sensitive information.

Links & Resources

U.S. Department of State Security Clearance FAQs
http://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/c10977.htm

"White House looks for faster top-secret clearances"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-02-14-top-secret-clearances_x.htm

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This article is part of GovWin.com's jobs and staffing resources. Check out the GovWin staffing section, ask the experts a question or follow @HireGovCon on Twitter for the latest govcon job listings.

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Lindley Ashline is the Web editor at GovWin.com, the network that helps government contractors win new business every day. She can be reached at lindleyashline@deltek.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @lindleyashline.