Getting a Clearance
The government's three basic levels of security clearance are Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. Access to classified data is granted based on an employee's clearance and "need to know." Applicants for clearances are vetted through a background investigation, the scope of which depends on the level of access requested, and an adjudication process.
THE PROCESS- A federal agency or a cleared contractor sponsors an employee's clearance application. The applicant cannot make the request.
- The request is submitted to a processing agency, usually the Office of Personnel Management or the Defense Security Service. The applicant completes a standard form that includes birth, employment, residential and education history and personal questions such as whether the applicant has ever used drugs, been arrested or filed for bankruptcy.
- The processing agency opens an investigation. Contract employees usually are hired to check the applicant's personal records and often to conduct face-to-face interviews with friends, colleagues and family.
- When the investigation is finished, the applicant's file is passed to an adjudication office, which makes the final decision on whether to grant clearance. Civilian agencies usually judge the applicants they've sponsored. The Defense Department has a central office for adjudicating clearance requests.
Sources: Office of Personnel Management, Defense Security Service and Federation of American Scientists
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