Security Clearance Requirements

Each country has its share of secrets and they need to have a proper system in place to protect them. There are many reasons why a country may choose to keep secrets. Some secrets may be strategic and related to defense and hence cannot be revealed to anyone. Others may be related to new innovations that the country has come up with, details of which the country does not wish to divulge. Either way, secrets of the country need to be protected with utmost care and diligence and for that a good security clearance check needs to be in place to ensure that no unauthorized persons gain access to information that is intended to be secret. There is no doubt that information security is very crucial to any country.

When we say 'classified information', the information is actually classified to certain individuals who are authorized to gain access to it. So in order to know what is the security clearance for each, we will classify them into various levels of information and then see how to obtain security clearance. So based on the security clearance levels, here are the security clearance requirements.

How to Get Security Clearance

• The lowest level in the classified information hierarchy is controlled unclassified information. This is almost harmless data, but while access is largely unrestricted and there is hardly any form of clearance required for it, it is not something that is widely circulated among the lay men and is only for government employees. But while it is accessible to all, no one is allowed to distribute such information outside the workplace.
• The next level is the one where security clearance is actually necessary, but it is comparatively very basic. This level is called Confidential Information. To gain access to confidential information, the security clearance consists of National Agency Check with a Local Agency Check and Credit Check (NACLC), which was done 7 years before the clearance is given and the NACLC must be renewed every 15 years. The NACLC is a basic background check on the particular person in question on his criminal and credit records. It requires a few weeks or a few months of investigation.
• Next in the hierarchy, we have Secret Information. A secret clearance for a Collateral or Ordinary Secret takes typically a few months to a year to be issued, depending upon the activities and criminal record of the person in question. This too requires an NACLC which will be due for renewal in 10 years.
• Next, we have the the clearance for Top Secret Information. Top Secret information is very sensitive information that may affect national security or plans to counter terrorism. So, it is natural that the clearance for top secret security clearance is going to be tough to obtain. The investigation required for obtaining a top secret security clearance is known as Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) and it may take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years to obtain depending upon the background of the individual. A SSBI check is rigorous one which includes the checks of education, employment, organization affiliations, local agencies, places of residence and work and interviews with people who know the person who is being checked. The investigation may also go so far as to include an NACLC on the candidate’s cohabitant, spouse and immediate family members, if any.
• And the top tier of information, is the Eyes Only Information. There can be no clearance for this information as only the officials in the high state of power such as the President, Defense Secretary, etc, are allowed to access it.

These are the several levels of information and the security clearance requirements for each vary based on the sensitivity of the information.