Security Clearance
A security clearance is a formal determination that a person is eligible to access classified national security information at a specific level — Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret. Clearances are granted after a thorough background investigation that evaluates the individual's trustworthiness, loyalty, and reliability.
Security clearances are granted to individuals, not companies. A company that needs cleared employees must first have a facility clearance (FCL). The clearance process involves completing an SF-86 questionnaire, undergoing investigation by DCSA (Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency), and adjudication of the results.
Why It Matters
If your contracts require access to classified information, your employees will need appropriate security clearances and your facility will need an FCL. The clearance process takes months to over a year — plan accordingly when staffing classified programs.