Continuous evaluation is continuing to roll out across the security clearance population, with nearly one third of all security clearance holders now under the Department of Defense’s continuous evaluation program. As Trusted Workforce 2.0 moves forward, continuous evaluation, or continuous vetting of cleared personnel, is a key part of reform efforts. With the backlog in security clearance cases at a steady state, focus is moving to the National Background Investigations System and replacing periodic reinvestigations with CE.
While the government has been vague with the details about what is included under CE, those enrolled can expect the government to be monitoring public records, particularly financial and criminal records. Social media or online postings are fair game, but it’s unclear what online activity would flag a clearance holder, and officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have indicated they still haven’t cracked the nut on what would be included under social monitoring.
Once an alert is made under CE, it’s validated. Just 10% of all alerts prove valid, and then move onto a security officer for review. What does this mean for security clearance holders? Being proactive about self reporting issues is important – it’s better for you to report a problem to your security officer than for the government to find it through continuous evaluation. Sign up for a free credit report monitoring system if you haven’t already, as finances continue to be the number one cause of security clearance denial – including under CE.
