I recently took my 3-year old to the eye doctor and one of the images they used in the exam was an old school rotary phone. He called it a boat. So for purposes of translation and if you don’t know what 411 means, it refers to ‘relevant information.’ When it comes to security clearance hot topics, the 411 centers around a few topics – and fortunately we’ve covered all of them for you in the past few weeks at ClearanceJobs.com.

Some of the hottest topics surrounding the security clearance process relates to continuous vetting, clearance mobility, self reporting, and security clearance status.

1. Continuous Vetting.

If you’re a security clearance holder, you are likely under continuous vetting. The good news is the government has rolled out the program so well, the private sector could stand to take some tips from how the government is rolling it out.

2. Security Clearance Mobility.

Reciprocity is a clearance hot topic that has been around for awhile. A recent white paper from the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) unpacks the topic one level higher, noting how important security clearance mobility is to today’s workforce and outlining specific action steps the government can take to make it better.

3. Self-Reporting.

This definitely falls into the category of topics that generate some of the most questions from security clearance holders. The fact is self reporting requirements have long been around in some capacity, but they recently got a major overhaul thanks to Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 3. That means if you plan an overseas trip during summer vacation, you’ll need to report it.

4. Requesting a Copy of Your Background Investigation.

This isn’t exactly a new topic, but one that was in the news recently thanks to the security clearance issues of Katie Arrington, former Pentagon official and current congresswoman. While opponents claimed Arrington lost her security clearance, that’s speculation, and the reality is probably much less sexy. With a potential flag or issue, Arrington would have entered into a loss of jurisdiction status. But how could Arrington get clarity? The same way the average security clearance holder can (and should) – but submitting a privacy act request to get a copy of her background investigation.

 

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Lindy Kyzer is the director of content at ClearanceJobs.com. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email lindy.kyzer@clearancejobs.com. Interested in writing for ClearanceJobs.com? Learn more here.. @LindyKyzer