All Department of Defense security clearance holders are now enrolled in continuous vetting (CV). That doesn’t mean that Periodic Reinvestigation s(PRs) disappear, however. The most recent guidance from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) clarifies that an updated SF-86 needs to be submitted every five years, but a periodic reinvestigation won’t necessarily occur. As the workforce triggers from episodic PRs to CV, some individuals may wonder if they will be a part of a PR – and if so, what information will be uncovered.
One reservist clearance holder about to undergo a PR wonders if his day job and his side hustle are going to hear he has been cheating on both of them.
I work in info/cyber security during the day in the private sector (no government involvement). I’m also a military reservist and have had a TS/SCI for over 15 years.
Given my day job, I work from home and have done so for years. During COVID, a significant number of remote friendly opportunities opened up and I took on a contracting side job while also working my full-time job. There is no conflict of interest.
I am up for my PR and am curious about the investigation while holding multiple [jobs].
My concern is that the investigator will go to one job and ask, “hey, did you know XXX is also working over at YYY?”
Am I overthinking this?
With COVID, it sounds like this cyber guru by day, reservist by weekend, wanted to sweeten his honeypot by adding in a side hustle.
As long as this individual isn’t violating any non-compete clauses that could get them into a jam, they should just be honest and let the investigators do their work.
One background investigator comments, “I can tell you that giving out your private information is 100% against policy. Can I guarantee that your investigator is good at their job? No, I cannot.”
If there is truly no conflict of interest and you are managing your time effectively between multiple jobs as a remote employe, you should let your employer know that you have a side gig after hours – which is commonplace in the tech field. Reporting the issues can help to mitigate any potential issues. Outside Activities is a category for clearance denial, and individuals who fail to report a side hustle may lose their primary incoming in the process.
