The United States has a stringent protocol for protecting sensitive information, including different levels of security clearances, continuous vetting for clearance holders, and strict requirements about how clearance holders handle classified information. But a recent study by Rand National Security Research Division identified an additional threat to national security, one that we currently have no protocol for handling. The threat? Dementia and aging clearance holders.
Why dementia matters for national security
Dementia has varied symptoms, but some of the most concerning symptoms from a national security standpoint include forgetfulness, poor judgment, and impulsivity. Patients who develop dementia may inadvertently disclose classified information to bad actors intending to use that information for nefarious purposes.
Dementia has no cure and may go undetected because symptoms tend to be mild at first before slowly progressing. Elderly patients in vulnerable states may be exploited by people posing as healthcare workers or taking on other roles in the patient’s life. Without a protocol to identify and mitigate threats, our nation’s secrets are at risk.
Risk factors for developing dementia
People are living longer than ever before, and they’re working longer, too. In fact, 45% of the federal workforce is over age 50. And in the general population, nearly a quarter of those over 65 are still working. That number is expected to continue increasing.
An aging workforce has plenty of benefits, not the least of which are the experience and wisdom older people bring to the workforce. But age is also one of the greatest risk factors for dementia.
The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, is often diagnosed when the patient is in their 60s or 70s, but dementia can affect patients as young as 30. There are multiple types of dementia with different causes, some of which are unknown.
One thing we do know, though, is that post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries have been associated with an increased risk for dementia. Since many security clearance holders are veterans, and veterans are diagnosed with PTSD at a higher rate than the general population, veterans may be at an increased risk of developing dementia in their later years. Over 400,000 service members were also diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury between 2000 and 2020.
What are the threats?
Classified information can become declassified when it is no longer a factor for national security. As a result, former clearance holders who haven’t accessed sensitive information in several decades may pose a minimal threat to national security if they develop dementia. However, those with a Top Secret clearance who accessed highly sensitive information that has never been declassified may pose a significant threat of inadvertently revealing sensitive information as a result of dementia.
When clearance holders retire or lose their jobs, they undergo an off-boarding process reminding them about their duties to protect sensitive information. But there is currently no ongoing process to a) assess these individuals for risk of dementia as they continue aging or b) put safeguards in place to protect the individual and the information they hold.
What can we do to safeguard national security?
The study authors suggest using a matrix to assess the threat and recommended possible solutions for ongoing threat assessments. These could include taking proactive measures to assess mental health through self assessments or required medical or mental health screenings, more research to understand dementia and its risk factors specifically for cleared personnel, and increased awareness of the risk factors.
It also suggests implementing a protocol for what happens when a former clearance holder is diagnosed with dementia and how diagnoses should be reported.
There are no known cases of dementia patients revealing classified information, at least none that are unclassified and available to the general public. However, by creating protocols now, we can mitigate this risk and take measures to avoid this scenario in the future.
