Clearance holders are expected to self-report any changes or incident that may impact their clearance. The government uses 13 adjudicative guidelines for determining whether or not an individual should obtain access to classified information – as well as, keep that access. Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 4 is also a key tool in determining which life events or situations might require self-reporting. As always – better to self-report than be discovered by someone else.
We’ve offered up some situations or life events to help you think through when to self-report. Make sure the alerts in the continuous vetting system don’t ping the government before you have a chance to self-report. And don’t let your social media profile self-report for you. Make sure you know what needs to be reported and where to report it.
Make Sure you Understand the Process
From financial woes to foreign contacts, the list of what needs to be self-reported should be pretty clear to clearance holders. Unfortunately, the Continuous Vetting (CV) system has flagged thousands of clearance holders so far with things that should have already been self-reported. There may be somewhat of a grace period, but that will quickly evaporate as the new technologies and processes are solidified. And usually, the “I didn’t know” excuse doesn’t pan out for clearance holders. So, if your responses made it seem like you haven’t quite done your homework, reach out to your security officer to get the intel you need.
Note: this is an educational, entertaining quiz, not an official or legal determination.
