Security Clearance Levels and Federal Employment
If you seek a career working for the U.S. military or federal government and your employment requires access to sensitive information, you will likely need a security clearance. This can be true even for those who have jobs that don’t require the handling of protected information but require work in a secured area.
Security clearances are formally granted following comprehensive background investigations. Once assigned, the clearance allows the user to handle classified data up to a specified level, safeguarding national security interests.
The level of clearance directly corresponds to the sensitivity of the information and need to know. There’s no one-size-fits-all option for these clearances. Those who earn them don’t get to keep the clearances indefinitely. You can’t initiate your security clearance process. An employer must do it on your behalf.
There are additional considerations beyond the formal security clearance. Did you know that some federal jobs have specific classifications that define how sensitive that position is? Those classifications include:
- Nonsensitive (Low Risk)
- Nonsensitive Public Trust (High Risk, Moderate Risk)
- Noncritical-Sensitive (High Risk or Moderate Risk)
- Special-Sensitive or Critical-Sensitive (High Risk)
Most of those levels may require confidential, secret, and top-secret classifications.
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Hierarchy of Classification and Clearance
The U.S. government employs a structured hierarchy for classifying information. The level of trust changes from one level to the next.
- Confidential clearances represent the foundational tier of classified information. Its unauthorized use may “reasonably be expected to cause damage” to national security. When applying for a job with a Confidential clearance, you typically undergo a National Agency Check with Local Agency Checks and Credit Check, and you may be subject to periodic reinvestigation.
- Secret clearances protect information that could cause severe damage to national security if it were improperly handled. Obtaining a secret clearance necessitates a more extensive background investigation than a confidential clearance, often encompassing interviews. Reinvestigations may be required.
- Top Secret is the highest classification. The unauthorized disclosure of materials marked as secret may result in severe damage to national security. A Top Secret clearance mandates the most rigorous background investigation, typically a Single-Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) that comprehensively examines an individual’s life history. Reinvestigation is required more often than lower-level clearances.
Handling Highly Sensitive Information: Clearances for SCI and SAPs
Beyond the standard clearance levels, specific categories of highly sensitive information require further restricted access.
Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)
This category encompasses classified intelligence information from sensitive sources, methods, or analytical processes. Access to SCI requires a Top Secret clearance and a specific need-to-know and adherence to stringent handling protocols within designated compartments. The background investigation for SCI access often entails more demanding criteria.
Special Access Programs (SAPs)
These are established for particularly sensitive national security projects, frequently involving advanced military technologies or highly classified operations. Access to SAPs requires a Top Secret clearance, a demonstrated need-to-know, and often involves enhanced security measures and specialized background investigations.
Temporary Access Versus Permanent Access
Clearances aren’t granted indefinitely and take time to approve. Some new hires may be temporarily allowed to access classified information or controlled areas before the actual clearance is formally granted.
According to the U.S. Department of State, “After initiating a background investigation and completing preliminary checks, agencies may determine if an individual is fit to enter on duty before the conclusion of the investigation and adjudication…”
Typically, it is a “preliminary determination,” and when hiring for sensitive positions, “agencies may make a preliminary determination to approve the individual for temporary eligibility for access to classified information or to occupy the sensitive position.” It is not a permanent clearance and may be revoked at any time.
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The Polygraph Examination in Security Clearance Determinations
The polygraph examination, or lie detector test, is used during security clearance investigations, particularly for higher-level clearances and access to sensitive programs. The polygraph is not a universal prerequisite for all security clearances, but some of the most sensitive access may require it.
A polygraph measures physiological responses (heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and skin conductivity) during a series of questions. Although scientists disagree on a polygraph’s accuracy, the federal government has chosen to use it for better or worse.
The primary types of polygraph examinations utilized in security clearance processes include:
- Counterintelligence (CI) Polygraph: This examination focuses on potential counterintelligence concerns, including espionage, sabotage, terrorism, unauthorized disclosure of classified information, and improper foreign contacts.
- Lifestyle Polygraph: This examination explores personal conduct and history. Could those aspects render them vulnerable to coercion or raise concerns regarding their reliability and trustworthiness? The testing is designed to address those concerns.
In certain instances, a Full Scope Polygraph may be administered, incorporating elements from both the CI and Lifestyle examinations
Circumstances Warranting a Polygraph
- Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)- Given the highly sensitive nature of intelligence information and the potential for significant damage resulting from its compromise, a polygraph is often mandated for SCI access.
- Access to Special Access Programs (SAPs)—Considering SAPs’ critical and often highly classified nature, a polygraph is frequently integrated into the enhanced security protocols for individuals requiring access.
- Work at Specific Government Agencies–Certain federal agencies, particularly those within the intelligence and law enforcement communities (e.g., FBI, CIA, NSA), may have established policies requiring polygraph examinations as part of their security clearance processes for designated positions.
Adjudication of Significant Derogatory Information
When substantial “unresolved issues” appear during the background investigation that could impact an individual’s trustworthiness, a polygraph may be employed as an additional tool in the adjudicative process to gather further pertinent information.
It is paramount to maintain honesty throughout the security clearance process, including any polygraph examination. Any attempt to deceive or conceal information can severely impact an individual’s clearance eligibility.
