What is a security clearance?
Definition
A security clearance is an official decision that a person is eligible to access classified government information, based on a background check of their loyalty, character, trustworthiness and reliability.
- Category
- Security
- Also called
- personnel security clearance, national security clearance
- Last updated
In the US, a security clearance is an administrative determination that you're eligible to see classified national security information. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) describes the goal as deciding whether a person is able and willing to protect that information.
There are three levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. They match the harm that unauthorized disclosure could cause. Top Secret covers information that could cause exceptionally grave damage, Secret serious damage, and Confidential damage to national security.
A clearance alone doesn't open every door. DCSA says access takes two things: the right clearance level and a need to know the specific information.
How you get one
You can't apply on your own. An employer, such as a federal agency or a contractor, sponsors the request for a job that needs it. You then fill out a detailed questionnaire and are investigated. Decisions follow the whole-person concept: no single piece of information, good or bad, decides the outcome alone.
Per DCSA, clearances don't expire, and people holding one are enrolled in continuous vetting rather than waiting for a periodic review.
Why it matters for your privacy
A clearance investigation looks into your finances, past addresses, relatives, foreign contacts and more. People who hold a clearance, and their family, can be attractive targets for people looking for personal details. A home address on a people-search site is one example.
This page covers the US system.
How to protect yourself
- 1
Keep your questionnaire accurate
Be complete and truthful on the forms. Omissions are usually treated more seriously than the issue itself.
- 2
Review what's public about you
Search your name, address and phone number to see what's listed on people-search sites, and ask for removal.
- 3
Be careful about work talk online
Avoid posting details about your job, projects or colleagues on social media, and set profiles to private.
- 4
Watch for impersonation
Scammers pose as recruiters or investigators. Check who you're speaking to through the official agency or employer.
- 5
Let Serus handle the listings
Serus finds where your address and phone number are listed and removes them, and keeps watching so they don't quietly return.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
What are the levels of security clearance?
Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. Higher levels cover information whose disclosure could cause greater damage to national security.
Can I get a security clearance on my own?
No. A sponsoring employer or agency has to request it for a position that needs access.
Does a security clearance expire?
DCSA says clearances don't expire. People who hold one are covered by continuous vetting instead.
What does security cleared mean?
It means someone has been granted a clearance and can access classified information up to that level, when they also have a need to know.
Sources
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