Security Clearance Insecurity

It's an easy to toss about myth that if you work for the federal government, your career is virtually indestructible. And while it's true that federal service offers some protections and provisions at-will employment doesn't, it's false to say that you can't be fired. Whether its losing your job or simply a reprimand, ClearanceJobs senior editor Jill Hamilton joins the show to discuss some of the more common ways federal employees can create employment issues.

In the second half of the show, Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss travel issues for security clearance holders and applicants. Whether it's taking a job in a hot zone country or planning a trip to Canada and needing to self-report that to your security officer, foreign trips, visits, and employment can all have clearance implications.

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Security clearance due process issues and the twisty intersection of employment decisions and security clearance eligibility isn't a new topic. A new book shines the spotlight on one individual's issues with the clearance process, and potential issues with how security offices address employment issues. Mark Moyar, author and former political appointee, currently serving as the as the William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College. His latest book is called Masters of Corruption: How the Federal Bureaucracy Sabotaged the Trump Presidency. It talks about his time serving as a political appointee, along with how he believes the security clearance process was used to retaliate against his role and efforts to combat waste, fraud and abuse.

In the second half of the show, Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer discuss some of the crazier clearance cases that have been uncovered through the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The federal hiring process can be discouraging for all parties. Applicants often struggle with the black hole and long delays. Hiring managers have to deal with a host of regulatory and policy requirements that affect the hiring process. Katherine Kuzminski, Deputy Director of Studies and Program Director, Military, Veterans & Society at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins the show to discuss the civilian job search process and a 2023 report, The Future of National Security for Civilians.  

In the second half of the show Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss the differences in security clearances, and why the intelligence community security clearance process is such a beautiful and unique snowflake.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If the thought of a polygraph gives you sweaty palms you're not alone. The polygraph is known to be bunk science, but that hasn't stopped it as being a part of the Intelligence Community's employment process. The reason isn't the science - it's because the test is successful in getting individuals to reveal previously undisclosed information. Lindy Kyzer and Jill Hamilton with ClearanceJobs discuss recent news articles about the security clearance polygraph process.

In the second half of the program, Sean Bigley and Lindy discuss what the security clearance process is really designed for, and why your investigator is there to check boxes, and not make a value judgment on you.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recruiting and talent management in the federal government space remains a hot topic. Fortunately, a number of organizations are working alongside the federal government to enhance and improve the onboarding process and overall workplace culture. Michelle Amante, vice president, federal workforce solutions at Partnership for Public Service joins the podcast to share more about the many things her organization does. The partnership for public service offers key solutions in federal talent management, leadership development and workforce strategy. 

In the second half of the program, Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs discuss the Clearance Casanova - and why you should be wary of romantic overtures if you have a security clearance - and should also avoid using your clearance as pillow talk.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) implementation and oversight is barreling toward government agencies and contractors alike. CUI aims to help companies better protect the numerous information that may be sensitive, but not classified. Victoria Pillitteri, manager of the security engineering and risk management group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) joins the show to discuss CUI and new implementation guidance offered by NIST.

In the second half of the program, Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs and Sean Bigley, legal correspondent, discuss foreign influence and how it plays out in the security clearance process.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The national security workforce needs to onboard the next generation of security talent, but career pathways in the national security space aren't always linear, and you don't always find a clear path in a college career guide. Janet Nalls, director and chief of staff at Netcentrics joins the podcast to discuss national security and how she transitioned from an intelligence career supporting intelligence at agencies like ODNI and the White House, to her current role as chief of staff and Facility Security Officer with a government contractor. She talked about critical skills for an FSO, how to create a cohesive security program, and why disparate adjudicative decisions make the clearance process more complicated than it needs to be - and more!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This weekend the intelligence community is celebrating one of its highlight events of the year, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s William Oliver Baker Dinner. The event is a great engagement between current and former intelligence and national security community, and each year INSA recognizes the remarkable contributions of some of our nations incredible leaders. This year’s William Oliver Baker award is being awarded to retired Gen. Paul Nakasone. Nakasone recently retired as head of U.S cyber command and the National Security Agency, after decades of service in the U.S. Army. Gen. Nakasone joins the program to talk about the recognition and the path he sees forward in cyber.

In the second half of the show, ClearanceJobs' Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss the complicated topic of how litigation and lawsuits can come into play in the security clearance process.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Security threats are growing, and there is high demand for security professionals to work across the spectrum of security functions, from physical and personnel security to cybersecurity. Professional associations are a critical part of attracting and training the next generation of talent. NCMS is a non-profit professional security society, and they're gearing up for their annual seminar taking place in Nashville June 10-13. ClearanceJobs sat down with Stevie Dahl, NCMS board member and co-chair of the seminar planning committee. She discussed what to expect from this year's seminar, including keynote speakers Tracy Walder and John F. Edwards, and David Cattler and Matthew Redding with the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. From keynotes to networking and professional development, the NCMS Seminar has a lot to offer the security profession.

In the second half of the show, Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley of ClearanceJobs discuss the growing issue of marijuana use for security clearance applicants. As the government heads towards a possible change in how marijuana is scheduled, security clearance holders should be wary of jumping straight into drug use before ensuring they are on the right side of the law. Growing denials and revocations demonstrate that for the government, it's still 'just say no' until law has caught up with societal norms.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Women have played a central role in the intelligence community since it's foundation, but for a long time those stories were untold, and hidden by more than just a shadow of secrecy and security policy. In her recent book, The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA, Liza Mundy follows the stories of several women who joined the CIA at critical inflection points, and the roles they played in building the agency. From first female chief of station Eloise Page to Lisa Harper, who was one of the first women to make it into the CIA's Director of Operations, Liza joins the program to talk about how she wove these stories together and this remarkable history of women in the Agency.

In the second half of the program Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs discuss how water cooler talk can play into the security clearance process. With self-reporting guidelines indicating the need to report issues not just for yourself but observed in others, it's important to take issues seriously. But it's also important to understand what should actually be reported.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.