People often ask the question, “How do I get a security clearance? Or how can my company get one?”
My first response is to market yourself. There is nothing you can do to get a clearance until someone sees value in your product or service and patronizes the business for a security clearance.
Value is simply someone who has a tangible need for a particular product or service and wants to put you on an already classified contract in order to use your products or services.
There are many jobs that require clearance or security services and some of those jobs include cleaning services, engineering services, secretarial services, you name it. There are many opportunities to obtain a security clearance. However, one cannot simply obtain a security clearance in preparation for work. The job offer comes first.
The first step is to be sponsored by a federal government entity, government contracting agency (GCA), or other defense contract or contract. Once a business entity has established a need, it can be sponsored for security clearance.
Government contractors receive classified contracts as part of doing business
A few years ago, I was on a talk show on radio, TV, and I couldn’t really say much because the hosts on the show went on and on about their surprise that the government allowed businesses to have security clearances and work on classified ads. . work and your opinion. In his opinion, there was no oversight and it was irresponsible to allow someone other than a government entity to have classified information.
I talked as much as I could about it, but I got yelled at. There was no point in trying to address irrational thinking there, but I just wanted to let you know that yes, civilian employees and civilian business entities can have a security clearance.
The way it works is the GCA, which is an agency of the federal government, like the department of defense or the department of energy. They will have a contractual need to purchase services or products from contractors. But let’s get back real quick. The GCA is a designated original classification authority, which means that it is capable of classifying information. At the highest level, the US President is the original classification authority. However, the president of the United States does not go through an investigation process. Because of his position they get to enjoy the benefits of having a license to be able to do their job as president.
They delegate their OCA responsibility to the department of defense, department of energy, CIA, FBI, all these other government organizations. Government agencies are the ones who judge what is classified. Contractors or civil organizations do not do that. They are what are called derivative classification authorities. They can only use and produce things that are already classified.
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