Volume 1, Issue 2
SE&M Solutions LLC publishes The In-Brief to help keep government and industry leaders aware of important issues in the personnel security, suitability, Trusted Workforce 2.0, background investigations, adjudications, counterintelligence, industrial security communities.
Articles of Interest
Moogs Facility Clearance Invalidated Over CEO Citizenship Status
WGRZ reports that Moog Inc. was notified Friday by the U.S. Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) , that its facility security clearance had been invalidated because its new CEO, Pat Roche, is not a U.S. citizen. Roche, who took over as CEO in February after John Scannell retired, is an Irish citizen who joined Moog in 2000. Moog, based in East Aurora NY, designs, and manufactures control systems for original equipment manufacturers and companies in the aerospace, defense, and industrial markets worldwide. DCSA’s Industrial Security mission plays the key oversight and regulatory role in addressing these issues.
National Emergency for Terrorism Extended Through 2024
The White House released a statement that extends Executive Order 13224 beyond September 23rd, 2023. The Executive Order was created on September 23rd, 2001, because of the terroristic attacks on 9/11 to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. President Biden is extending the national emergency for another year to continue to battle terrorism.
Steps Taken to Change Marijuana Classification & Impact on Federal Employment
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken a step to change marijuana classification by recommending that it changes from Class I to Class III on the federal government’s list of controlled substances. FEDWeek reports that this recommendation now goes to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is not expected to go under review until at least 2024. Under a Class I classification, it currently remains under the highest level of classification and usage can disqualify potential and current federal employees. The personnel vetting community across government continues to follow this issue as it directly impacts the security clearance and suitability processes.
How The Appeals Process at National Security Agency Moves
Berry & Berry, PLLC is a law firm based in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters. They describe the National Security Agency (NSA) and their security clearance process. The first step in appealing a decision from the NSA is a revocation or denial of security clearance/SCI letter issued by NSA. After the decision is notified by letter, If the contractor elects to challenge the Clearance Decision Statement, they will respond to the NSA’s security concerns in writing. Once the response to the Clearance Decision Statement is received by the NSA, the NSA Office of Personnel Security will review and issue a decision as to whether the security concerns against the government contractor have been dismissed or mitigated. If so, the matter is then resolved, and the clearance or SCI is restored. If not, the individual will be provided with a short decision briefly citing the reasons why the appeal was denied. If the contractor has elected to provide an in-person response (which is recommended), the next step is a meeting with the AAP. Any additional supporting documents must usually be submitted no later than 14 days prior to the AAP hearing. The AAP hearing is an in-person presentation. During this hearing before the AAP, counsel and the contractor will present their case asking for a reversal of the negative security clearance or SCI determination. Following the AAP hearing, they will issue a decision, usually within 1-3 weeks, either granting the clearance or access or issuing a final denial. For more details about the NSA clearance process, ARLnow provides more in-depth information.
New Leader for White House Counterintelligence Office is Confirmed in Senate
The Biden administration finally has a new leader for its counterintelligence office after the Senate easily confirmed Michael Casey for the job. Casey, the Democratic staff director for the Senate Intelligence Committee, was confirmed by unanimous consent on Tuesday to be director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). The Record reports that he was tapped in June for the post — which has sat empty for about two and a half years — and approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee in July. NCSC has the Security Executive Agent staff function for the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) who is a Principal member of the Security, Suitability, and Credentialing Performance Accountability Council (PAC).
Military Secrets Leaked on Gaming Forum
MSN reports that a ‘War Thunder’ player recently posted images from the F-117 Nighthawk’s flight manual on a forum that players frequent, marking the 12th time that classified or sensitive information has been shared in the video game’s community. ‘War Thunder’ is a multiplayer combat game that attempts to give users a hyper-realistic simulation of U.S. and foreign military technologies. The data about the stealth fighter posted by the ‘War Thunder’ user included locations of its sensors, engine specifications, and firing angles. Eventually, the entire thread in which the player posted about the F-117 was taken down. Gaming platforms continue to be a source of unauthorized disclosures of classified information.
Calls for Increased Security Checks in Australian Parliament
The United Kingdom had arrested two men, one of them a parliamentary staffer, over claims they were Chinese spies. Local media has reported the staffer allegedly had access to several MPs. Shadow home affairs and cyber security minister James Paterson told Sky News he feared Australia faced the same risk. The “Five Eyes” partners often share security best practices, and it will be interesting to see the impact of this case.
GDIT Cleared to Execute Initial Task Orders Under $4.5B Air Force Security Services
ExecutiveBiz reports that the US Government Accountability Office has cleared General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) as the awardee of all initial task orders under a United States Department of the Air Force contract for various security services, from personnel to cyber defense. The $4.5 billion Security Support Services indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a base period of performance of five years and an option period of five years. The contract goes into effect on November 15th.
One Decade After Navy Yard Shooting, Major Changes Made to ‘Insider Threat’ Approach
On Sept. 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis shot and killed 12 civilian and contractor employees at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) headquarters. Alexis also wounded four others before he was killed by law enforcement. Alexis was a former Navy reservist who held a secret security clearance and had access to NAVSEA headquarters through his job as a Navy IT contractor. Federal News Network states that one decade after the Washington Navy Yard shooting, officials and other experts say the tragedy has proven to be a catalyst in overhauling the government’s approach to managing potential security risks from its employees and contractors. The years following the shooting, the Defense Department established a central organization to manage “insider threats,” while the military services and other organizations also set up insider threat “hubs” to share information about potential risks from employees. United States Department of Defense has also taken over the background investigation process from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and adopted a more proactive approach to identifying red flags in an employee’s background.
U.S. Officials with Dementia May Pose National Security Threat
Current and former U.S. officials with dementia may pose a national security threat, according to a Pentagon-funded study that is bringing more scrutiny to aging politicians for recent apparent lapses in cognitive abilities. Just The News shares the study & that because people are living and working longer, “the workforce might experience a higher prevalence of dementia than in past generations,” the study, published by the RAND National Security Research Division earlier this year, states. “Taken together, we believe that an increasing number of cleared personnel – that is, personnel who hold or have held security clearances – have or will have dementia.”
Japan Plans to Create ‘Security Clearance’ System in 2024
The Japan Times reports that the country plans to create a security clearance system — granting some individuals special access to classified government data — in 2024 to prevent critical information from leaking to overseas entities, a government source has said. The move comes as “dual-use” technology — in which cutting-edge innovation developed by private businesses can be used for military purposes — has expanded. The plan is expected to be included in the country’s revised economic security bill next year.
Top-Secret Documents Travel Cross-Country Under Tight Security
Drivers with top-secret clearance recently hauled classified documents cross-country from Hanford to Washington, D.C. A tamper-indicating bolt and high-security lock secured their load: carefully packaged records documenting Hanford’s role in the Manhattan Project. Tri-Cities Business News reports the destination as the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration near Washington, D.C. The documents from the 1940s and 1950s outlined work done at the time the federal government established the Hanford site as a secret city, focused on producing plutonium for the bomb that helped end World War II.
Senate Launches Inquiry into Coast Guard Sexual Assault Coverups
CNN recently broke news that the US Senate has launched a formal inquiry into the U.S. Coast Guard‘s handling of a secret, yearslong investigation that found rapes, sexual assaults and other serious misconduct at the agency’s academy had been ignored and, at times, covered up by high-ranking officials. The investigation, which substantiated dozens of assaults and found that some of the accused had ascended to top roles at the Coast Guard and other military agencies. Many of the alleged victims, meanwhile, left the academy after reporting their assaults and had spent decades coping with severe negative effects to their careers and mental and physical health, according to the report and interviews with former academy cadets. Beyond the potential criminal charges that guilty officials face, U.S. Department of Homeland Security should be reviewing their security clearances and suspending or flagging them pending the outcome of the cases. If true, this dereliction of duty and abysmal failure to take care of their people warrants immediate attention.
Leidos to Provide Language Services to Chief Prosecutor Office Under $99M Contract
GovCon Wire reports that Leidos has secured a potential $98.9 million contract from Washington Headquarters Services to provide translation, interpretation, and transcription services to the @Office of the Chief Prosecutor. The contractor will assign a team of language experts with Top Secret or higher clearance to work at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and other locations, the Department of Defense said Thursday.
How Poppy Seeds Can Prevent You from Getting a Security Clearance
A military memo from earlier this year warned service chiefs of the military branches of a rise in positive drug tests related to poppy seed consumption, noting some were being contaminated in harvest with morphine and codeine. Poppy seeds already have trace amounts of opium alkaloids which could cause a false positive. In this Podcast posted on ClearanceJobs, Security clearance legal correspondent Sean Bigley and ClearanceJobs’ Lindy Kyzer weigh the risks and possibilities of a poppy seed positive drug test.
Upcoming Events and Conferences
2023 Fall Joint AIA/NDIA Industrial Security Committee Meeting
10/16/2023 – 10/18/2023
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort | Tucson, AZ
This bi-annual conference brings together executive-level security leadership and policymakers across the federal agencies and U.S. industry to address major government security topics warranting your attendance. Closed to media.
ClearanceJobs Connect 2023
10/19/2023
Hyatt Regency Reston | Reston, VA
ClearanceJobs Connect brings together leading recruiters in the national security space for a jam-packed day of networking, learning, and connecting with other professionals working to fill the jobs that safeguard our nation.
https://about.clearancejobs.com/employers/events/clearancejobs-connect-2023#register
NCMS 2023 Virtual Fall Conference Schedule
11/1/2023 – 11/2/2023
Virtual
https://ncms-seminar.org/index.php
National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) Meeting
11/15/2023
Virtual
National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) meetings serve as a forum to discuss policy issues in dispute and recommend changes to those policies as reflected in Executive Order 12829, as amended, its implementing directives, or the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). The meetings are open to the public.
https://www.archives.gov/isoo/oversight-groups/nisppac/committee.html
About SE&M
SE&M Solutions LLC is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. We are experts in personnel security, continuous vetting, Trusted Workforce 2.0 (TW2.0) policies, processes, and information technology. We offer professional services and IT support including staff augmentation, consulting, planning and implementation for clients in the federal, state, local and commercial sectors. For more information, contact SE&M at info@semsolutionsllc.com.