Security Clearance Careers Podcast: Recent Episodes

ClearanceJobs

ClearanceJobs is the largest career networking site for individuals with active federal clearances. Get security clearance, intelligence community, espionage, national security and defense contracting updates in our exclusive interviews with IC and government leaders.

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Navigating the military transition and deciding what is next for your career trajectory is not a simple answer - it requires asking and answering insightful questions for yourself and your family about what kind of work / life balance you prefer, if location is imperative, salaries needed to live comfortably, and what you actually enjoy doing.

Sometimes working in a security clearance career is a prospect. And sometimes being your own boss as an entrepreneur is the best decision you can make.

Dean Wegner, who attended West Point and served in the U.S. Army as a Captain - Helicopter Pilot and Army Ranger - joins the podcast to talk about how he married two missions very important to him after service: creating jobs in the U.S. and being his own boss.

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Working a contract onsite as a billable employee can feel extremely disconnecting from the defense contractor you’re employed under. Burnout can run rampant as you rarely see the light of day while working in a SCIF. Corner offices of executive level leadership look attractive - they come with more sunlight, more responsibility, but even more rewards.

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"Hacker in Heels" is a term that often refers to women who are involved in the field of cybersecurity or hacking, a traditionally male-dominated industry.

The Hacker in Heels organization, which provides resources, training, and networking opportunities specifically for women interested in cybersecurity. By offering courses, mentorship, and a supportive community, such organizations strive to break down barriers and create a more inclusive environment in the tech industry.

Maril Vernon and Stacey Champagne didn’t have technical backgrounds in cybersecurity but are now incredible disruptors in this space. Stacey was a visual information specialist for the government and Maril came from marketing. But both wanted to increase their earning potential in a field that they knew was never going away both in the private / commercial sector and defense. Also, as hosts of the Cyber Queens Podcast, they hope to help women level up in technical careers and increase female and LGBTQ diversity in cybersecurity.

This is the first episode of a two part series - which will teach you what you need to do to get your foot in the door, and their experiences sometimes being the only women in the room.

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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.

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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.

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What's up with federal and national security careers in the last month? Here are the federal opportunities available, clearance process changes to consider, and two contractors to target in your job search.

Expanded Opportunities for Entry Level Jobs in the Federal GovernmentThe Office of Personnel Management (OPM) enhanced the Pathways Program for early career talent in the federal government by:

Expanding skills-based hiring
Increasing starting salaries for recent graduates
Facilitating interns' conversion to permanent positions
OPM's goal is to improve talent pipelines in federal agencies and offer opportunities across various sectors and industries.

The programs are interns, recent graduates, Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs), and Enhanced Recruitment Tools.

Changes to SF-86 Drug Questions Hide a Nasty Surprise for Some ApplicantsSecurity clearance applicants traditionally completed Standard Form (SF) 86 for background checks, including questions on drug use. A new "Personnel Vetting Questionnaire" (PVQ) combines SF-86 with SF-85 and SF-85P, separating drug use questions into cannabis and other illegal drugs categories. Despite these changes, caution is advised for applicants due to potential implications. The National Adjudicative Guidelines for Security Clearances – the standards against which all applicants are assessed – remain currently unchanged, as does the Federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The use of federally legal cannabis derivatives (i.e., those with a THC concentration of 0.3% or less by dry weight pursuant to the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act) can result in a positive drug test that could hurt the ability to maintain access to classified info.

This most important thing regarding these changes is a federal law known as the Bond Amendment. This law prevents agencies from granting a clearance to anyone currently using marijuana. Federal agencies have interpreted “current” to mean any use of a drug within the last year. But some reports indicate that the new questionnaire will shorten the reporting period for past marijuana use to only 90 days. If true, this disparity in questions language and policy may further confuse applicants on an already murky topic.

Praxis Interns Dive Deep into Tech, Bridge Local and Global ChallengesPraxis interns have been assigned the responsibility of utilizing AI to extract essential details from videos. This extracted information enables users to search for videos without the need to watch them. The interns were given a collection of more than 700 cell phone videos (approximately 10 hours) that were recorded during the January 6 Capitol Riot. The team concentrated on analyzing various aspects of the videos, including audio, images, and metadata.

Praxis interns collected sample data by intercepting packets sent by mobile devices to a designated router. Using this data, they were able to show the value of various analysis techniques by creating two applications: CometGo and CometLo.

Impactful Missions in Law Enforcement at Booz AllenBooz Allen employees work on missions for the greater good, including law enforcement collaborations to streamline processes and prevent threats. Team members share their experiences and address common questions about working in law enforcement at Booz Allen.

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Doxxing issues are on the rise, along with deep fakes and AI. What can you do if someone posts your personal information online? If you're a security clearance holder, should you be concerned about the security risks of doxxing? On the other side, what if you take things too far in an online dispute and find yourself having doxxed someone - could you face clearance issues?

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Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into business operations can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and foster innovation. To successfully integrate AI, companies should consider a strategic and structured approach.

Brianna Van Zanten, military brat and Customer Success Manager at InCheq, and a task management expert joins the podcast to talk about how modern task management tools are revolutionizing productivity and collaboration in the workforce.

On this episode, we chat about integrating AI and machine learning for smarter task prioritization, enhancing team collaboration through these cloud-based platforms, streamlining workflows in remote and hybrid work environments, and leveraging data analytics for continuous process improvement.

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Your favorite national security pop culture talk is back with Eric Pecinovsky, vice president of marketing at ClearanceJobs and resident documentary expert. He discusses the 2017 documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, now streaming on Netflix. While best known as a Hollywood starlet, she should be most remembered for her significant technical and scientific achievements. Lamarr coinvented a radio guidance system called frequency hopping, considered the forerunner to Bluetooth technology.

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a significant and concerning issue among U.S. veterans, stemming from the unique and often harrowing experiences faced during military service. PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. For veterans, these events can include combat exposure, training accidents, sexual assault during service, and other traumatic experiences.

Northwest Battle Buddies is a noble and inspiring organization dedicated to providing service dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD and other psychological challenges resulting from their military service. Founded on the belief that no veteran should face the battle for normalcy alone after serving their country, this nonprofit aims to empower veterans by partnering them with specifically trained service dogs. These dogs are not just pets, but lifelines to a better quality of life, offering companionship, security, and a sense of independence.

The founder joins the podcast to discuss their work.

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In an era where our digital footprint is as significant as our physical presence, maintaining robust cyber hygiene is crucial for protecting personal information and ensuring online safety. Katie Helbling tests Phoebe Wells' knowledge on some cyber practices on the third episode of the ClearanceJobs Gameshow.

Test your own knowledge with the questions / answers:

What is a common method hackers use to gain access to passwords? Phishing
What is NOT a type of malware? Freeware
What does the term "VPN" stand for, and what is its primary purpose? Virtual Private Network; to secure and privatize your internet connection
What is considered the weakest for securing accounts? Using the same password for multiple accounts
What is the main function of a Firewall in computer security? To monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules

Here are ten tips to bolster your cyber defenses:

Use Strong, Unique Passwords: The foundation of good cyber hygiene starts with strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. Consider using a passphrase or a password manager to generate and store complex passwords that are difficult to crack.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an extra layer of security beyond just a password can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your accounts. Two-factor authentication requires a second form of verification, such as a text message code or an authentication app, to log in.
Regularly Update Software and Systems: Cyber attackers exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software and operating systems. Regular updates help patch these security holes and protect your devices from malware and other cyber threats.
Be Wary of Phishing Attempts: Phishing emails or messages attempt to trick you into giving away sensitive information. Be skeptical of unsolicited communications, especially those that request personal data or direct you to a webpage where you need to input your details.
Use Secure Networks: Public Wi-Fi networks can be hotspots for cybercriminals to intercept your data. Use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and shield your online activities from prying eyes.
Backup Your Data: Regularly back up important data to an external drive or cloud storage. In the event of a cyber attack, such as ransomware, you can restore your data from the backup without succumbing to the demands of cyber extortionists.
Educate Yourself About Cyber Threats: Awareness is your first line of defense. Stay informed about the latest cyber threats and the best practices for avoiding them.
Secure Your Home Network: Change the default username and password on your home router and enable WPA3 encryption to protect your Wi-Fi network from unauthorized access.
Limit Personal Information Shared Online: The more information you share online, the easier it is for a cybercriminal to target you. Be mindful about what personal details you post on social media and other websites.
Use Antivirus Software: Install reputable antivirus software on your devices to provide real-time protection against malware and other cyber threats. Ensure it's set to update automatically for the best defense.

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National security news encompasses a wide array of topics, all of which are pivotal to the safety and stability of nations around the world. These topics range from cyber threats and espionage to military developments and geopolitical shifts. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of global affairs, national security news often reflects the current state of international relations, highlighting both emerging threats and ongoing efforts to foster peace and security.

Here are the top read news headlines last month.

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Let's say you've 'padded' your resume with some vanity job titles and additional duties. Will those resume details come up in the course of your clearance investigation. Some security clearance applicants think twice when they realize the clearance verification process may dig up some employment details those don't exactly match.

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Kate Gunderson's childhood was filled with dreams of contributing to humanity's exploration of space, with her eyes always fixed on the sky. Immediately after college, she landed her dream job at NASA's Johnson Space Center. In the Aircraft Operations Division, she offered engineering assistance for Johnson Space Center's extensive fleet of more than 20 aircraft. These aircraft are crucial for astronaut training, scientific missions, and ensuring astronaut safety. As NASA's youngest Flight Science Officer, she flew on two Gulfstream aircraft, participating in airborne science expeditions and supporting astronauts on missions worldwide.

She joins the podcast to discuss the steps she took toward living out her dream career, empowering women in STEM, and what’s next for her in the world of security clearances.

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Part 2 of our podcast with Dr. Gerald Auger who is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences at The Citadel in Charleston and a content creator and founder simplycyber.io. He really he brings Information security related content to help IT or Information Security professionals take their career further, faster. So, being a cybersecurity guru of sorts – he also spent sometime supporting DIB as a contractor.

Today we chat about CMMC 2.0, the FBI issuing a alert on Russian threats targeting Ubiquiti routers, the FBI warning that China’s computer attacks are at a greater scale than ever seen before, and how the US healthcare sector is a big target for ransomware attacks.

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National security headlines help us to remember recent events and shape what the DoD / IC landscape look like moving forward in the months to come.

For this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, the content team runs through some of the top breaking news over the last month.

Tech Layoffs Could Be the New Normal and the Hot, New Job in 2024The tech industry job cuts this year have puzzled many, given the substantial cash reserves of numerous firms. Despite a slowdown in the pandemic, layoffs continue, with 209 tech companies eliminating 50,312 jobs since January, as reported by Layoffs.fyi. Key players like Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft have also followed suit, driving tech sector job reductions to levels reminiscent of the dot-com bust. Though some anticipated relief this year, the high number of cuts persists, leaving employees struggling in what was once a thriving job market. The primary reason behind this trend? Stock prices. Layoffs can elevate share values, leading companies to sustain this pattern. This situation might become the new norm in tech employment, with workers growing accustomed to it and investors content. Only time will reveal if this trend endures.

National Security Compensation Sets Record HighDuring a year characterized by inflation and budget uncertainties, companies made decisive moves by introducing substantial salary increases. In 2023, successful candidates saw a significant 6% rise in their compensation, raising the average cleared salary to a record high of $114,946. For the second consecutive year, 67% of respondents noted an increase in their base pay. “The state of the national security job market remains strong,” said Evan Lesser, Founder and President of ClearanceJobs.

DoD AI Vision Offers New Opportunities for Job Seekers with Key SkillsetsDuring the recent DoD 2024: Defense Data and AI Symposium, led by the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office in Washington, D.C., the Pentagon presented the objectives required to sustain its "DoD AI Hierarchy of Needs." The strategy emphasizes quality data, governance, insightful analytics and metrics, assurance, and responsible AI.

White House Pushes Pay Equity for Federal Employees and ContractorsOn January 29, 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law by then-President Barack Obama. The act aimed to enhance the enforcement of equal pay laws. The Biden administration recently commemorated the 15th anniversary of a significant federal pay equity law. Additionally, they emphasized the need for new measures to address pay gaps among federal employees and employees of federal contractors. According to a statement released by the White House on January 29, women workers still earn an average of 84 cents for every dollar earned by men. The disparities are even more pronounced for many women of color, resulting in significant financial losses over their lifetimes. In a move to promote pay equity, the White House issued two Executive Orders targeting the federal workforce and employees of federal contractors.

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Supply chain security is a term that is often discussed but rarely understood. Many definitions of supply chain are still centered on a logistics and physical infrastructure focused definition. Theresa Campobasso, Senior Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Exiger Government Solutions, joins Security Clearance Insecurity to talk about the 21st century supply chain. She shares more about how successful supply chain security integrates the physical and cyber, the supply chain security career track, and emerging threats and opportunities in supply chain security.

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Part 1 of our podcast with Dr. Gerald Auger who is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences at The Citadel in Charleston and a content creator and founder simplycyber.io. He really he brings Information security related content to help IT or Information Security professionals take their career further, faster. So, being a cybersecurity guru of sorts – he also spent sometime supporting DIB as a contractor.

Today we give tactical tips on how to get a job in the cybersecurity field and how businesses can better align with the current market to fill their cybersecurity roles.

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Disinformation continues to threaten the spread of accurate information about issues at home and abroad. For women in national security, in particular, there are risks for being a public facing voice. Nina Jankowicz, disinformation expert and author of the book ‘How to Be a Woman Online’ joins the show to discuss why online harassment continues to be such a pervasive issue and what women can do about it.

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In honor of Women’s History Month, the ClearanceJobs Content Team tests our knowledge on women in national security. This the second installment of our Game Show and is all about the glass-breaking ladies of national security.

Listen in as host Katie Helbling tests Phoebe Wells' knowledge on this important topic. Spoiler alert: she fails miserably! Don't miss this hilarious and informative episode.

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Selling and delivering solutions to the federal government takes a different approach than the typical sales cycle. Commercial sector companies sometimes find success in bringing a product or solution to the federal government, but then struggle to grow their businesses and get that critical next contract. Kristin Sargent founded Sargent Initiatives to help companies execute for defense customers. She joins the show to talk about the critical time we’re in today. More emerging and innovative companies are looking to work with the federal government, even as the government deals with the ongoing problem of continuous resolutions and underfunded support programs. Supporting the federal government, and classified contracts, in particular, requires well-oiled operations, including the work done by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).

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In mentorship programs, 25% of mentored employees experienced salary grade changes, compared to just 5% among non-participants. Furthermore, DEI mentorship programs are credited by 80% of employees for fostering inclusivity, skill development, and sponsorship.

Career development expert Janice Omadeke, who was one of the first 100 Black women in the United States to raise over $1M in seed funding for a tech startup, joins the podcast to dive further into the benefits for mentorship programs— for both the employer and employees.

Drawing from her forthcoming book, Mentorship Unlocked: The Science and Art of Setting Yourself Up for Success and from her own experience in the defense contracting space, Janice discusses the unwritten rules of working for a contractor and how having a mentor while navigating the old boys club was critical.

But finding a mentor was no piece of cake and finding the right one takes self reflection and awareness. Janice says, “If you’re only focused on the shininess of someone's title, you could be missing out on a really engaging relationship.“ People may miss out on other leaders that are more accessible and really could catapult you into the next step up in your career. In this episode, Janice also touches on:

Reasons your company should adopt a mentorship program
The importance of building mentorship programming that helps BOTH parties— not just one
Things to consider when building out a new mentorship program or revamping an existing one
Matching mentors with mentees: The do’s and dont’s
The benefits of mentorship for employees
Debunking myths associated with mentorship

Janice can also draw from her personal experience, specifically with The Mentor Method, an enterprise software she created that transforms company culture through mentorship. While she built the software she notes, “Sometimes meaningful mentorship matches come from humans not machines. It’s important to let them decide and know that they have a choice.”

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Bartholomew Perez got his start in mechanical engineering after leaving home for university, later earned his Masters in Architecture-based Enterprise Systems Engineering, then got a Professional Certificate in Electronic Warfare Technology. He worked for one of the top defense contractors in this space and is now a program lead amongst other things. Perez didn't serve in the US military and was born to immigrant parents. He joins the podcast to discuss the scares of what applying for a clearance may mean for his family.

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The security clearance is by nature intrusive – and dredges up a number of details that would never see the light of day in a traditional employment process. How can the government work to ensure greater equity and inclusion in light of the potential for bias inherent in personnel vetting? A recent report released by RAND looks into the potential for bias and inequity in the clearance process. Sina Beaghley, senior defense researcher and Jessica Welburn Paige, behavioral scientist with RAND discuss the report and simple steps the government can take to make the security clearance process more equitable for diverse applicants.

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Vice Admiral (Ret.) Mike LeFever of the US Navy is the former Director of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center.

Mike heads up Concentric, one of the world's most influential privately held security firms and are co-authors of the best selling book End Game First: A Leadership Strategy for Navigating Crisis and Business.

In the book, he details how the national security industry has changed rapidly over the past few decades, writing "...men with guns can’t protect you from a virus, an online threat, or crypto-driven cyber extortion."

This former Director of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center crashes the podcast to spill the tea on leadership, security, how high-profile companies can survive a cyber-attack, and shares epic tales from the humanitarian battlefield!

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If you work in national security and with classified information, you may come across the highly nuanced issue of dealing with how to address classified information that may seemingly need to be listed on the SF-86 - be it work locations, sources or foreign contacts, or other issues - how do you address that?

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The military transition, though difficult in a number of ways for each person, proves to be an obstacle for service members shifting from one phase of their life to another.

Eric Ryan, a US Air Force veteran, is the Sr. Director of Military Operations at the University of Phoenix – here he manages all functions of the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, including engagement, outreach, operations, training, amongst other things for military-affiliated students and staff.

He joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to highlight some recent studies they have conducted.

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Security clearance reciprocity and transfer of trust remain key topics in the security clearance reform process. The security clearance process has been on and off the Government Accountability Office (GAO) high risk list for several years. The GAO high risk list flags programs ‘vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or in need of transformation.’ Alissa H. Czyz, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, discusses a recently released GAO report on the transfer of personnel security clearances. The GAO identified issues with technology and also the - irony rich - issue of agencies lack of trust in the security clearance processes and eligibility of other personnel.

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Micromanagement, while often well-intentioned, can have several negative consequences in the workplace. One major issue is decreased morale and motivation among employees. When workers feel like they are constantly being scrutinized and their every move is being controlled, it can lead to feelings of frustration, disempowerment, and lack of trust in their abilities. This can result in decreased productivity and creativity as employees may feel stifled and demotivated to perform at their best.

No one likes to be micromanaged, but that is what happens in most organizations when leaders manage people instead of their promises, says management trainer Eric Papp. His new book, Manage Promises Not People: How to Create a Self-Managing Team, reveals the superpower every leader has, but most fail to use: honoring their word to build trust, drive success and increase their power.

He joins the podcast to discuss the negative impacts this can have on your workforce.

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Taxes are complicated. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, a number of cleared professionals and applicants find themselves falling into tax issues. Unfortunately, taxes can cause big problems, and may require a tax attorney, accountant, or some kind of professional financial assistance to help you ensure you're doing things correctly. Common issues come from unpaid taxes, tax issues from an estate, or small business or payroll tax issues for employees.

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Symone B, who joined the podcast last year for Unlocking Success in GovTech: Insider Tips to Make Over $200,000 and Navigate the Cleared Job Search, discussed their story and how they were able to climb up the ladder in this industry from a really young age.

For this episode, we dive in a little bit more into the national security tech industry and talk about many of the hottest GovTech (Government Technology) jobs that pay really well.

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The path to a security clearance isn't always straightforward - and sometimes it winds its way through a graveyard or two. Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss some of the more unexpected security clearance defenses that have been used over the years. Including the time an applicant argued he was so in love with this country - he'd already bought his burial plot.

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ClearanceJobs is the largest cleared career marketplace or networking platform for job seekers with an active security clearance and recruiters looking to hire cleared talent. In this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, the content team drills down on the top ten preferred fields or niches within the national security sector.

Intelligence

Military and Law Enforcement

IT - Security

Management

Aerospace and Aviation

IT - Support

Logistics

Security

IT - Software

Business - Support

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Punk and innovation – a match made in the mosh pit? Dan Ward, a retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and author of the recently released Punk: Prompts and Provocations for Authentic Innovations discusses the book and why a little bit of punk may be just the unexpected angle your problem needs. In Ward’s extensive career as a program manager and innovator, he’s seen the benefit of looking at complex problems from different viewpoints. Whether you’re a fan of punk music or not, the book is worth checking out. From how to channel anger, to why fresh perspectives are often the needed ones, how to make some noise, and use your authentic voice, Punk is a great addition to the innovator’s toolkit.

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Imagine you get a notification that $800 was transferred out of your account from an “authorized user” when you’re the only one with access. Phishing attacks, online scams, and cyber criminals in general, are becoming more commonplace but also are finessing their sophistication in the ways they attack.

BuddoBot is a veteran and minority-owned business, that specializes in authentic offensive cybersecurity. They believe that by emulating real-world attacks continuously, they go beyond traditional automated scanning and compliance. Luke Secrist, CEO of BuddoBot and US Marine Corps veteran, joins the podcast to talk all things cybersecurity, whether you are a user or company looking to strengthen your efforts.

What Marine Corps nickname does Luke prefer? Devil Dog, Leatherneck, and he’s not opposed to jarhead.

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Operating under Continuing Resolutions is no longer the exception – it’s the norm. But what happens to innovation in the defense industry when the budget process becomes an annual race to the fiscal cliff? Jane Lee, Chief Government Relations Officer at Rebellion Defense discusses how the current government budget process affects defense contracting. She also addresses innovative approaches to making the budget process better, and her role in the Software in Defense Coalition.

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What's it like playing with the big dogs of the Department of Defense (DoD) / Intelligence Community (IC) as a small business? Tasha Jones, president and owner of Twenty39 joins the podcast to discuss all things national security, from her time serving in the military to the transition, getting a federal job as a govvie, working as a contractor and now being her own girl boss running her company and doing some side hustles along the way. Many ClearanceJobs job seekers run into issues after the military like experiencing failed USAJobs applications, but she decided to take destiny into your own hands as an entrepreneur.

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Leslie Weinstein interviews Wistar “Star” Hardison, Defense Cyber Workforce Governance Program Manager/Workforce Innovation Directorate about the critical topic of workforce development across the DIB and particularly the cybersecurity workforce. How is DoD looking to address current employment gaps and what do we need to do to ensure the proper cyber understanding across the workforce?

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Does Classified Information Enter the Recruiting Funnel?

Recruiters are the firsthand professionals in staffing for the national security industry. Many of these conversations surround security clearance topics and missions, but it is rare that classified information enters the recruiting funnel in phone screens and interviews.

That being said, a valid question as recruiters are flooded with LinkedIn messages from offshore staffing firms, is offshoring your recruiting efforts an OPSEC issue?

A veteran recruiter in the DoD space joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to discuss the implications of offshoring your cleared sourcing or recruiting efforts.

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The federal government hiring process comes with unique challenges. What are simple steps that could be taken today to improve the process? ClearanceJobs chats with Michaela Flatau, chief unicorn collector (i.e. ‘putting the human back in human resources’) for Defense Unicorns. Defense Unicorns is an innovative software development/delivery company, competing for the best tech talent with some of the hottest missions in government. Flatau shares her journey from government employee to government contractor, and what she sees as key struggles in the government hiring process.

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CISA's Chief Integration Officer Bridget Bean spoke in depth with us on the latest episode of ClearedCast to discuss the vital role of its ten regional offices.

Learn more about CISA!

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AI is taking over every industry - but what about security. How could artificial intelligence be used in the security clearance process? Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs discuss the use of AI in the job search and application process, and how AI is already being discussed as a force multiplier to improve personnel vetting.

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Much about the clearance process resembles the Pirate’s Code: “more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” For this reason, we maintain ClearanceJobsBlog.com – a forum where clearance seekers can ask the cleared community for advice on their specific security concerns.

Ask CJ is a weekly series we write that explores questions posed on the ClearanceJobs Blog forum, emails received, and comments on our site. We always recommend consulting an attorney regarding your specific situation, but some recent Ask CJ questions that were answered include how to renounce your citizenship for security clearance purposes, what protective or restraining orders can do to your clearance, or should you appeal your CIA security clearance denial decision.

Tune in to hear the top viewed Ask CJ articles to help answer your questions on the security clearance application process.

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While it’s easier to see women at work across national security, the overall numbers still point toward a community that struggles to both attract and advance women in critical national security roles. #NatSecGirlSquad is a professional development community dedicated to supporting women in the national security space. #NatSecGirlSquad and Unicorn Strategies founder Maggie Feldman Piltch discussed why supporting women in this space remains an important task and shared more about their upcoming conference, taking place January 8 and 9 in downtown D.C.

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With competition for the best talent, the government has to look at all aspects of the hiring process and how it can make improvements to both attract and onboard the best. The security clearance process is one aspect of that. A recent report by RAND and commissioned by the Performance Accountability Council studies the security clearance process and how candidate experience best practices could apply.

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The cleared job market will remain challenging into 2024. ClearanceJobs Founder and President Evan Lesser shares more about the state of the security clearance hiring market, and what recruiters and employers can do to get ahead in their hiring efforts. Community and connection will be key, along with a shift on recruiting metrics. Making a hire can no longer be the primary goal, but savvy employers will consider how to grow their brand and networking efforts.

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Today we’re joined by Steve Winterfeld who is the advisory CISO at Akamai Technologies, a cloud computing company. Steve helps Akamai CISO’s solve their most pressing issues and provide insights on security capability roadmaps. In addition to providing thought leadership as the cybersecurity industry transitions to DevOps and combats online attacks, Akamai produced a report: The State of Segmentation 2023.

Overcoming deployment obstacles proves to be transformational, and the white paper examines how different companies of varying sizes approach segmentation as part of their overall security strategy.

Today we discuss the takeaways.

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Today we’re continuing the four-part series highlighting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

This episode focuses on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, commonly referred to as NICCS. Antonio Scurlock is the Deputy Chief Learning Officer and oversees the online platform.

Visit NICCS: https://niccs.cisa.gov/

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A common fear for security clearance applicants is what to do if a reference paints a bad picture during a background investigation interview. Many applicants fear the ex, the neighbor, or the old coworker who may have an ax to grind and seek to take down the security clearance applicant in the process. The reality is background investigators are pros at spotting someone who just has a beef, and what poses a real counterintelligence risk.

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Many employees are experiencing burnout, especially with the denormalization of the 9 to 5 workday. Thanks to cell phones and computer access, employees now take work home with them too.

Trevor Bogan, Regional Director at Top Employers Institute joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast and provides valuable insights regarding burnout and how employees can counteract it.

Burnout is a term used to describe the feeling of exhaustion, both physical and emotional, that comes from prolonged exposure to stress. Employees who suffer from burnout may feel disconnected from their work and their colleagues, and may struggle to find the motivation to perform their daily tasks. This can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and higher employee turnover rates.

Those who come from the armed services are no stranger to this, and SCIF life while other industries are working from home 100% of the time can perpetuate this burnout in addition to some jealous tendencies.

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CISA's Veterans Program Manager Keith Cassant spoke with ClearanceJobs about his military transition and how CISA helped him reinvent himself.

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Legislation gets pushed almost every year advocating for a change in federal drug policies. In addition, many congressional members have also pushed to open up career opportunities in federal government for marijuana users. Clearance holders should read the fine print and know that even if some of the policies change around federal employment, that may not mean security clearance holders can partake. Pre-and-post employment rules matter, and current efforts to change the law are just proposals - until something gets signed into law, federal marijuana rules should keep clearance holders away from drugs, even if they're legalized at the state level.

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The Military Officer Association of America (MOAA) is the nation's largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization. They are a great partner of ClearanceJobs in acting as a resource for our military community.

MOAA's Senior Director, Career Transition and Member Services, Col. Brian D. Anderson, USAF (Ret), joins the podcast to chat about the power of networking as you are navigating your military (including spouses) transition.

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Ana Montes spied on behalf of communist Cuba for 17 years. A new book by former FBI agent Peter Lapp discusses how Montes was able to carry out as a dangerous insider for nearly two decades, and his own career journey with the FBI. In our interview, we discuss how the book outlines loyalties “from both sides of the equation,” and what took one person down a path to protecting and defending America’s interest, and how another chose to betray her country. Montes was recently released from prison, making it a timely discussion as those in national security continue to study what makes an insider.

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For this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, we discuss a pretty common topic amongst government work: continuing resolutions. Operations for federal agencies are funded annually, but when appropriation bills are not passed by the start of the October 1 FY start, Congress uses a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government for the short-term. Continuing resolutions are interim stopgaps, usually enacted to avoid a government shutdown.

More recently, the United States Senate pushed forward a bill that funds the government through a continuing resolution and will make sure that the DoD can continue working, and just as important during the holiday season, that service members will continue to get a paycheck.

This is the second time this year that we have avoided a government shutdown, but this has started to become a pattern over the last decade. Continuing resolutions may be short-term good news, but this repetition has some major implications and impact service members, civilian workers, and their families.

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Middle-aged adults are binge-drinking and using weed at record levels according to the New York Times, in a recent study. What is the catalyst here? Are people just burned out and over it? If people are hitting the bottle and turning to marijuana as a means to escape life, or if being stuck at home during COVID led people to start exploring other recreational hobbies, all of these trends can affect your security clearance if you partake.

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The newest jobs report reveals veteran unemployment rate was 2.9% last month, down from 3.6% in September. November is Military Families Month, so for this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast we discuss recruiting, hiring, and workplace issues for veterans – everything from upskilling and reskilling, to how some interviewers overlook valuable assets and experiences veterans bring to the table.

Kathleen Quinn Votaw is the CEO of TalenTrust, a strategic recruiting and human capital consulting firm. Quinn Votaw is the author of two books, DARE to CARE IN THE WORKPLACE: A Guide to the New Way We Work, and Solve the People Puzzle: How High-Growth Companies Attract & Retain Top Talent.

Regarded as a key disruptor in her industry, she has helped thousands of companies across multiple industries develop purpose-based, inclusive communities that inspire employees to come to work. Veterans, like many other populations, look for certain cues that a company is going to be military friendly. When it comes to recruiting them to your organization, retaining them, and how recruiters can reach veteran talent before the next company, that requires a certain finesse, as well.

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Are you in tune with the 13 adjudicative guidelines? Your national security job and your eligibility for maintaining a security clearance depends on them. Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss the education and guidance that is critical for providing information to applicants and maintaining the cleared workforce.

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In the inaugural episode of a four-part podcast series with the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency, ClearanceJobs speaks with Sandy Radesky. The Associate Director of Vulnerability Management at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) delves into the world of cybersecurity and the vital role CISA plays in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure.

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It’s Military Families Month so for this episode of the Security Clearance Careers podcast we discuss a portion of our audience within the defense community: reservists. The term “military” refers to the military community, defined as the individuals serving as active duty, reserve, guard, veterans, or military spouses. Military friendly employers have a commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable benefits or employment options for the military community.

Some of the biggest military friendly employers are Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, Naval Nuclear Laboratory, and Aerojet Rocketdyne, to name a few.

But reservists are unique in their own way. And our guest today is hoping employers take it a bit further and become not only military friendly, but really reservist friendly.

10 years ago, DC native US Army Reserve Captain Eric Evans enlisted in the Army National Guard, a decision that would change the course of his life and inspire a remarkable journey of support for fellow National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. Being in the Guard, Evans saw big obstacles, especially when it came time to tell his employer of his commitment to attend Army Basic Combat Training. Evans was then strategically forced out of work with this employer – as deployments, drills, and other training required time off from his civilian job, informing them of training led to his dismissal.

But this negative experience isn’t the overarching theme of this story.

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Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss ageism in the security clearance process. This is a real issue for people, particularly for drug cases in the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), in that they should have known better. Is there gray hair discrimination in the Pentagon? Tune in to this episode to learn more.

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Today we are joined by Teresa Shea, who has served more than 35 years in intelligence and defense within the public and private sectors. She served as executive vice president of technology and director of cyber reboot at In-Q-Tel, and prior to that had a distinguished 32 career with the National Security Agency ending as the director of signals intelligence. So she's currently the president of Oplnet, LLC, and serves on many boards as an advisor with a passion for a safer and more secure nation. For this episode, we are going to bust some notorious myths about working in the Intelligence Community and how to get a job at NSA.

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Will doing personal business on the government clock cause a security clearance issue? Sean Bigley, legal correspondent and Lindy Kyzer, ClearanceJobs.com, discuss the squishy separation between work and professional that can sometimes arise. Is the government tracking your time card, and can time card fraud affect your security clearance? On the other side, private contractors may also find themselves wondering what they can do during working hours and how that will affect their employment status. Some things are hard and fast rules - like not accessing pornography on a workplace device. Other things - like can you do your laundry - is definitely a gray area.

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A few members of the ClearanceJobs content team chat about five tips to get a response from a company or a recruiter while you're job seeking.

This topic is important because as we've been attending a ton of career events and engaging with candidates, we've noticed that job seekers aren't necessarily familiar with all of the features the ClearanceJobs platform has to offer. We think it's time for a 101 on how to effectively use our website as a job seeker as we hear candidates say "I don't hear from a recruiter", "my applications must get lost", or "I can't get a job on your website". As a candidates, you can certainly upload their resume and let it hang there, which is fine if you have a very in-demand skillset or clearance. But across the board, likely you are not going to have many recruiters just reaching out immediately. So, if you are a motivated candidate seeking a new job, we're going to chat about what you should really be doing on the ClearanceJobs platform to get the most traction.

This podcast is brought to you by the global defense team at Booz Allen Hamilton. Their experts leverage innovative technologies to aid work across the Department of Defense—delivering tomorrow’s technologies at the heart of the mission. Interested in accelerating results across the warfighting lifecycle? Explore global defense careers at boozallen.com/DefenseCareers.

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Be wary of the CMMC certification experts and gurus online and in your inboxes. They may be able to do gap assessments and prepare you, but no one knows hard requirements just yet.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework seeks to help assess defense contractors’ compliance with cybersecurity requirements to protect contract data and controlled unclassified information (CUI) from continued adversarial threats and other cyberattacks. CMMC compliance has been a hot topic amongst stakeholders in the defense industrial base (DIB).

The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to begin including CMMC in contracts late next year. So, given the recent forward movement in the CMMC process, Matt Hodson who is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Valeo Networks joins the Security Clearance Careers podcast to discuss what might be next – if we can even guess.

This podcast is brought to you by the global defense team at Booz Allen Hamilton. Their experts leverage innovative technologies to aid work across the Department of Defense—delivering tomorrow’s technologies at the heart of the mission. Interested in accelerating results across the warfighting lifecycle? Explore global defense careers at boozallen.com/DefenseCareers.

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On this episode of ClearedCast, John Bersentes and Marc Menninger with AstrumU and Retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Chris Starling join us in conversation on what's needed to close the cyber talent gap. In honor of Cybersecurity Career Week, these three experts dive into the programs available for transitioning service members, veterans and civilians alike. For more information, visit the links below!

NICE Cybersecurity Career Ambassadors Program

https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/resources/career-ambassadors

TechJobs from the Office of Personnel Management

https://tech.usajobs.gov/

Scholarship for Service CyberCoders

https://sfs.opm.gov/

About AstrumU

www.AstrumU.com

SkillSet

https://skillset.astrumu.io/

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Welcome to this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, ClearedCast. Your source for security clearance, intelligence community, espionage, national security, and defense contracting updates, in our exclusive interviews with intelligence community and government leaders.

We have a really exciting event coming up in just a couple of weeks. ClearanceJobs Connect brings together the leading recruiters and security clearance professionals 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.

In cleared recruiting, it really is sort of a balance of where the security clearance process allows you to have candidates to fill your billets. So this is really the only networking event, outside of job fairs, where recruiters are actually networking with recruiters and other professionals in the security clearance space. So I'm really excited and today we're going to tell you a little bit more about what you can expect from the day.

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QinetiQ US is an engineering company focused on mission-led innovation, providing critical capabilities that support defense and security at home and abroad. Andrés Meneses and Rob Abbott are with the National & Global Security Solutions (NGSS) and Intelligence & Cyber Information Advantage (ICIA) divisions.

They discuss how QinetiQ US' focus on their clients' unique needs has a ripple effect throughout the national security landscape and why they choose to continue their career with QinetiQ US.

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Bill Toti is a US Navy retired captain who joined the service in the 1970s. While the military transition looks a bit different today, Toti has seen countless friends and colleagues’ transition be pretty unsuccessful. Employment instability post-military is one of the biggest stress-inducing factors in a veteran’s life, contributing to serious concerns such as PTSD, failure to thrive, and can cause high turnover rates among veterans – which costs companies millions.

In his book, From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership, Toti avoids hand-waving cliches you may hear through the military transition and instead provides nuts-and-bolts advice for veterans and the companies that want to help their military veterans succeed.

On this episode of ClearedCast, we discuss his journey and a phrase he coined “The Great Lie” and other lapses in military transition assistance programs that he learned from his own and other fellow veterans’ failures.

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More companies understand the risks of insider threats, but too many assume that addressing insider risk is a primarily government function. Trusted Workforce 2.0 has created continuous vetting and other solutions to help identify risks, sooner - but they're not the only options companies have today. Given the average insider risk incident will cost a company nearly 10 million, a small investment could provide big benefits. ClearanceJobs chats with Andrew Razumovsky, principal at CANDA Solutions, a security, risk management, and agile methodology company. Their Fresh Haystack solution creates integrated risk management. Andrew discusses the changing technology involved in addressing insider risk and why it's both a human and technology-centric problem. He also discusses the fallacy of assuming the government will address your insider threats for you.

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Veteran suicides are still occurring at a higher rate than that of non-Veteran U.S. adults, and it is the second-leading cause of death for post-9/11 veterans, accounting for over 20% of all deaths.

The Army, the largest military service, is most affected. Almost 50 service members died by suicide in the first three months of 2023 compared to 37 service members in the first three months of 2022.

September is Suicide Awareness month, so the Security Clearance Careers Podcast hosts Michael Hudson of ClearForce. Established in 2015, ClearForce is a people risk analytics company that combines software, data services, compliance, and workflow automation to build safe and secure organizations. Their Resolve™ platform and continuous evaluation solutions help public and private sector organizations mitigate people risk associated with mission critical initiatives for insider threat, workplace safety, cyber security, SAFETY Act, trusted workforce, and suicide prevention.

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The 2023 Career Development Convention provides the resources and connections needed for successful employment and professional development. This completely free professional resource day for Veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members features a job fair, vendors, headshots, video profiles, and networking to help you advance your military transition and career. ClearanceJobs sat down with Jon Meadows and Jesse Sieff, the creative professionals behind this unique networking event, to discuss the importance of personal branding in your job search and what military veterans, spouses, and employers can expect from the event.

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It’s National Insider Risk Awareness Month, a month where companies and government agencies step out and look to step up their insider risk understanding. ClearanceJobs chatted with Dave Komendat, the former Chief Security Officer at Boeing, currently the president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, and recently named as an advisor for SIMS Software, a leading security information management system supporting the national security community and commercial sector in addressing insider risk.

Insider threats are nothing new, and Komendat spent a career addressing security from a variety of levels. He learned the important art of not just understanding risk, but being able to convey it to the C-suite – which is a critical aspect of developing a successful security program. For too long, security was a stove-piped function without the proper crossover into other key company functions, like IT and human resources. Komendat talks about making the shift and other practical considerations for security programs and officers today.

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“The great thing about AI is that it is not human.” -Michael Gibbs

Customer facing roles. Architects. Engineers who have irreplaceable communication. Sales reps. Business development leaders. Cloud security professionals. The goal is to evaluate your current job and truly recognize if AI could do it – or if it requires that human touch.

The Security Clearance Careers Podcast hosts Cloud Computing and IT Security Expert Michael Gibbs, who is the CEO of Go Cloud Careers. In 2013, after a successful career with Cisco Systems, he founded Go Cloud Careers, an educational organization focused on helping individuals achieve their dream technology career.

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Is there truly a rise in poppyseed related security clearance issues? Or is this another case of poppyseed subterfuge? A military memo from earlier this year warned service chiefs of the military branches of a rise in positive drug tests related to poppyseed consumption, noting some were being contaminated in harvest with morphine and codeine. Poppyseeds already have trace amounts of opium alkaloids which could cause a false positive. Security clearance legal correspondent Sean Bigley and ClearanceJobs' Lindy Kyzer weigh the risks and possibilities of a poppyseed positive drug test.

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Host, Katie Keller is joined by a familiar voice, Jill Hamilton, Sr. Editor of our news site, and the newest addition to the content queendom at ClearanceJobs: Phoebe Wells, PR and Partnerships Manager. Today is September 11, so as we hit the 22 years after the attacks in 2001, Jill and Phoebe talk about their own experiences during those events. The events are commonly known as 9/11, and consisted of four coordinated Islamist suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States. That morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. The first two planes crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, with the hijackers aiming the next two flights toward targets near Washington, D.C.. The third team succeeded in crashing into the Pentagon, and the fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people.

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CUI and confused - Sean Bigley, legal correspondent and Lindy Kyzer, director of content, discuss the wacky world of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and why it's creating a lot of confusion for many in the cleared community. A moniker without a policy framework in many cases, too many individuals have taken to slapping a CUI designation on just about everything. Learn why that's not helpful.

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Chrissy McGarry is the Chief Operating Officer of Second Front Systems, a software company that accelerates delivery of technology to U.S. warfighters. We all know working in this space that the government is slow to innovate, but this innovative company works in around innovative technologies, and if not more important, innovative people. So today we’re going to talk about how their company grew, AI, and the business of hiring technical people. McGarry gives a rundown on their product, Game Warden, and how it gets tech to warfighters faster. She also tells us about the journey from start-up to 100 people at Second Front, how the business of hiring technical people these days is tough to say the least, industry issues she is seeing in the HR or recruitment functions, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Second Front and other companies signed on to this letter to bring about change in DoD software acquisition. We also unpack the content of the letter and why it’s critical to our industry.

If you work in national security, you need to stay in the know on the changing government contracting landscape. Enter GovBrew, a free newsletter written by those in the know, to give you the news you need to know. Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs chats with Shane Prosser, co-founder of GovBrew and co-founder and CEO of FalconTek. Prosser is a U.S. Army veteran who leveraged his security clearance to land a job working in national security, and then went on to co-found a company with his brother, Chad Prosser. The GovBrew newsletter was born out of their own efforts to gather the critical business intelligence they needed to be successful.

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What can tarnish your employer’s brand? Feedback on Glassdoor and disgruntled employees positing on social media. Both of these things can deter potential candidates before they even land on your careers page.

But there are ways that HR teams can utilize employee feedback as a retention tool and a recruitment tactic for future candidates or referrals.

With nearly 20 years of experience as a labor and employment attorney and HR/DEI practitioner, Natalie E. Norfus (Founder of The Norfus Firm and host of the “What’s the DEIL?” podcast) is the authority on HR strategies, executive search, conducting internal investigations, and leadership development (coaching and training Boards of Directors and other senior leaders). She joins us to talk about some HR nightmares and how to avoid them.

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Ageism in the security clearance process - it might not look how you think it would. Age is a factor in the security clearance process, and that's why young people can often mitigate issues that would trip up other applicants, all under the umbrella of 'youthful indiscretion.' Lindy Kyzer and Sean Bigley discuss juvenile mistakes and how they factor into a security clearance determination.

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Movie buff and security clearance aficionado Eric Pecinovsky, also known as the Vice President of Marketing for ClearanceJobs, joins Lindy Kyzer, director of content at ClearanceJobs and dedicated non-movie watcher to discuss the summer's hottest film, Oppenheimer. They ask such pivotal questions as - can you have spoilers in a movie made about the atomic bomb? Does a film like Oppenheimer help or hurt the world of national security recruiting? And is this the best film ever made by Christopher Nolan?

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Security clearance topics remain in the news – but who are Special Security Officers (SSOs), and what role do they play in keeping classified programs safe? ClearanceJobs is joined by Mitch Lawrence, founder of Lawrence Solutions, and Peter Lapp, owner of PJ Lapp Consulting, to discuss their upcoming Special Security Officer Survival Course, why the role of SSO is important, and why it’s critical for both government and industry to invest in the professionalization and advancement of the SSO.

They offer a variety of tips for better understanding the role of SSO, from how it got its start in the Oppenheimer era, to why it remains a critical function today. Behind every cleared or classified program is a need for competent security professionals. With ongoing insider threats, data breaches, and an expanding catalog of counterintelligence issues affecting every company, big and small, investing in the people of security has perhaps never been more important.

In 2022, a NASA team turned science fiction into reality. These NASA managers joining the Security Clearance Careers podcast directed a project that for the first time in history, redirected a planetary object and demonstrated humanity’s ability to hit and deflect a potentially catastrophic asteroid.

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ClearanceJobs chatted with Vince Virga, chairman and co-founder of Skillstorm. Skillstorm trains and deploys developers and tech talent to help assist companies and government agencies with their workforce needs. Skillstorm also works directly with talent to help them upskill or reskill into the most in-demand tech jobs, including working with service members through the Army and Air Force COOL programs, along with the Veterans Administration with the VET TEC program. Rather than simply focusing on certifications, Skillstorm focuses on outcomes, making sure veterans are matched into the right opportunity and that companies have the talent they need.

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The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated February 1, 2003, as it reentered the earth’s atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, with all seven astronauts on board losing their lives. Those at NASA instantly recognized that employees needed to implement major transformations to their safety regulations to prevent future disasters. The Columbia space shuttle was the second mission to end in tragedy, after 1986 Challenger incident.

There were huge, fundamental safety culture changes that happened under the leadership of Ralph Roe Jr., who started at the agency as a test engineer, transitioning over the years to NASA’s top engineering post.

Roe played a pivotal role at NASA during a four-decade career in dramatically restructuring the organization’s safety culture, ensuring the successful exploration of our universe.

Last month, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection brought in four tech leaders to talk about our big cybersecurity problem: the lack of people. The hearing was held to assess potential ways to increase the talent pool for cybersecurity candidates. And ensure that pipeline can satisfy the appetite of cyber incidents to come over the next few decades.

Anjelica Dortch, the Senior Director for U.S. Government Affairs at SAP America, Inc., Will Markow, the Vice President of Applied Research at Lightcast, Tara Wisniewski, the Executive Vice President for Advocacy, Global Markets, and Member Engagement at ISC2, and Col. Chris Starling (Ret.), the Executive Director for California NPower were all in attendance at the subcommittee hearing.

Joining the Security Clearance Careers podcast is Nelson Abbott, who is the Sr. Advanced Director of Program Operations. He tells us more about the subcommittee hearing, what the US is doing wrong in cyber hiring, and how bootcamps like NPower’s can help talent pivot to cyber without being buried in debt.

A new book by Danny Olmes, President at Xcelerate Solutions, spotlights how ordinary moments can be pivotal ones. Memoirs of an Ordinary Guy details many seemingly ordinary moments that led to extraordinary shifts – in mindset, career path, or spiritual journey. Olmes discusses his book, including how a chance encounter in a parking garage led him down a writing path, and how living and working in the DC metro influenced his experience as an author.

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From Army Ranger to Venture Capitalist: Answering the Important Questions for Where Your Career Will Land After Transition

This episode we are joined by Cam Watts who is a managing partner at Sentinel Ventures, a company building a safer world by funding innovative technologies that secure and enhance critical infrastructure. He is also a Regional Commander with the US Army Ranger Association (USARA) who promotes relationships amongst Army rangers. His past includes serving under the 75th Ranger Regiment for the U.S. Army, and today we discuss how he was able to pivot from 11X under the Army, to Systems Engineering in school, to ultimately choosing a career with a venture capitalist firm.

The Security Clearance Careers Podcast was joined by Symoné B. "Beez" who has an incredible and inspiring story. She's a 16-year-old tech prodigy, who broke into the industry and now earns over $225k a year. We explore her journey and learn about the hard work and determination that led to her success in the government industry. Tune in to hear about some of those tricks and some myths that need debunking.

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In the wake of Jack Texteria’s leak of classified CIA documents on the war in Ukraine, many are starting to criticize the security clearance process that we know today. While personnel vetting has gone through some major overhauls in the last couple of years to manage the cleared candidate pool and the backlog high we saw in the late 2010s, the process is not perfect – nor probably will it ever be due to changing norms, advances in tech and along with our topic today – social media.

Companies have long been using social media as a part of the hiring process. Prospective candidates’ digital personas are checked up on by hiring managers, and some applicant tracking systems automatically link social media presences with candidates. Recently, the UK requires all K-12 publicly funded teaching applicants to undergo a screening, along with California signing into law that all police officers are required to, as well.

Today we're joined by Darrin Lipscomb who is the CEO at Ferretly, an AI-Powered social media background screening software. If private companies or individuals can collect this information online, then it would stand to reason that the government should be able to leverage this same information to create a more complete picture of who you are to see if there are any red flags or determine your level of trustworthiness to protect national security. Listen in on our discussion on this topic.

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Alisha Jordan, education director at the National Cryptologic Foundation chats with ClearanceJobs about the role of the Foundation and their current efforts to help attract young people into cybersecurity and codebreaking careers. Cyber Saturday took place June 10, and brought together young people, mentors, and cybersecurity pros to help inspire the next generation. Learn more about the foundation and the history of cryptology.

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“I wonder if when my family is talking about the deep state, if they realize that they are actually talking about me.” – Cadie Hopkins

As someone who supported the Intelligence Community (IC), the “deep state” started to come up in conversations more and more as the IC was the center of news headlines, and extended family gatherings made Hopkins wonder if her family realized that they were discussing people like her, and many other women who support the government – their stories going unnoticed. Cadie Hopkins and Megan Jaffer are creating a new documentary to share some of the stories of the IC.

Domestic violence is one of several 'shadow pandemics' that began to rise following the COVID-19 lockdowns, mental health strain, and adjustments in daily life. And domestic violence is one area that can and has come up for security clearance holders and applicants. Local laws can sometimes make domestic violence issues more confusing and troublesome for applicants, who wonder if an arrest is actually reportable or what dropped charges will mean for their security clearance. Like all areas, honesty is the best policy - especially if you can explain your situation. And most importantly, if you are in a situation and feel unsafe, don't feel the need to 'protect' your partner's security clearance eligibility by failing to report an incident or issue.

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Bill Merck is a veteran, leadership expert & author who shares tips and advice on improving mental health in the workplace for both employers and employees on this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast.

He discusses how to utilize your previous experiences through childhood to enhance career development and mental health.

Mental health in the workplace goes beyond a stressful day at the office - it can relate all the way back to childhood experiences. Our childhood and previous experiences through working life as a young adult and beyond can affect both our career and personal development.

Many agencies have aimed to make mental health a destigmatized topic within the security clearance process and at work, as well. Merck shares tips for workplace leaders on taking mental health seriously and how they may show that to their employees and prospective candidates that it is a priority. He also discusses how to improve morale in the workplace, and just as important, the consequences for employees and employers if you don’t.

The security clearance application asks for a lot of information - and requires security clearance holders to name names. And those names can cause a lot of anxiety if you have shady relatives, neighbors, and friends. When do security clearance holders need to worry about their associations - and when are they okay? It's worth noting that the form asks for references, relatives, and individuals to verify information about the applicant - not to catch your criminal relatives or make you feel bad about your origins.

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Every week, ClearanceJobs writes the Ask CJ column which answers questions asked on the ClearanceJobsBlog, an ecosystem where background investigators, Facility Security Officers (FSO) and other stakeholders in personnel vetting have discussed hot topics over the years.

Today's episode of ClearedCast is a rundown on the highest viewed and engaged questions on the blog.

Tune in to How Having the Freedom to Fail Makes the US Cyber Threat Ready

What does the future of the cyber threat landscape look like in the next year? Or decade? We don’t know for sure how consequential it is, but we know the implications are heave with adversarial threats like China and Russia.

To comment, ClearanceJobs welcomes ex-employee of the National Security Agency (NSA), William “Hutch” Hutchison, to the Security Clearance Careers Podcast (AKA ClearedCast). Hutch is the CEO and co-Founder of SimSpace. At US Cyber Command he was appointed through presidential order to create a team focused on defending US national infrastructure against state cyberthreats, training the 6000 Cyber Command operatives. Today he continues to serve as the Test Director for cyber operational assessments at the Department of Defense.

Critics are saying there are too many people with access to classified information - but is that really the case? And when it comes to leaks, is creating fewer individuals who are close to classified information - but not vetted to see it - really the solution? ClearanceJobs sat down with Charles Phalen, former acting director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), and current principal of CS Phalen & Associates. They discuss why personnel vetting is scrutinized following every major leak, why cutting the number of security clearances seems like a plausible solution (but isn’t), and eApp and possible changes to the security clearance application process.

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ClearanceJobs offers security clearance holders the annual Security Clearance Compensation report where we survey 50,000+ clearance holders in a variety of jobs, locations, agencies, and fields, to inform you on what the market is offering for your next salary negotiation.

Interested in learning what the top paying jobs are on ClearanceJobs.com are today? Tune in to learn what companies are offering salaries of $200,000+ a year.

Security clearances are in the news - and not in a good way. Whether you know national security or don't know what eligibility to access classified information is, the Jake Teixeira leak created a new wave of questions and issues around the security clearance process. Some critics questioned why a 21-year-old had a security clearance. Others are wondering if it's time to start monitoring social media for security clearance holders. Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs and Sean Bigley, security clearance legal correspondent discuss the latest leak case and all of the blowback.

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Heather Mongilio is a reporter with United States Naval Institute (USNI) news. She has covered local courts, crime, health, military affairs, and the Naval Academy, and recently published an article on the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigating a former Navy non-commissioned officer for her role in social media accounts that posted a series of leaked Pentagon documents.

Sarah Bils is a former aviation electronics technician 2nd Class who was last stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA, and is allegedly behind a pro-Russian series of social media accounts under the banner of “Donbass Devushka,” The Wallstreet Journal first reported. USNI News continued to cover the story and the individuals behind the Donbass Devushka network.

Donbass Devushka is comprised of 15 people, and Bils noted that another administrator on the account posted at least four of the classified documents that were recently leaked by Massachusetts Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira.

Kortney Calano joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to discuss her journey through the Defense Industrial Base. She is a US Army veteran, turned contractor, turned govvie. Currently, she is a small business owner that is a provider of IT Consulting services to government clients, and prior to that she was the Acting Director and Branch Chief for the Program Management Division of USDA. Today we discuss how she was able to move up the ranks in the federal space, her contribution in implementing Zero Trust Security and Architecture, her experience as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and how CMMC is affecting small businesses within the defense industrial base.

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Lynn Burns, president of NCMS and Sarah Turner, member of the board of directors, NCMS, discuss the upcoming NCMS 2023 Annual Seminar on this episode of Security Clearance Insecurity. NCMS is a professional security organization that has existed for more than 50 years, helping to train, certify, and advance the security profession. Burns and Turner discussed what can be expected at this year's training seminar, along with why mentorship is important to the security field today.

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He notes that we spend billions through the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to combat the sale of sometimes legal substances. We have the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to again, stop the sale of legal items. The 13th amendment deems 100% of human trafficking illegal. Where is the organization to fight this?

Nic McKinley, is the founder of nonprofit DeliverFund, an organization he started to combat human trafficking. He used his experience as a United States Air Force Pararesumen and an officer at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to inform their intelligence collection efforts to support their law enforcement partners.

DeliverFund provides actionable intelligence to their law enforcement partners, and many of their employees have spent their entire backgrounds dismantling illicit networks overseas against violent extremists in high threat environments. Moving into the private nonprofit sector, the organization implements these same strategies against human traffickers.

On this episode of ClearedCast, we talk about his journey through the military, working intelligence for three letter agencies, and how listeners can pivot careers by reinventing themselves every five years.

The transformative effort to improve the security clearance process has been underway for the past several years, with significant new benchmarks announced just this month at the recent U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill. Jason Miller, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and chair of the Performance Accountability Council Program Management Office discussed the recently announced metrics and reforms within the security clearance process, and how PAC-PMO is providing accountability and a management framework for the government to achieve its aggressive timeline goals. The government is looking to move away from 90% reporting and will include 100% of the cleared population in its reporting benchmarks, along with creating more aggressive timelines around reform.

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LTG (R) Vince Stewart sat down to discuss his life of service this February, as he prepared to accept the 2023 William Oliver Baker Award, an annual award given by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. Stewart, who served as the Deputy Director of Cyber Command and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was a trailblazer, innovator, and amazing human being. In this interview, he discusses his life of service, current cyber threats, and what being honored with the Baker Award meant to him.

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Carin Sendra is a US Air Force Veteran, has supported the defense industrial base as a contractor, and is currently seeking a new career in the uncleared job market. On this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, we discuss her past experience, the journey of the military transition, and tips for those currently job seeking and what your candidate online brand can do for you through the process.

Sendra is currently uncleared, and we also discuss the frustrations she has as a job seeker without a clearance.

A new security clearance application process is coming your way. Learn more about this year's rollout of eApp, the online application process for security clearance applicants. It replaces everyone's favorite eQIP online security clearance, offering an improved candidate experience with better technology, and more secure data storage powered by the National Background Investigation Services.

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Remote cleared jobs are in high demand, no matter if you have a secret or TS / SCI or if you're looking to be full-time remote or work in a hybrid capacity. There is a large number of defense contractor hiring for hybrid roles in this day in age, and almost 2,000 listed on ClearanceJobs requiring a variety of skills.

Here are our top five companies that are offering remote / hybrid jobs in the cleared space.

On this episode of ClearedCast, we invite Jessica Reynolds back on the line, one of our recruiters that you can find on ClearanceJobs.com, and we discuss one of those government acronyms, OFCCP compliance. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is a part of the US Department of Labor, and this program is responsible for ensuring that employers that are doing business with the federal government comply with the laws and regulations that require non-discrimination. There are a ton of boxes to check with OFCCP if you are a defense contractor, and a lot of policy to keep in mind as a recruiter or an HR professional. Tune in to this episode to learn more about what it means for cleared recruiters, HR teams, and candidates in the national security job search.

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Cyber hygiene, CMMC, and ransomware – oh my! – we unpack the state of the current cyber threat landscape with Kurtis Minder, CEO and founder of GroupSense, a digital risk protection agency with expertise across a variety of digital risk arenas. A variety of factors contributed to the steep rise in ransomware attacks across the past several years, including the growth in cryptocurrency and a global pandemic creating more lax security procedures for many moving to home networks. Minder discussed how threat actors are expanding their reach into the government’s supply chain, what companies and agencies can do to make themselves less vulnerable, and how to address the current shortage in cybersecurity talent.

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There are rules of engagement when networking or job searching in the civilian world that service members are just not privy to while supporting the armed forces. It’s a new game, a new challenge, and a new battlefield as they are seeking employment following their military transition.

This episode of ClearedCast focuses on the military transition and a few reasons why it’s important to get things in writing from recruiters and hiring managers while navigating the job search. Clarence Dingman is our guest, and he is a U.S. Army veteran and current executive with a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). We discuss his journey, transition tips, a few guidelines he has for some lessons learned he gathered through his own transition into the private sector, and how he was able to move up the ranks as a boomerang employee.

If an employer sponsors your security clearance, you may wonder if they could require you to stay with them for a certain term of service following obtaining that clearance. While it's rare, it is possible for companies to request specific terms of employment for personnel after obtaining a clearance or an upgrade. It's rare - and may be difficult to enforce thanks to the complexity of employment laws which vary state by state. The biggest factor in a company's favor is that most employees feel a personal obligation to stay put for a specific amount of time after obtaining a clearance. Employers would likely have a hard time enforcing employment rules, or dollar amounts for a clearance and what would be owed.

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How do you get a a top secret security clearance, or land the interview for the job and break into the federal careers space?

The Security Clearance Careers podcast was joined by Monique, who runs a writing and editing consulting company called RedInkdLLC. But before starting her own business, she was able to upgrade from a public trust to a TS / SCI, starting as a greener candidate fresh out of college.

She has experience navigating the job search as a defense contractor and federal employment that she draws on for her resume editing business.

The security field is ever changing. ClearanceJobs chatted with Amy Grossman, security manager at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory. Grossman has worked in the security field since 2005, and she shared more about her experiences in what can be a male-dominated profession, along with lessons learned and advice she gives to others considering starting or growing within a security field.

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Your neighbor: “Do you suffer from PTSD?”

“If I did, I probably wouldn’t tell you. Why would you even ask that?”

This might be a common exchange between civilians and military service members. These myths about military life – and after the transition – are perpetuated by civilian assumptions. For this episode of ClearedCast, Steven Matthew Leonard and I do a deep dive into military myths.

No matter which branch you’ve served in, no matter your military occupational specialty (MOS), and no matter how long you’ve served, American citizens might be prone to thinking every veteran has served our armed forces in the same capacity a character like a Rambo killing machine. Not every brigadier general is like Jack Ripper from Dr. Strangelove or Lt Dan from Forest Gump – and not all military service members are broken.

We even get into some creepy ghost stories about Fort Leavenworth.

The Office of Personnel Management released proposed changes to the standard forms used to process security clearance eligibility. The updated Personnel Vetting Questionnaire replaces the SF-86 and SF-85 forms, and provides an updated process consisting of a single form with different segments. Sections on drug use are clarified and mental health are sectioned out, creating what is hopefully a more clear and better to understand process for the average applicant. Security clearance attorney Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs discuss the form, its changes, and what they mean (or don't mean) for clearance applicants.

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Starting his career as an enlisted soldier at the age of 17, he understands the requirement to recruit great people and develop true leaders at organizations. Chris Schmitt, former Army Special Forces Green Beret and owner of Azimuth Consulting, joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to talk about his 30 years of service in the US Army and how the lessons learned from special operations in combat translated into him becoming an entrepreneur and running a successful (and non-traditional) leadership consulting organization.

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One of the more confusing aspects of seeking employment with the federal government is the vetting process. While many people are aware of the security clearance process, few realize that each agency also has its own suitability guidelines. Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney and Lindy Kyzer, ClearanceJobs discuss suitability and why it often seems like the wild, wild west of the federal government hiring process.

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The great spy balloon freakout: from January 28th to February 4th, 2023, a Chinese operated high altitude balloon was seen across North America, so entered North America through Alaska, went through Western Canada, was shot down on the East Coast. And we've had several other strange unidentified objects in US airspace. And I saw recently that Russia is also operating these spy balloons and they're being shot down over Ukraine with that conflict.

While there currently isn't a connection between the balloon and cybersecurity concerns, intelligence experts believe it demonstrates how China is ramping up their espionage tools and gathering intelligence, which could potentially lead to cyber-attacks aimed at US critical infrastructure.

Senior VP of Security, Michael McNerney, has an extensive background in threat intelligence and spent a lot of his career with these types of threats in mind.

McNerney is a part of a ransomware task force, a working group of government and private industry leaders brought together by the White House.

The Office of Personnel Management recently released a draft version of a new Personnel Vetting Questionnaire, the replacement for the SF-86, SF-85, and SF-85P. In a period of public comment, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) offered its feedback on the upgrade to everyone's favorite security clearance application. Larry Hanauer, Vice President of Policy at INSA sat down with ClearanceJobs to discuss the form, why it's an improvement on the current process, and some of the small steps the government can take it to be even better.

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Some recruiters in the national security space also serve as active-duty military spouses or mentors, and being a part of the military family ecosystem can influence the way they recruit in a positive way, but also lend insight into some of the no-nos that happen in the cleared networking space – perhaps due to educational gaps that service members are unaware of when reaching out to recruiters; things that are just not taught in Transition Assistance Programs (SAP).

Jessica Reynolds currently serves as a technical recruiter in the cleared space, but also supports the US Navy as a Command Ombudsman, transition consultant, and a mentor for our friends at Hiring our Heroes. With her experience as a military spouse and working with service members, we dive into some tips to help guide those transitioning and veterans that might be navigating the job seeking journey on this episode of ClearedCast.

This podcast is brought to you by the ClearanceJobs Careers Events team. If you’re in the DC/VA area or looking to relocate there, join us out our IN-PERSON networking event! Held on April 26th, from 1-3PM, at the Watermark Hotel! Learn more at* by visiting our careers events page.

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Lindy Kyzer with ClearanceJobs and security clearance attorney Sean Bigley discuss alcohol consumption issues and your security clearance. The question becomes - is alcohol use a mitigating factor in other negative behaviors that come up in the clearance process? Alcohol is frequently used as a 'justification' behind other issues that come up, such as domestic abuse, assault, or other poor judgment issues. Alcohol abuse is an adjudicative guideline that stands alone - if you abuse alcohol and don't get help, it can be a clearance issue. The good news is alcohol issues - like most issues - are very case specific.

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Starting as a community college student with no idea who she wanted to be when she grew up, Aisha Bowe spent a lot of time having anxiety around testing, and basically existing, because she was afraid she was going to do it wrong. But in a state of relaxation, she realized that really complicated things that usually come as a challenge to people, she was doing with ease. Bowe embarked on a career journey as a NASA rocket scientist, is the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, an award-winning technical powerhouse supporting the government, and even tries to get the next generation of talent excited about STEM careers through a product called Lingo.

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The Security Clearance Careers podcast (AKA ClearedCast) welcomes Christopher Burgess, contributor to the ClearanceJobs news site on intelligence, security and espionage topics, for this episode on insider threats, travelling abroad safely for missions, and other espionage current events.

Christopher is an author and speaker, and served 30+ years one of the three letter agencies, living and working in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Europe, and Latin America. He is the founder of securelytravel.com, and we discuss your top-secret checklist for traveling abroad and handling classified information.

ClearanceJobs Founder and President Evan Lesser talks about why 2023 will be the hardest year yet in cleared recruiting. The defense budget is growing, government contracting needs are increasing, and the number of folks working in national security positions remains relatively stagnant. Without a massive influx of new talent, government contractors and agencies are largely competing for the same talent. That means the critical need is for both companies and agencies to educate and inform potential employees about their workplaces and cultures. Employer branding is the key hiring factor of 2023.

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Many larger defense contractors offer money as a motivating factor for candidates when they are evaluating a compensation package for a new employer. Bonuses aren't new to the recruiting equation, but they are becoming more common. Tune in to find out different contractors that are offering sign-on bonuses.

The usual defense contracting suspects like Lockheed Martin or CACI are following the money trend as a motivating factor for candidates when they are evaluating a compensation package for a new employer.

But here are some other defense contractors you may not know of that are offering sign-on bonuses for their openings in national security.

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Open source information is frequently discussed as the future of intelligence analysis. But too many agencies are still caught up more concerned about definitions than moving the discipline forward. Matthew Scott, senior vice president and mission technology strategist at Avantus Federal recently wrote an op-ed for Cipher Brief calling for new open source leadership. He joined the program to discuss the current moment and why at this critical moment, we need new leadership to help us compete with our adversaries.

A 32-page affidavit explaining all the schemes, all of the shell companies and all of the big players was leaked to the press.

The former General Counsel For ZTE turned whistleblower joins ClearedCast to hear about his chilling story outlined in his book, “Standing Up To China,” where he uncovered some pretty shocking things about the company trying to get around US export laws.

Ashley Yablon is a trusted source in understanding the ins and outs of the elusive Chinese Market and most importantly the ins and outs of ZTE.

Currently, the white house has barred approval of new telecommunications equipment from companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE since they pose an unnecessary risk to US national security. Yablon, who has supported both organizations, starts at the beginning of his story with ZTE, highlighting how the fallout started before he blew the whistle on the conglomerate.

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Digital engineering is a must-have requirement for government contractors in certain areas. And as the Digital Engineering Lead for KBR’s Aerospace Engineering Group, Greg Best says KBR is the best place for digital engineers to work.

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As a job seeker, there are some notable differences whether you are applying directly to the government or under a defense contractor supporting government programs. For this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, we host two recruiters, one from government and the other industry, to chat about differences cleared candidates should be aware of when applying to either entity in national security, networking tips when reaching out to talent acquisition professionals, resume guidance to stand out from other candidates, and tips on obtaining a clearance to land your dream job.

Obtaining a security clearance can be a catch-22 situation. You want to work in a national security job, but you don't already have a security clearance? Fortunately, security clearance processing times are improving and many companies are willing to sponsor your security clearance if you're interested in a position. Here is how you can demonstrate you're 'clearable' to a potential employer and find a cleared job even if you don't already have one.

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For this episode of the Security Clearance Careers podcast, we speak with Sarah Adams, an award-winning targeting officer and global threat advisor with extensive domestic and international experience. From 2015 – 2017 she served on the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi, and prior to the committee, was a lead Targeting Analyst at the CIA. She joined the Agency in 2006 to identify and assess global terrorist threats aimed at the US, its interests, and its allies.

More recently, she has worked in a number of other roles to try to answer complex national security challenges, and coauthored Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy: A Cold Case Investigation. Her journey can lend insight to younger professionals who may be interested in a career at the CIA.

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If you have issues in your past or things that you haven't had a chance to mitigate through passage of time, a conditional security clearance can help you get to work while you take steps to prove your ongoing trustworthiness - whether it's submitting to regular drug testing or continuing to file taxes faithfully for a period of time

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Hon. Ellen McCarthy, chairwoman and CEO of the Truth in Media Cooperative and the former Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research joins ClearedCast to discuss the role of information and media and how disinformation and misinformation are affecting the security landscape. Trust in media is at an all-time low. At the same time, most Americans say they believe that media is an important institution. McCarthy also discusses the need to break down barriers for the IC to both access and disseminate open source information. In contrast to 1947 when the IC was created, today there are a host of players providing news and information that can advise and inform national security practices. How can the cleared community better leverage all of the resources available to inform better national security decisions?

Drowning in the “sea of good will” while navigating the military transition is a serious possibility while there are so many resources at the service member’s fingertips – especially online.

Helping veterans fight this newer battle of transitioning from the military, on a battlefield that looks much different from the war they have come to known is something that Misty Moreno has dedicated herself to after serving her country herself.

Moreno served in the Air Force for 20+ years as a Human Resources Professional and achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. She is married to Retired Master Sergeant Johnny Moreno and they have a 15-year-old son. Both retired September 1st, 2020 and while her husband is a stay-at-home father, Moreno works full-time and is the author of Get Your Shit Together and creates the HR curriculum for Vets2PM.

In this episode, she shares insights from her own transition, and information on employment laws and discrimination that service should be aware of when networking with recruiters and applying to companies.

The holidays can hit hard, and create unique hang-ups for your clearance eligibility. The change in schedules, routine, family matters, and other factors can create potential security clearance issues. The most critical thing to remember is that self reporting issues is the best step you can take to maintain your clearance eligibility. Holiday issues are the exact types of things that could be mitigated - a one time lapse in judgment is generally not a career killer. Here are a few hot topic issues that can come up.

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If you've served as an officer or in many enlisted positions, a security clearance will be one aspect of the job. The military security clearance process is largely the same as that for other positions, whether contract or support. Some due process and other procedures are slightly different. But here are a few things individuals should be aware of as they consider the military security clearance process.

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Obtaining a security clearance is a hot commodity for those that lose it after lapsed time or for those looking to get their foot in the door to the high salaries being offered to someone with a TS / SCI + polygraph. As a student or younger professional, you may not know where to start in the process.

Kishan Modali joins the Security Clearance Careers podcast to talk about best practices for networking as a young professional in the security clearance world. He is graduating college soon and will be joining the ranks of the national security workforce after obtaining a clearance through an internship with a defense contractor. Tune in to this episode where we discuss how he put his best networking foot forward as a young gen Z-er in this industry and being a student navigating this process.

As you work with a defense contractor’s FSO (or go the federal agency internship route), customize your negotiating tactics based on what skills you have that would be asset, or think about the career goals you can communicate to ultimately have them invest in you.

Whether you are currently cleared, looking to obtain a clearance, or are seeking secret squirrels for your cleared programs, for more information or to get free resources to help support you, you can visit about.clearancejobs.com.

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Your life is much more exciting to you than it generally is to the government. Hence many people are unnecessarily concerned that the contents of their SF-86 will somehow end up as fodder for water cooler talk or will somehow be a source of office gossip. The reality is that information included on the SF-86 is covered by the Privacy Act - that means what you include can not be broadly shared.

"For the vast majority of us who has held a security clearance, nobody really cares," said security clearance attorney Sean Bigley. The details of what is and isn't provided on an SF-86 generally comes to light when an individual is a public figure - like Jared Kushner. Or when your career tanks and you find yourself under criminal allegations - like the Department of Energy's Sam Brinton. But as much as we may want to speculate around what is or isn't included, you won't find your SF-86 details published in the media - although they are certainly free to speculate and criticize public figures.

A pandemic, a change in administration, inflation issues, and your own personal life can cause stress outside the workplace – but if your workplace is the federal government, you have added pressure to do your job well, so the American people thrive.

But what if federal workers are becoming unhappy with their employment? As we forecast the next ten years of policy, federal jobs, and what the future of work is – considering the satisfaction of the federal workforce is vital.

The Partnership for Public Service collects data for the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings, also produced with the Boston Consulting Group. They join us for the Security Clearance Careers podcast to talk about pay, telework, security clearance hot topics and give us an initial preview of this year’s data.

This podcast is brought to you by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA – the nation’s number one cyber defense agency. Today, the agency has grown and evolved, assuring the nation’s critical and physical infrastructure is secure, resilient, and reliable. Learn more about CISA career opportunities at www.cisa.gov/careers

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Insider threats are a major risk to all companies, not just those in the national security space. But it’s important to know who the threat actors are – and why they’re acting. Dr. Eric Lang, director of the DoD Personnel and Security Research Center, or PERSEREC, discusses his work on insider threat, and why non-malicious actors are as concerning as the headline grabbing cases we see. You can read more in his 7 Science-Based Commandments for Understanding and Countering Insider Threats.

"Because it's always a human we just need to pay more attention to human factors, issues," said Lang. "Technology will always be important, but we're just not paying enough attention to the human factors, issues, and particularly the non-malicious actors who are causing those issues."

Jill Hamilton and Katie Keller run through a story of an employee at a mid-sized aerospace company as a lead engineer in the software domain. They are about to complete a big federal project and start a new one with a another federal defense agency. None of their present or future projects to date have needed a security clearance, but their company does a lot of work and advertises for roles requiring clearance. Can you convince your boss (or any company really) to sponsor you?

As a contractor, you must be working on a contract that has work requiring a clearance to initiate the clearance process. As much as a company may value you as an employee, they cannot just get you a clearance for no reason. There are managers who have assigned folks that have proved themselves on an unclassified contract to a classified contract for the purposes of getting them a clearance.

It takes finesse and patience, but tune in to this episode of ClearedCast to learn tips on negotiating someone to sponsor you.

Roxanne Wood, CEO of Boeing Intelligence & Analytics , thinks Boeing has a lot to offer to cleared candidates looking for a job. We sat down with her to discuss why Boeing is a great place to work.

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With all of the talk of tech layoffs and a crunch in the tech market, it's important to remember that open technology positions continue to far outpace the supply of talent - particularly in the Northern Virginia region, where technology innovation and government need meet.

ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. NVTC is the region's technology trade organization and at the heart of cybersecurity growth in the nation's capital. Taylor described the role of NVTC, which is comprehensive. At it's heart, NVTC is a hub and "regional tech council that brings together all the players in our vibrant tech system," Taylor explained.

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month. As we close out this important celebration, the Security Clearance Careers Podcast hosts Mike Noll and Brett Moeller, both ClearanceJobs employees and military veterans, to talk about their service and share tips on how employers can better their brand in terms of reaching veteran talent, how recruiters can reach the elusive secret squirrel since they have a ton of experience with partners in the defense contracting space, and how really anyone listening might be able to better position themselves throughout the cleared hiring process, from any vantage point.

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The pandemic shifted DoD billable personnel’s thoughts on working in a SCIF five or six days out of the week. Experiencing a taste of the work from home lifestyle helped to change their perspective on what work / life balance means. Whether burnt out from putting their phones in a cubby while entering a government building or feeling closer their families as you they spent less time commuting and more time getting kids off the school bus, going into the SCIF full-time is no longer attractive to most cleared candidates.

But there are ways to support the national security field without going into a SCIF.

The Security Clearance Careers Podcast hosted Marisol Maloney, a US Navy veteran with an eclectic background. She’s a former enlisted Sailor, turned Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) Navy Nurse Corps officer, who later became an all-source intelligence officer while dabbling in project management, lean six projects, and strategic speech writing for 3 and 4-star flag officers. After working as a contractor, she turned to recruit secret squirrels which provided for more flexibility working outside a SCIF. She’s an expert at online branding, so tune in to our discussion about how she was able to master the military transition, pivot her career to working outside the SCIF, and how cleared recruiters can master reaching veteran talent.

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The common belief now is frequently that sexual norms have changed so much - how could anything be considered off limits or deemed a risk as a part of the security clearance process? But sexual behavior remains an adjudicative guideline, and while it's rarely used alone for a security clearance denial or revocation, it can play a role. Security clearance attorney Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer discuss how sexual issues can come up in the security clearance process, from OnlyFans and online sexual activity to swinging and sex clubs.

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ClearanceJobs sat down with Roxanne Wood, CEO of Boeing Intelligence and Analytics, to learn more about Boeing’s role in national security and how they’re preparing to take on the security world.

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The False Claims Act, also called the “Lincoln Law” enables the government to impose liability on those who overcharge the government or make false claims about their products. It is the government’s biggest stick in combatting fraud and recently made headlines due to a high profile case, Markus vs. Aerojet RocketDyne, was recently settled with a $9 million payment after allegations of cybersecurity violations. The case may be significant, but the number is just one among many cases involving the False Claims Act and the government’s role in ensuring the thousands of entities it does business with are indeed acting fairly.

“I think in 2021 there was $5.6 billion dollar recovered by DOJ or by whistleblowers who are acting in the government’s name,” noted Metzger. “Five billion of that, or about 89%, was against the healthcare industry. The Department of Justice is going to use the tools available to it to improve the conduct of companies and to bring actions…and recover damages from companies who fail to fulfill their cyber obligations.”

Learn more in this interview with Leslie Weinstein, cybersecurity consultant and U.S. Army major, and Robert Metzger, attorney. Topics include CMMC, whistleblower protections, and other hot cyber legal topics.

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One of the easiest ways to get your foot in the door to a national security career (and a clearance for that matter) is by becoming a field investigator. But your security career certainly doesn’t end there, and the fact of the matter is, whether physical or information, security careers are exploding in our sector.

MikeRunyan assumed the role of Director of Risk Management in 2020 with nearly twenty years of experience within the Securitas family of companies.

He joins the podcast to dish on everything related to security cleared careers.

Beginning his career with Pinkerton, Mike served in several roles including an assignment abroad in the Jakarta, Indonesia office and ultimately as Managing Director for the Washington, DC office before joining Paragon’s parent company, Securitas Critical Infrastructure Services (SCIS), in 2014. In his most recent role as the National Account Director for SCIS, Mike was responsible for managing operations countrywide for multiple large clients. This included coordinating the use of PRM solutions and expertise to enhance traditional physical security programs.

Boeing is a leading global aerospace company, but the company does so much more than build airplanes. Roxanne Wood, CEO of Boeing Intelligence and Analytics, sat down with Clearance Jobs to discuss her role at Boeing, how the Intelligence and Analytics arm relates to the greater Boeing Company, and the experience Boeing brings to national security.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social media monitoring is not a typical part of most security clearance background investigations - but it could be. And for at least one government agency, there has been a security clearance denial based on social media monitoring. While the chances of a social media monitoring related denial are incredibly rare, it could happen. The list of possible sites that could be monitored include:

Social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn)

Microblogging websites (Twitter)

Blogging and Forums (Wordpress, Tumbler)

Picture and Video Sharing

Music Sharing

Online Commerce Websites

Dating websites (Match.com)

Geosocial network websites (TripAdvisor)

News and media websites where people can comment

What should security clearance holders be aware of?

With the convenience of the digital age come new concerns, as well. While it is incredibly easy to network online, apply to jobs, and showcase your resume, it is also more frequent that you hear stories of catfishing, social engineering, and other scams.

On platforms like LinkedIn, and even Craigslist, scammers are posting fake job opportunities, or reaching out to candidates, in hopes of obtaining personal information for their use or even steal your money. With the pandemic and an increase in remote roles, these scams became even more prevalent.

Is there a rubric for knowing if you’re being scammed regarding a new role? The editorial team walks you through a checklist that can help you make that decision.

A key focus in the national security space today remains making national security careers more accessible for diverse populations. Lauren Bacon Smith, Chief People Officer at Enabled Intelligence discusses how her company works to make national security careers more accessible to diverse audiences. From improving questions and streamlining the interview process, to providing advice and assistance around obtaining a security clearance, there are steps all companies can take to ensure a better path to a national security career.

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ClearanceJobs sat down with Roxanne Wood, CEO of Intelligence and Analytics at Boeing, to learn more about her role at Boeing and how Boeing supports national security and their employees.

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Phishing scams, cyber-attacks, and other forms of malicious cyber activity are some of the real-life threats any of us could encounter at any time. We sat down with Tom Millar, senior advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to learn more about real-life scary cyber stories and what we can do to avoid a starring role in one of these events.

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Clearance Jobs sat down with Aastha Verma, Branch Chief in Vulnerability Management at CISA, to learn more about cybersecurity, why it’s so important, and what steps businesses and individuals can take for better cyber hygiene.

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Cybersecurity affects everyone from individuals to small firms, to multi-national corporations. Senior Technical Advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Bob Lord joined us to discuss how businesses and individuals can use multi-factor authentication, or MFA, to improve their cyber posture.

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What does the future of the operational battlefield look like? More importantly, can we forecast imminent threats to get ahead of our adversaries?

The Army Mad Scientist Initiative is a U.S. Army program and a community of action that continually explores the future through collaborative partnerships and continuous dialogue with academia, industry and government.

Luke Shabro is the Deputy Director of the Mad Scientist Initiative with the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and joins the podcast to talk about his journey to becoming a mad scientist, challenges to verifying authenticity posed by AI or other emerging technology, and what jobs may look like as a part of this. He is a former intelligence analyst and instructor, and is a futurist hoping to describe the environment in what lies ahead in the threat landscape.

This podcast is sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Join them at the 7th annual Capital Cybersecurity Summit on October 19th at 2:30 pm at Capital One Hall in Tysons. Learn more and get your tickets at capitalcybersummit.com.

Foreign influence and foreign preference are both adjudicative guidelines that can trip up security clearance applicants. A part of the confusion comes from changes in the past ten years to how Department of Defense security clearance holders should handle foreign passports and foreign citizenship. Country of origin is a factor in the security clearance eligibility process, but it all comes down to risk - and not a criticism or critique of an individual or group.

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Phishing attempts to steal identities, money, or both, are also becoming more common. ClearanceJobs sat down with Colby Turley, Informations Security Manager at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to learn more about phishing attempts and the best ways to avoid them.

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Last year marked our soft launch of ClearanceJobs Connect, and with so much success in bringing together industry recruiters, government leaders, and other talent acquisition advisors with stake in the cleared recruiting game, we will launch our second ClearanceJobs Connect this week.

Hosts of the Security Clearance Careers podcast come together to talk about what attendees can expect this year, including what things will look different.

“Whistleblowers are a rare breed, and that’s one of the reasons why they get these big financial rewards.”

One of the biggest settlements in the last year was a $48.5M case where a company posing as a service-disabled veteran owned organization and going after those set aside contracts, when they in fact were not own by a service-disabled veteran.

The whistleblower in this case was a competing company who was losing out on potential contracts due to the unlevel playing field.

The Security Clearance Careers Podcast focused on whistleblowers this week – their role in government contracting, the different types of fraud companies can commit, and what protections whistleblowers have under the False Claims Act.

“Whistleblowers are a rare breed, and that’s one of the reasons why they get these big financial rewards.”

One of the biggest settlements in the last year was a $48.5M case where a company posing as a service-disabled veteran owned organization and going after those set aside contracts, when they in fact were not own by a service-disabled veteran.

The whistleblower in this case was a competing company who was losing out on potential contracts due to the unlevel playing field.

The Security Clearance Careers Podcast focused on whistleblowers this week – their role in government contracting, the different types of fraud companies can commit, and what protections whistleblowers have under the False Claims Act.

David Brown is the author of The Mission, which details many aspects of the SLS program and how Artemis came to be the unlikely solution to our problem of being unable to go interplanetary. He recently sat down with ClearanceJobs to talk about the Artemis launch. He twice attempted to see the program take flight and was met both times by the rocket's fueling woes.

He discussed how his writing on the Europa Clipper and efforts to explore one of Jupiter's moons also led him to get up and close the budget and political battles that led to the Artemis program.

"Although NASA has a great many missions that cover literally everywhere in the universe in one way or another., everything really is connected in a lot of strange and sometimes unexpected ways," said Brown. "Unexpected even for the people who work for NASA and who launch these missions."

Brown unpacked more about Artemis in a recent ClearanceJobs piece, writing about how Artemis was as much the brainchild of senators as it was of scientists. When it comes to rockets getting off of the ground and all things NASA, it turns out the programs are more swayed by politics than planetary science.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Brown is the author of The Mission, which details many aspects of the SLS program and how Artemis came to be the unlikely solution to our problem of being unable to go interplanetary. He recently sat down with ClearanceJobs to talk about the Artemis launch. He twice attempted to see the program take flight and was met both times by the rocket's fueling woes.

He discussed how his writing on the Europa Clipper and efforts to explore one of Jupiter's moons also led him to get up and close the budget and political battles that led to the Artemis program.

"Although NASA has a great many missions that cover literally everywhere in the universe in one way or another., everything really is connected in a lot of strange and sometimes unexpected ways," said Brown. "Unexpected even for the people who work for NASA and who launch these missions."

Brown unpacked more about Artemis in a recent ClearanceJobs piece, writing about how Artemis was as much the brainchild of senators as it was of scientists. When it comes to rockets getting off of the ground and all things NASA, it turns out the programs are more swayed by politics than planetary science.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Building the foundation of the relationship is critical to the future partnership."

Partnerships are important, especially in national security. ClearanceJobs' Manager of Partnerships, Jenn Magerer, joins the podcast to outline steps to creating a successful partnership. No matter if you are a recruiter, a candidate, a contractor, or government, critical partnerships are the way of the future when it comes to combatting today's and future adversaries.

Tune in to this podcast episode to learn the key steps to building a successful partnership.

"Building the foundation of the relationship is critical to the future partnership."

Partnerships are important, especially in national security. ClearanceJobs' Manager of Partnerships, Jenn Magerer, joins the podcast to outline steps to creating a successful partnership. No matter if you are a recruiter, a candidate, a contractor, or government, critical partnerships are the way of the future when it comes to combatting today's and future adversaries.

Tune in to this podcast episode to learn the key steps to building a successful partnership.

Sports betting and online gaming is on the rise. If you hold a security clearance, you may be wondering if an online gaming hobby or addiction could result in security clearance denial or revocation. Unlike other issues, like misuse of IT systems, sexual behavior, or alcohol abuse, gambling isn't a separate adjudicative guideline. But that doesn't mean to can't cause serious clearance concerns. When it comes to gambling - whether online in a gaming facility - it's not the activity, but the intent that matters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sports betting and online gaming is on the rise. If you hold a security clearance, you may be wondering if an online gaming hobby or addiction could result in security clearance denial or revocation. Unlike other issues, like misuse of IT systems, sexual behavior, or alcohol abuse, gambling isn't a separate adjudicative guideline. But that doesn't mean to can't cause serious clearance concerns. When it comes to gambling - whether online in a gaming facility - it's not the activity, but the intent that matters.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gina Bennett, a former member of CIA's Senior Analytic Service, is a seasoned counterterrorism specialist who authored the earliest warnings of some of today's terrorism trends, including the 1993 report that warned of the growing danger of Osama bin Laden and the movement he was creating.

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Gina Bennett, a former member of CIA's Senior Analytic Service, is a seasoned counterterrorism specialist who authored the earliest warnings of some of today's terrorism trends, including the 1993 report that warned of the growing danger of Osama bin Laden and the movement he was creating.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intel Summit is taking plac e at National Harbor September 15 and 16. Lewis Shepherd, VMWare Research & Innovation and AFCEA Intelligence Committee Vice Chair, chats about the summit and what attendees can expect. He also shares insight into the current federal tech landscape, commercial space technology, and why the intel summit brings together so many voices across so many sectors – from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intel Summit is taking plac e at National Harbor September 15 and 16. Lewis Shepherd, VMWare Research & Innovation and AFCEA Intelligence Committee Vice Chair, chats about the summit and what attendees can expect. He also shares insight into the current federal tech landscape, commercial space technology, and why the intel summit brings together so many voices across so many sectors – from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you were banking on a windfall from the OPM class action lawsuit related to a data breach involving more than 20 million security clearance applicants - you'll need to keep betting. Unfortunately, behind the fine print of those $700 average payouts is the reality that you have to prove that you incurred some form of financial or time loss as a direct result of the breach. ClearanceJobs and security clearance attorney Sean Bigley sit down to discuss the settlement and what proactive steps security clearance holders can take to protect their credit.

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Harris joins the Security Clearance Careers Podcast to chat about mastering your federal resume. She’s a veteran and has her own YouTube channel, Easy Federal Resumes and More, where she shares information that will empower and support individual's efforts to get their foot in the door with the federal government! She has incredible insights on creating a highly qualified federal resume, preparing for the security clearance process, and much more.

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The past few weeks have ushered in a new category of social media influencer - the security clearance expert who knows everything there is about security clearance classification and is ready to educate you on everything related to the security clearance process in light of the hundreds of pages of allegedly classified information recovered from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Just because security clearance topics are in the headlines doesn't mean the average clearance holder should be rushing to weigh in, however - particularly when your need to weigh in on security clearance topics online involves divulging information related to SAP or other sensitive security clearance details.

The Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) does everything from in-flight security to responding to threats within the transportation domain around the world. ClearanceJobs talked with Aaron, a Senior Federal Air Marshal, to learn more about his career with FAMS and the wide variety of work he’s done over the years.

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode of the Security Clearance Careers Podcast, Jill Hamilton and Katie Keller walk through the top global defense companies and how they performed in FY21. The war in Ukraine has sparked foreign military sales and spending for defense contracting companies – but we focus on the top ten US based companies that made the list . It looks quite similar to last year, but there are some notable changes.

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pentagon is America's largest office building, and if you work in national security there is a good chance you'll have a chance to work there or interact with those who do. Depending upon your perspective, it may prompt a sort of dread - or delight. As we consider what it means to work in a national security career, it seemed like an appropriate time to do our own homage to America's best office building. Here are just a few reasons why the Pentagon is a place to work like no other. ClearanceJobs’ Lindy Kyzer and Aileen Xenakis Koslowski give an ode to that Pentagon work life in the latest episode of ClearedCast.

Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was in the negative on $20,000 a month in lost revenue. Even though he was working as his own boss in the security clearance world, he was waiting out on a clearance crossover to a law enforcement agency, already quitting his W2 job. But the payout can be worth the risk…potentially 50% more than your current salary working for someone else.

Have you ever felt like you are on the hamster wheel as a contractor, and wanted to work as a 1099 in a security clearance role? Dale Davidson, ClearanceJobs contributor and author of “Going 1099: How to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain control of your working life, earn more money, and unlock more free time”, joins the podcast to talk about all the nuts and bolts to be aware of.

There are 24 hours in the day, and an increasing number of professionals are looking to maximize every one of them with a side hustle. If you work in national security and maintain a security clearance, however, you'll want to keep in mind not just your employer's rules, but also the government's adjudicative guidelines surrounding outside activities.

In the more extreme, you may think of a case from several years ago where DEA agents in New York were being federally prosecuted for ownership in a gentlemen's club, noted Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney. But the reality is even if your outside employment isn't that extreme, if you're considering a side hustle, it's important to consider your security clearance.

The Russian / Ukraine conflict has escalated the cybersecurity worker shortage and shown us how important it is that we have high skilled national security workers to combat future cybersecurity threats. IT industry statistics show that the need for cybersecurity workers has increased 30% in the last year with more than 400,000 open cybersecurity jobs.

A new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant intends to train veterans and their spouses for free with the cybersecurity skills needed in this high demand digital time. The $1M grant from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) will put veterans and military spouses through an intensive cybersecurity training course, while also providing hands-on training opportunities with commercial clients and government contractors. This is the first time CISA has awarded a cybersecurity grant that recruits cybersecurity workers - which we are seeing a huge staffing gap with the amount of cybersecurity openings in comparison to the talent we have on hand.

There is good news surrounding the security clearance process - it takes fewer days to get a final clearance determination, interim clearances can be granted in a minimum of weeks, and reciprocity times (how long it takes to transfer a clearance) are dropping. That's opening the door for companies to onboard uncleared talent to help it grow the talent pool. That's one of the key strategies being used at GDIT, and Lisa Reidy, vice president of security at GDIT recently described the success the company is having at moving new talent into the door and through the clearance process.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"A candidate’s first impression is a lasting one – and it can mean they stay with you for six months or six years.” -Ross O’Rourke

Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) doesn’t do all of the recruiting work but it can certainly make or break your recruiting team. What are the components of a good ATS? And even more so important, the elements of a bad one?

ClearanceJobs was joined by Ross O’Rourke who is a United States Marine Corps veteran, oversaw the flaws within the federal contracting lifecycle as a contractor, started his own GovCon company, and now specializes in agile recruiting and is the founder of Agile Onboarding, a state of the art, drag-and-drop user interface that completely automates an organization’s hiring process.

Since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently released new images from the James Webb Space Telescope, ClearanceJobs thought it was the perfect time to rundown the top ten NASA defense contractors and what jobs they have available.

NASA is a U.S. federal government agency that is responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. While a background in aerospace is great for their missions, they also employ those with cybersecurity skills, blue collar experience, or event content developers. Tune in to learn more about the top ten NASA defense contractors to start your career in space.

In one of the latest signs of the times, an increasing number of security clearance holders or those working in national security are having to create a new criteria around who they date – and that’s checking to ensure their new love interest doesn’t have a marijuana habit. The discussion boards at ClearanceJobs and popular forums like Reddit include the tales of the Washington modern missed connection. The topic generates questions on both sides of the equation. Some uncleared professionals are asking if the person they dated is blowing smoke up their arse with their claims that dating a marijuana-smoker is a no-go for their national security job. Some national security workers are asking if the government really cares about the drug habits of the person they date.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When recruiting for Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) positions was a seller’s market and recruiters had applicants banging down their doors, recruiting metrics may not have been as important as they are today in shaping the landscape of what recruiters do on a daily basis. But in today's world where there is not enough talent for the amount of national security openings were seeing, it could be a different story.

ClearanceJobs was joined by Casey Talley who is a Sr. Talent Acquisition Lead with Mount Indie to talk about cleared recruiting metrics that actually matter and how they can help inform your recruiting teams on what is working and what needs to change within your workflows. Time to hire, cost to fill, candidate pipelines, and ultimately what metrics will help you be successful in a cleared recruiting environment are some to take note of.

Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, use of online pharmacies grew 17%, and the online pharmaceutical market is expected to grow to $42.7 million by 2028, according to a report by Million Insights. Online pharmacies offer convenience, potential cost savings - but also open up opportunities for fraud and drug abuse for individuals who use easy online access to game the system - or even buy medicines from untrustworthy sites for medications they have never been prescribed.

Questions around drug use as an adjudicatively significant issue typically center around marijuana or drugs that are illegal at the federal level. But the adjudicative guideline includes any misuse of drugs - which would include prescription drug abuse.

ClearanceJobs sat down with Chris Parrett, Human Resources Director at the United States Space Force, to talk about how the Space Force is creating unique opportunities for not only their military and civilian Guardians, but their spouses and family members. as well.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are many issues in today’s recruiting environment – how can recruiters better reach passive veteran talent? How can they combat ghosting? How are they going to fill their 30 open billets? Meeting veteran talent where they are and being willing to have networking conversations that serve future pipelines instead of current open billets are ideal traits of today's recruiter; instead of the heads down headhunter that had candidates banging down the door.

ClearanceJobs was joined by Jennifer Burks who has a love of social media marketing and is a a true story teller. Technically, she is in the “business” of Military Transition Assistance through a few different organizations. This has helped her to connect recruiters to candidates - by gaining all of the insights through entering the mind of the secret squirrel.

She is an expert on personal branding, animated marketing, career coaching, and networking.

NISPOM Conforming Change 2 went into effect in May of 2016, creating requirements across the defense industrial base concerning minimum requirements for assessing and addressing threat risk inside an organization. Five years later, security professionals continue to wonder how to best develop an insider threat program that doesn't just comply with the standard outlined by the Defense and Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA), but that can also protect their companies and organizations. Tom Langer, principal of Atlantic Security Advisors, an industrial security, risk mitigation, and leadership organization and an advisor to SIMS Software shares his insight about insider threat and why it matters across an entire organization or agency.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Right at the end of the of the “dot-com” bust that started in the late 1990’s, a new internet website went against the grain and chose this inopportune time to launch. It was Wednesday, July 7th 2002 that ClearanceJobs.com first went online with our first candidate registering on July 10th. It was less than a week past our country’s July 4th birthday, and the events of 9/11 were still fresh in everyone’s mind. ClearanceJobs.com launched with a mission. Simply put, the goal from day one was to help people find jobs and do what we could to help keep the United States safe and secure.

Creators Evan and Rachel Lesser join the podcast to share where the idea for ClearanceJobs came from, how the family got on board to start the business, how it’s changed for the better on the recruiter and candidate sides, and what's next for the platform as we celebrate 20 years.

For cleared positions it's often essential to transfer workers between contracts rather than onboard new talent. Unfortunately, that's often easier said than done. The issue of security clearance mobility is the focus of a recent white paper released by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA). While one may assume that once you've obtained a security clearance you should be able to use that eligibility to access the same level of information, that's all too often not the case.

"You would think a top secret clearance is a top secret clearance is a top secret clearance, it shouldn't matter who granted it, who did the investigation, or accepted it, and who you're transferring it to, but it does," said Larry Hanauer, vice president of policy at INSA. It's a problem that anyone who has left government and tried to move into the private sector can relate to - that sense of being in access one minute, and sitting on the sidelines the next.

The federal contracting process is complex and has pain points experienced by contracting officers, proposal managers, recruiters, and others in the industry.

ClearanceJobs was joined by Tony Kwag who is an expert on the contracting process, having experienced it both on the industry and RFP creation sides. Specifically, we discuss the slowdown behind federal contracting; what it can be attributed to and how it affects Americans, along with some solutions. The lack of standardization and automation behind the bureaucracy of government contracting keeps us only relevant, and never innovating past the status quo.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With geopolitical tensions on the rise between the U.S. and Russia and China, both clearance holders and applicants with foreign ties are growing more concerned that their overseas experiences or origins - which are often in demand in government and intelligence careers - may also cost them their clearance eligibility.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ClearanceJobs had the chance to sit down with Beau Guidry, an engineering operations facility manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), about his transition to a civilian career and the benefits AWS offers to former military personnel.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We have one of the experts on obtaining a security clearance career through virtual networking or job fairs join the podcast to talk about some do's and don'ts while you attend job fairs and make connections with recruiters. Some chatter online that shows some folks love job fairs, while others don’t see the value – but one thing is agreed upon between both recruiters and cleared candidates – and it’s that after covid-19, employers should take a hybrid approach when it comes to recruiting cleared talent through networking events. Today we chat about the future of these events and the metrics that ClearanceJobs has seen through some surveys.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is the future of the Intelligence Community? That's the question the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) and ClearanceJobs are considering in a webinar series underwritten by Avantus Federal exploring the Future of the IC Workforce. The webinar series expands on a conversation that started last year in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and is continuing as agencies explore the opportunities and lessons learned.

The first conversation in this year's webinar series unpacked the role of open source intelligence in crafting the IC of the future. It is a hot topic as the intelligence community explores how it can fix issues of overclassification and declassify information more quickly. News reports this week have highlighted the push toward the Biden Administration to update policies on classification and declassification, including Executive Order 13526. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan, submitted a letter to the Biden Administration pushing the White House to provide more resources to declassification efforts, and work more quickly to update policies.

The push to reduce overclassification puts the spotlight on the source responsible for 80% of information in intelligence reports today - and that's publicly available information. That was the topic discussed by Matt Scott, senior vice president, Intelligence Division, at Avantus Federal, the Honorable Ellen E. McCarthy, chairwoman and CEO of the Truth in Media Cooperative and Noodle Labs, and Patrice Tibbs, deputy chief of the Open Source Enterprise at the CIA.

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Reaching cybersecurity talent for the cleared sector seems to be targeted to younger kids, hoping to get them interested in STEM careers down the road. One veteran trailblazer in the northern Virginia area is seeking to do just that through two businesses she started after retiring from the United States Air Force.

The amazing, innovative, cybersecurity leader and philanthropist, Quiana Gainey, retired from the Air Force out of the Pentagon, and currently works to modernize, transform and secure the digital experience for government entities as the CEO of SecureTech360. She also has her nonprofit, Mysecurekid, which is a global movement created to educate, inspire and promote online safety awareness for parents, educators and children while building a talent pipeline designed to connect youth in underserved communities with meaningful information technology career opportunities. Gainey has seen a 100% success rate through this program.

Through these ventures, she is also working to increase diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity and information technology.

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The security clearance process involves several functions that help to establish an individual's reliability and trustworthiness. A critical element on the path to a successful clearance determination is the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA). ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Aileen Xenakis-Kozlowski, attorney with the law firm Bigley Ranish and a former assistant general counsel, Washington Headquarters Service, at the U.S. Department of Defense. There she provided legal counsel to the DoD's Consolidated Adjudications Facility (CAF).

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Sam i.e. "Gov Worker" started working for the government at age 18 and loved it so much that he never left. He started GovernmentWorkerFI in 2019 to help fellow federal employees understand their benefits, take control of their finances, and live their best lives.

Sam joins ClearanceJobs to chat about the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a retirement account available to many military members and federal employees. Basically the government's 401(k) plan equivalent. The TSP is undergoing several changes in the next few months, beginning with a transition to a new service provider, and also a new mutual fund window with many more investing options. Sam walks us through the headlines, and little more on why the new mutual fund window may not be the right fit for you..

Employee monitoring is a growing trend as workers go remote and companies look to stay connected with any changes in employee activity that could trigger an insider threat. It's a phenomenon the government has been tracking for decades and recently established through its continuous evaluation and continuous vetting programs. ClearanceJos sat down with Brian Dunbar, Director of Security for CACI’s National Security and Innovative Solutions Sector. Prior to his role with CACI Dunbar spent more than 30 years with the CIA including serving as the Assistant Director at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. Dunbar has previously chatted with ClearanceJobs about the implementation of CE and its role in replacing episodic periodic reinvestigations.

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Even though the Space Force has been around since 2019, many still aren’t exactly sure what the Space Force does or why it’s so important. ClearanceJobs had the chance to sit down with Jason Lamb, Talent Strategist at the Space Force, to learn what makes the Space Force different and the culture he and his colleagues are building.

Lamb graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1995 and was commissioned as an active duty intelligence officer. He spent over 25 years as an officer until retiring as a colonel.

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ClearanceJobs had the chance to sit down with Hugh Turner from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Intelligence and Analysis team. Hugh spoke with us about his TSA journey starting as a Transportation Security Officer (TSO), and how his opportunities there launched him into an entirely new career path.

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Some common questions among cleared candidates that are aggressively in the job market and not having luck are "how do I make it past the application?", "how do I get interview ready?" or "how do I make myself even more visible to recruiters doing online searches?"

All are valid questions, and this episode of ClearedCast features an 'interview ready' expert who has been doing behavioral assessment trainings on commands for years. If you are getting ready to transition out of the military and need some quick job search tips, tune in to learn what the biggest obstacles are for military as they go through the interview process, how military professionals can better prepare for an interview + make it to the next step in the hiring process, how to tailor your resume and make it through the ATS, and how recruiters / hiring managers can better reach this cleared veteran talent.

It's summer travel season, but if you have a security clearance, you can't just hop on a jet plane and go just anywhere you want. Whether you're traveling abroad or even stateside and find yourself cozying up to a foreign national, there are various self reporting requirements that apply. ClearanceJobs chatted with security clearance Sean Bigley about self reporting requirements for security clearance holders and specifically those that apply to travel.

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For this episode we have leadership from the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s newest council for JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION: also known as the JEDI COUNCIL.

Nicole Gibson is a Partner with Guidehouse in the National Security Segment and has over 20 years experience providing management-consulting service to the Federal Government providing clients with insight and guidance as they seek to transform their organizations, increase transparency, better serve their customers, and increase operational effectiveness.

Larry Thomas is Chief Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer at Penn State University's Applied Research Laboratory and for a long time, has served as a trusted advisor for a host of influential employers, executives, and board directors across industries and sectors. Thomas currently serves on the Council of the Brookings Institution and the Society of Fellows Engagement Committee of the Aspen Institute.

When it comes to applying for a security clearance, it sometimes seems like there are two different processes - the 95% of people looking to obtain a security clearance through the Department of Defense as service members, civilians, or contractors - and the less than 5% of the cleared population looking to obtain a security clearance through the intelligence community. ClearanceJobs and security clearance attorney Sean Bigley recently discussed the differences in applying for a security clearance with the three letter agencies, including what the polygraph means for the application process, and how intel clearance applicants are more likely to get questions about topics like sexual behavior.

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The Chief, ISR & Cyber Transformation with the United States Air Force at the Pentagon, Jason Kulchar, joins us to talk about a new platform they piloted. The cyber ISR mission area is fairly new to the intelligence community, first coming about in the early 2000s. So it’s not a new intelligence discipline – there's no new CYBINT, but instead we have Cyber ISR, an all-source intelligence that encompasses and fuses traditional intelligence disciplines through the cyberspace domain.

No matter the intelligence role you may be working in, mentorship is key if you’re just entering the field or looking to revamp your career. Col. Kulcharis leading the Air Force Intelligence efforts for mentorship, diversity, and industry engagement. This past year, Col. Kulchar and his team launched a beta test for a new mentorship platform that matches intelligence professionals across the Air Force with personalized mentors for career guidance.

Approximately 65% of Americans own a home, a number that has shown some fluctuation over time but stayed fairly constant despite economic downturns, rate changes and home prices. As one of the biggest purchases most individuals will ever make, it can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least. And even after you've purchased a home, you may find yourself facing the possibility of losing your home due to job loss or other issues.

We sat down with Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney with Bigley-Ranish, to discuss home ownership issues for security clearance holders.

Enrique "Ric" Prado is a former clandestine services officer with the CIA and joins ClearanceJobs to chat about what it is like to life life as a CIA shadow warrior. Ric is a paramilitary, counter-terrorism, and special operations specialist, and a twenty-four year veteran of the CIA where he served as an Operations Officer in six overseas posts. He was Deputy Chief of Station and "Plank Owner" of the original Bin Ladin Task Force, Chief of Station in a hostile Muslim country, Chief of Operations in the CIA's Counterterrorist Center during the September 11th attacks, where Mr. Prado helped coordinate CIA/CTC's special operations (SPECOPS) activities with the National Security Council and FBI, as well as with elite U.S. military representatives from Delta Force and SEAL-Team Six, then detailed to CTC/CIA. He retired as Senior Intel Service-2 (SIS-2, Major General equivalent at CIA).

This conversation is heavy on his first ten years at the agency as a paramilitary officer for the CIA's "special operations force." including 36 months in Central America jungles as the first CIA officer living in the anti-Sandinista "Contra" camps.

What is the state of the personnel security process and Trusted Workforce 2.0 today? Last week the Performance Accountability Council released its Trusted Workforce 2.0 implementation strategy. The guidance will give a framework for rolling out Trusted Workforce 2.0 reforms across the federal government.

ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Charlie Sowell, CEO and SE&M Solutions and no stranger to personnel security and security clearance topics. Sowell discussed the state of personnel security today, the National Background Investigation Services, the differences between suitability and security clearances, and more.

College student considering a summer internship with the NSA? Recent grad and feel the Department of Homeland Security calling your name? It's not just mid-career professionals working in national security - the government needs young people in its workforce, and it's working to attract Generation Z to government career paths. Most of those will also require a security clearance - and that can create some young and reckless security clearance applicants.

In the latest episode of ClearedCast, we chat with Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney and ClearanceJobs contributor, about unique clearance considerations and insecurities for young people.

It's annual review season. If you're wondering how to figure out what you're worth this year and make a better case to your hiring manager, check out the results of the 2022 ClearanceJobs Compensation Report. We unpack the state of security clearance compensation every year. ClearanceJobs recently chatted about compensation in a conversation with editor Jill Hamilton, who conducts the annual survey and writes about the results.

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A security clearance is about evaluating an applicant's reliability and trustworthiness based on a specific set of adjudicative guidelines. While the process may seem as clear as mud (and we've politely referred to it as pirate's code ourselves), a simple read of the adjudicative guidelines is in every clearance holder or applicant's best interest. Many clearance denials catch and individual by surprise when they shouldn't.

One of the more obscure aspects of the clearance process is associations. Section 29 of the SF-86 specifically asks about associations. "Have you EVER been a member of an organization dedicated to the use of violence or force to overthrow the United States Government, and which engaged in activities to that end with an awareness of the organization's dedication to that end or with the specific intent to further such activities?" The form further asks if the applicant has been a part of an organization that advocates violence to discourage others from exercising their rights.

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It's tax season, and one common issue for security clearance holders facing a clearance denial or revocation is unpaid taxes. Taxes are one debt that is easy for the government to discover, and hard for an applicant to mitigate, particularly if they're looking at years of unpaid taxes or a pattern of delinquencies. And it's not just filing taxes, but ensuring taxes are paid for household and dependent care staff, as well. If you're paying someone to work in your home full-time, whether as a nanny or other household support, you also have tax obligations. ClearanceJobs and security clearance attorney Sean Bigley discuss common tax pitfalls and what you should be aware of.

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Internships are an important stepping stone on many career paths. ClearanceJobs sat down with two interns at Frontier Technology, Inc. to learn more about their experiences as interns and their advice for those considering internships.

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It's officially tax season and while financial issues are the top cause of security clearance denial there is one type of financial issue that consistently causes some of the most issues - and that's failure to pay taxes. ClearanceJobs sat down with Jennifer Jones, owner of J. Jones Financial and Enrolled Agent who provides personal and professional financial and tax assistance. She's also a military spouse.

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In recognition of Women's History Month ClearanceJobs chats with Cadienne Naquin Hopkins, a female national security trailblazer who has served in a variety of capacities in national security and helping encourage women to enter into the field. Currently with Altana AI, she's also co-founder of the Command Purpose Foundation, executive director of the Amazing Women of the Intelligence Community and an organizing member of the Women in National Security Media Festival. We discuss the unique roles available in national security today, security clearance application anxieties, and how to kickstart your career.

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Security clearance policies don't change often - that's why even clarifications from the government on gray areas are significant. In December the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued clarifying guidance on the security clearance process and marijuana topics, including drug use, CBD products, and marijuana investments.

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Your money matters - it's probably one of the key motivators that gets you out of bed and keeps you coming into work each day (that and a kick butt stapler, we hope). But how you handle your paycheck also has career implications in your national security career. We say it so often we sound like a broken record, but financial issues top the causes of clearance denial and revocation for Department of Defense applicants. What do you need to be aware of, and what can you do about it?

ClearanceJobs sat down with Kate Horrell, a certified financial counselor and military spouse to talk about financial issues and your military or government career.

ClearanceJobs recently sat down to chat with Mariel Cisneros, Systems Engineering Manager at Northrop Grumman, about the work she does at Northrop and how they support employees on their career paths.

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Security clearance holders are at heightened risk for scams at any time, but the current geopolitical environment means scammers and opportunists across the globe are looking to take down national security workers and their personal and professional information. ClearanceJobs recently sat down with long time contributor Peter Suciu, who has spent years covering consumer threats and cybersecurity topics for a variety of publications. He outlined some of the top risks facing security clearance holders today, including:

Fake Job Offers/Phishing Scams
Apps
BYOD

Great candidates for engineering roles at Northrop Grumman bring all their different experiences to the table. There's no one size fits all.

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The unique culture and history of AT&T and its dedication to communications security, combined with its willingness to constantly shape personnel management methods, make AT&T an excellent fit for cleared employees.

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Sometimes you don't lose a security clearance - you just enter the messy world of security clearance limbo. That's what happens when an individual enters a security clearance loss of jurisdiction status. In those cases, the security clearance hasn't actually been denied - but eligibility isn't active, either. ClearanceJobs recently chatted with William Henderson, a retired federal investigator and owner of the Federal Clearance Assistance Service. He discussed how individuals can find themselves in a LOJ status, and what can be done about it.

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Tempted to marry up? Being 'unequally yoked' as it were can actually have security clearance career implications, particularly if it's clear your marriage was a result of marriage tourism, a mail-order-bride, or some other similar situation where a foreign national or even a U.S. citizen with limited means finds themselves in a relationship with someone who is so far out of their league it's a national security issue. Your love interests do play a role in the national security eligibility process, and you'll need to disclose your 'bonds of affection' to your security officer.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Roger Finley, a senior operations manager at Frontier Technology Inc. (FTI). We chatted about job opportunities in Colorado Springs, Space Force, and how he retired from the military and began working at FTI.

Drug use is a growing security clearance consideration, with 17 states legalizing the drug at the state level and the rapid growth in CBD products. It’s important to understand that because marijuana use remains illegal at the federal level, the government still considers it a no-go for clearance holders, and it creates many issues for clearance applicants. ClearanceJobs chats with Kimberly Berlin, a substance abuse counselor and owner of the Berlin Group LLC about drug use considerations for security clearance holders and applicants.

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Recruiting automation chat with Teknoluxion Consulting: https://teknoluxion.com/

Recruiting automation is a category of technology that allows companies to automate recruiting tasks and workflows so they can increase recruiter productivity, accelerate time-to-fill, reduce cost-per-hire and improve the overall talent profile of their organization.

Tune in to this episode of ClearedCast where the editorial team has a conversation with the Defense Personnel and Security Research Center (PERSEREC). PERSEREC is a Department of Defense entity dedicated to improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of DoD personnel suitability, security, and reliability systems. PERSEREC is part of the Office of People Analytics (OPA), which is a component of the Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness).

We continue our conversation with Mark Frownfelter, Assistant Director for the Special Security Directorate at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He talked hot topics in personnel security and clearance reform, including why candidates with drug use in their past shouldn’t ‘weed’ themselves out of the process, and how ODNI is staying responsive to policy changes in drug use.

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In our latest episode of ClearedCast we chat with Mark Frownfelter, Assistant Director for the Special Security Directorate at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He talked hot topics in personnel security and clearance reform, including why candidates with drug use in their past shouldn't 'weed' themselves out of the process, and how ODNI is staying responsive to policy changes in drug use. The personnel security program has come a long way, and even more changes are being considered to enhance and overhaul security efforts.

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Anyone applying for a security clearance today is generally surprised by the very arcane look and feel of the process. A key reason why modernization has stalled has been the delays in implementing the government's National Background Investigations Services (NBIS). By this point, eQIP was supposed to be replaced by eApp - a more responsive - save-able! - form-field friendly form. But like other aspects of the clearance process requiring technology, eApp remains a pilot program, a security clearance Patronus that exists as a shadow, a PowerPoint briefing, but not a process reality.

That's why NBIS is at the core of a recent report released by the Government Accountability Office. ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Brian Mazanec, director of GAO’s defense capabilities and management team.

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ClearanceJobs chats with Dr. Scott Edwards, president and chief psychologist at ClearancePsych, a collaborative of psychologists who work to help individuals affected by psychological issues across the national security community, including clearance holders, the military, and government agencies. Edwards discusses how psychological issues affect security clearance applicants, including the polygraph process, stigma around seeking help, and why the security clearance process (probably) shouldn't be the first place you disclose sensitive issues.

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Foreign influence is always among the top five issues resulting in security clearance denial and revocation. And it can often be one of the most difficult to mitigate. ClearanceJobs sat down with William Henderson, ClearanceJobs contributor and the president of the Federal Clearance Assistance Service to discuss some of the frequent questions he receives about foreign influence in the security clearance application process.

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Secret squirrel whispering is problematic for a number of reasons. Cleared recruiting over the holidays? Forget about it. Candidate communication is slowed while travel is at an all time high and time with family / friends takes higher priority. But as a talent acquisition professional in the Department of Defense, deadlines, and pressure from hiring managers does NOT take a back seat.

So, how on earth are you supposed to source candidates, meet your submittal quotas, and staff billets through the yule tide season? ClearanceJobs had a conversation with one of our D.C. secret squirrel hunters about how to maximize your recruiting efforts over the holidays.

In 1995, just two weeks before leaving the military service to begin his first day of class at the FBI Academy, Rick Diaz was the victim of a hit and run. He lost his arm and to add insult to injury, Diaz was forcibly retired by the military and told by the FBI that he was no longer a candidate because he could not fire a weapon.

In 1999, when Diaz joined the CIA, he was offered a position in the Office of Inspector General, but he had set his goal on becoming a clandestine case officer.

Diaz was eventually recruited into the Directorate of Operations in 2001 just prior to 9/11 by the Director of the Counterterrorism Center. He went on to deploy overseas following 9/11, becoming the first CIA disabled officer with his type of disability to qualify with a weapon and deploy to a warzone. He followed up in 2007, by becoming the first disabled officer in CIA history with his type of disability to certify as a Case Officer.

What kind of gifts can I get govvies if I'm a defense contractor? What kind of gifts are appropriate to buy cleared recruiters? More importantly, what gifts are NOT appropriate for secret squirrels during the holiday season? Tune in to this episode of ClearedCast where our Director of Content and PR gives you the low down.

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MILITARY TRANSITION TIPS:

Attend a TAP program, but seek additional workshops outside of traditional base TAP seminars
Take time to think about your transferrable skills
Network with veteran friendly employers
Connect with already separated vets who can possibly mentor you
Listen to podcasts and read military leadership books
Play up your strengths and what being a veteran brings to the corporate table
Become best friends with cleared recruiters and headhunters

Learn more at news.clearancejobs.com

A research study from 2017 sampled almost 6,000 United States veterans and found that 13% were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is almost double the rate compared to the incidence of PTSD within the general population. Only 6.8% of the general U.S. population will experience PTSD at a certain point in their lifetime.

Lani Hankins served active-duty Army from February 2011 to February 2015 as an Automated Logistical Specialist in a Forward Support Company attached to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment. She deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 2012 to 2013 and was a member of the Female Engagement Team. Lani served as a Reservist with the 451st Quartermaster Company in Cape Coral, Florida, from February 2015 to December 2016.

As you know all too well, defense and security contractors struggle to retain high quality professionals due to the isolating and traumatic nature of their work. Now, we’re adding in controversial vaccine mandates, and competing with the commercial sector where employees are offered remote work, high salaries, and ridiculous sign-on bonuses.

Unfortunately, it’s causing a mass exodus to big tech and leaving the stability of your operations questionable.

Lauren Rich is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker that works strictly with combat veterans, many who need assistance for classified trauma, and we previously discussed what employees can do to seek out mental health treatment. She joined ClearanceJobs for a conversation about the other side of the coin, what can employers do for the employee? And specifically, what can they do to keep that employee from leaving the industry? One thing they can do is improve mental health outcomes.

ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Tremayne Williams and Liz Seamans from Frontier Technology Inc. (FTI). We chatted about how they transitioned out of the military and came to join FTI. And they also gave some tips for military members who want to make the transition.

THE PATH TO FTI: Williams and Seaman had different but similar paths to FTI. The theme for both of them was their own personal effort that they put in and the culture of FTI as a place that recognizes and develops talent.

Jill and Katie highlight a few things just in time for the holidays... including exercising some patience when it comes to visiting with family, and avoiding battery charges you may have to report to your FSO. Applying to a security clearance throughout the holidays? The team gives tips on communication that could slow down. Lastly, the ladies share a DOHA security clearance denial case that reminds everyone to know their limits when it comes to drinking alcohol this T-giving. Gobble gobble! (+ drink responsibly)

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Brad Thomas founded hard but SOF (special operations forces) rock band Silence & Light with former Nirvana guitarist and Soundgarden bassist, Jason Everman. Thomas sits down with ClearanceJobs to talk about his military journey, transition pain points, what the rock band does to benefit the veteran community, and announces their new album release.

For November's military appreciation month, and of course Veterans Day, ClearanceJobs is donating $1 for every podcast subscriber we receive to Warriors Heart, one of Silence & Light's continued beneficiaries.

Learn more about the band: https://www.silenceandlightmusic.com/

Learn more about Warriors Heart: https://www.warriorsheart.com/

Allison Snell from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency talked with ClearanceJobs about her role on CISA’s Election Security Initiative Leadership Team and their work in securing the U.S. elections.

The election security initiative at CISA manages election risks and critical infrastructure on a national, state, and local level. Election security requires staff in the field, and Snell plays a vital role on the team, in a chief of staff role, keeping everyone managed and supported. Snell explains, “The election security initiative is part of the national risk management center…responsible for CISA’s election security mission and administering the sector risk management agency for the critical infrastructure designation of election infrastructure.”

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) reached a milestone announcement this month – 100% enrollment of the Department of Defense security clearance population into its continuous vetting (CV) program. That includes service members, DoD civilians and contractors. The application and investigation process doesn’t change – and the Federal Investigative Standards and adjudicative guidelines remain the same – but now the cleared workforce is being continuously vetted, versus episodic investigations only.

“Once an individual has been investigated and adjudicated, then they are automatically enrolled in continuous vetting,” said Heather Green, director of the Vetting Risk Operations Center, DCSA.

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The Cybersecurity division of the Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Agency (CISA) leads the endeavor to secure federal, civilian, and government networks in cooperation with the private sector to maintain the security of the critical networks of our nation. ClearanceJobs had a conversation with one of the prominent female voices heading the incident response teams.

Alexis Wales, the Associate Director of Threat Hunting, is one of the leading females working for the department for the last 12 years. The threat hunting team is portion of CISA that is pioneering new approaches to the tradecraft that we call threat hunting – working in the cyber domains, anywhere from network infrastructure, to mobile, to cloud, searching for the bad guys in cyber clothing. “Our job is to do the nearly impossible – to find the unknowns,” Wales says.

Are you a cleared engineer that loathes panel interviews? Got a cleared engineering one coming up that you are super nervous for? Wondering what questions you’ll be asked?

Not to worry, because LaKiesha Tomlin has you covered.

She's worked for large, enterprise level defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Boeing and has also landed gigs within the commercial big tech space with giants like Apple. How did she land these dream jobs? Nailing the interview.

How does a cleared engineering interview differ from other interviews? Sometimes an engineering interview may require you to take assessments, solve engineering problems, give a presentation or show your personality. Most of them are also behavior and/or situation based interviews. LaKiesha has all the tips / tricks, and shares them in this episode of ClearedCast.

Nick Hamblet, vice president of engineering at General Atomics – Commonwealth Computer Research, Inc (GA-CCRi) joined ClearanceJobs to discuss his career journey and the work that GA-CCRi does in national security.

CCRi is a data analytics and software engineering company that was founded in 1989 in Charlottesville, VA. Hamblet has been with CCRi – now GA-CCRi since spring 2021 – for over 11 years, beginning with roles in software architecture and development and data science. He now serves as the vice president of engineering, making sure GA-CCRi projects continue to align around common code and coding process. Additionally, he invests in employees to continue to support their learning and growth potential at GA-CCRi.

As a service organization, stakeholder engagement is really about partnership and making sure the right partners are connected with CISA in order to execute the mission. The partnership is a two-way street with industry offering different views and CISA informing of threats and risks. Keeping everyone at the table is essential. The key is to know your customers, audience, and partners; and in turn, make sure that their expectations are being met. In a connected world, partnerships are critical in cybersecurity.

ClearanceJobs chatted with Bradford Willke, a Senior Advisor for Stakeholder Engagement at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about his work at CISA and the role of strong partnerships in cybersecurity.

If the federal government is going to keep up with nefarious actors and get serious about cybersecurity, it needs to start with hiring and the way they reach cybersecurity professionals.

According to Erin Weiss Kaya, Senior Strategist with the Innovation Group at Booz Allen Hamilton, the unemployment rate in the cybersecurity field is close to 0%. However, cyber talent remains limited despite the demand for the cybersecurity workforce to grow by about 41% in the U.S. over the next few years.

October is cybersecurity awareness month – a collaboration between government and industry to ensure everyone is practicing cyber hygiene. So, fitting for this month, ClearanceJobs and Kaya unpacked some of the cyber hiring problems the federal government is facing today and what little changes agency, industry and the recruiter can make to better reach cleared cybersecurity candidates.

After Billy Bob Brown Jr. spent 20 years in the military, and work with a government IT contractor and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), his drive to serve the U.S. kept him supporting the federal space. Brown considers it a joy to find ways to support the U.S. Constitution and supporting the balance between the local jurisdictions and federal mandates. While the state government has some authorities, everything else is left to the local jurisdictions, which means that there are many jurisdictions all across the nation at various levels that have responsibility and authority for their work. And that means that all of us, if we’re trying to do something on a national scale, we all have to actually work together.

ClearaneJobs sat down to discuss his role as the Executive Assistant Director for Emergency Communications at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and their work in emergency communications that saves lives through technology.

Mental health and the security clearance holder once had a very complicated relationship. But now that we are in an era where seeking out mental health treatment voluntarily is encouraged, we still have combat veterans that struggle to work through events that may be classified. How do you seek out mental health treatment if your traumatic event is attached to service or a classified event you cannot discuss?

ClearanceJobs chatted with Lauren Rich, LCSW, who works strictly with combat veterans, many whom have events she must not know specific details about.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the newest agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) umbrella, leading the effort to improve and maintain the highest level of security when it comes to protecting our nation’s cyber assets, but just as importantly, our communications infrastructure.

In emergency situations, this can include the effective response and communication channels during events like an active shooter threat. ClearanceJobs had a conversation Daniel Rivera, the Deputy Branch Chief of Active Assailant Security at CISA. Rivera has almost a decade of experience at the agency in providing the critical infrastructure community with information regarding terrorist attacks, other extremist actors like active shooters, mitigating factors, and preventive education.

The ClearanceJobsBlog never disappoints - and the editorial team runs through the craziest security clearance stories, part II. Tune in to hear about the clearance holder and hearsay / rumors of someone overstaying their visa, restraining orders and stalking, cryptocurrency strikes job chances again, a couple thinking about amateur porn, and a security team disclosing a whistleblowers identity.

Learn more at www.news.clearancejobs.com.

ClearanceJobs chatted with Beau Woods from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about how he came to the decision to join CISA and the undertaking he has had this past year on the COVID task force. CISA is the youngest federal agency, and it’s an exciting time to be a part of CISA as they develop who they are after just being stood up in 2018. In the broader ecosystem, CISA is one of the most technical agencies within the U.S. federal government, and as the agency continues to engage with the technical communities outside of CISA, other federal agencies will follow. Bringing in talent from technical communities improves the federal government’s ability to be more agile in order to keep driving innovation forward.

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Codes, Ciphers & Mysteries: NSA Treasures Tell Their Secrets...Don't miss the International Spy Museum's pop up exhibit, highlighting artifacts from the National Security Agency. The exhibit closes September 30!

The exhibit showcases a treasure trove of extraordinary artifacts used for codemaking, codebreaking, and secure communications from NSA’s National Cryptologic Museum. Andrew Hammond, historian / curator at the museum tells us how his love of espionage developed, tells us more about some of the artifacts highlighted in the exhibit and shares some special spy knowledge with the ClearanceJobs audience.

U.S. Veterans Magazine released a list of its top veteran-friendly companies. The magazine polled hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies in order to analyze them and make recommendations for veterans. The editorial team chatted through a list of organizations with employment, business, and supplier opportunities within the federal government for veterans, transitioning service members, disabled veterans, spouses, and veteran business owners. While the full list includes businesses from a variety of industries, we pulled those that include jobs requiring a security clearance or entities that do work with the government. Listen to our a speed round, highlighting 25 employers that made the veteran friendly list.

View the full list at news.clearancejobs.com.

Working in any facet of the Intelligence Community (IC) requires you to be a decent writer. But the most effective communicators have some things in common: they able to influence through their writing. Carla Bass, a retired Colonel out of the U.S. Air Force, offers many insights and ways to help you influence through writing: whether you’re crafting a resume, hoping to land your dream job or career, convincing your boss you’re deserving of a raise, or win your next contract through a winning proposal.

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ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Tish Rourke about her role at Lockheed Martin and opportunities in the cyber space. Rourke is the Vice President of the Cyber & Intelligence (C&I) market segment within the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS) business area where she is responsible for a $600M portfolio of programs delivering a wide array of capabilities in support of national security requirements to the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and other government customers.

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The world of cybersecurity is moving quickly. With new technologies, there are new vulnerabilities, so it’s important to continually be learning and growing, ready to find new ways to meet moving targets. It also requires a passion to keep up with the changes in industry. A mind with a bend towards problem-solving is key in meeting the cybersecurity field.

ClearanceJobs chatted with Paul Rivera and Rob Dodson about their journey in starting the CyberOps Training Academy and some advice for the cybersecurity industry. Rivera is the CEO and founder of Def-Logix, Inc. and co-founder of CyberOps Training Academy, and Dodson is the lead instructor and co-founder of CyberOps Training Academy.

The ClearanceJobs Blog is a place where you can read and discuss the government security clearance process, filling out the SF-86, how to get a security clearance job and many background investigations issues that can come up. Jill and Katie pulled some of the more bizarre security clearance stories like one user who accidentally worked for a porn company and was wondering if they should file with the IRS, another who's background investigation interview was 'recorded' after the investigator has a heart attack, or the more common sextortion story of the 21st century where people are taken advantage online (i.e. dating sites).

Tune in to part I of this two part stories and learn from these weird security clearance holder and applicant stories. Visit our blog to read on your own at www.ClearanceJobsBlog.com.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification or CMMC, is an big topic of concern for companies serving within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). But whether you supply products, services, or people to the federal government or not, we are also seeing cyber vulnerabilities put commercial businesses at the top of news headlines. DHS recently issued guidance that pipeline backers are required to report potential and confirmed cybersecurity incidents to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), mandating that pipelines designate a cybersecurity coordinator to report cyber-attacks. So we are now even seeing remnants of CMMC flood into the commercial sector.

While CMMC has already received criticism due to small businesses required to adhere to the same standards as large contractors, the reality is that cyber attacks will only continue, and any company doing work in the U.S. should be cautious if there cyber policies and procedures are not up to snuff. Our conversation with Vince Scott highlights what companies should and shouldn't do as CMMC is fully implemented.

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After working from home for the last year and half, it may prove difficult to get yourself out of bed and commuting back onsite to an office, or worse...a SCIF with no windows. Especially if you're one of those employees that like to hit the snooze button, utilize these top 10 tips to get you out of bed and back in to the office successfully.

Start your day with the smallest task possible.
Use a positive mantra or make your internal dialogue a little happier.
Make things easier for yourself.
Block distractions for the first hour while you get up to speed.
Ask for the support you need from your partner, friends or family.
Get over the stress of re-engaging by talking to coworkers.
Be of service to someone else at work.
Give yourself a break!
Remember why you’re working in the first place.
Find the hole you can plug yourself into to be a team player.

Practice gratitude and self-care as you transition back to the office. We are all human and it may feel difficult to change up the routine yet again. Ultimately, do what’s best for your working style to get back into the swing of things.

The Department of Defense depends on a wide-ranging and intricate defense industrial base (DIB) for the products, services, and people that empower the DoD's capabilities in tackling hot national security issues. The entities that work with the DoD should be diverse, and organizations can continue in developing a diversified DIB by partnering with organizations that are a part of the small business 8(a) set-aside program.

ClearanceJobs had a conversation with Jon Love, who has a long history in supporting big tech, and brings a fresh perspective on how one large defense contractor can factor in to a diversified DIB successfully. Working with 8(a) and minority-owned businesses should be an extension of your own company's core values, and is a par of the “We work better together value” at Maxar Technologies. Maxar builds relationships in the community to attract candidates, and partners with vendors who have diverse backgrounds and experiences because they know it is the right thing to do. And it is the best avenue in solving complex problems.

Here are the TOP TEN LARGE DEFENSE CONTRACTORS in the DC metro area:1. LMILMI snagged the The Washington Post Top Workplaces 2021 Award, continuing its long history in pushing innovation and growing talent. LMI’s employees have diverse backgrounds, coming from government and defense, business and industry, and academia and research. And more than half of LMI employees are either veterans or former civil servants, but they all come together at LMI to support the mission of improving the management of government.

CGI FederalCGI offers business and systems consulting, IT outsourcing, Infrastructure support and other services for the federal government. Whether it’s managing change in the federal workforce, making a digital transformation, or increasing cybersecurity defenses, CGI has various contract vehicles to support the work. They were founded in 1976, and now, they are a global company with positions all around the world.

3.CACICACI is all about career mobility and talent development. At CACI, career mobility keeps talent engaged as their CACI career evolves. CACI’s culture promotes a career growth mindset to embrace learning and development opportunities. Professionals need a place to work that fosters new skills and offers new experiences to challenge them. CACI has over 1,000 Top Secret/SCI open positions, as well as, over 500 open Secret positions.

PeratonPeraton has a great mission in national security to do the “can’t be done” – which is a noble and necessary goal that we need to advance technology and policy. They also had a recent acquisition of Perspecta, growing the company’s presence in the national security industry. Peraton supports space, intelligence, cyber, Homeland Security – and more with a lot of programs with federal agencies. And with the recent acquisition of Perspecta came the recent Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) contract for $474 million to develop the data analytics and security enterprise architecture prototype.
Science Systems and Applications IncScience Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) is a leading provider of scientific, engineering, and IT support for customers seeking new frontiers in science and technology. SSAI has been in business for more than 40 years. They support pioneers in science and engineering—such as NASA and NOAA—and have made significant contributions to more than 150 Earth and space science missions.
Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) Systems Planning and Analysis INC has worked in national security for over 50 years. They provide advanced analytics, systems engineering, strategy, policy, & compliance support, and program support to the national security field. One former marine with the company connected with SPA upon his military transition and never looked back – citing the ability to move around in the company and how SPA supports his family life as well.
American SystemsAMERICAN SYSTEMS has been delivering IT and engineering solutions for complex national priority programs since 1975.They are based in Chantilly, VA. Customers and job searchers can also check out their blog where they cover topics like a recent fraud alert, noting how scammers were impersonating recruiters with an app called Telegram, often extending job offers and asking for personal financial information by having “new hire” forms completed and/or asking for money for “new hire” equipment. It’s always a good reminder to be sure to use secure job search technologies – especially when looking for cleared positions.
The MIL CorporationThe MIL Corporation began in 1980 and they offer cyber, engineering, IT, and financial services to the federal government. With technical work supporting the government, they have cleared positions as well for candidates to check out. Their President and CEO is the company founder, and 40 years later, he’s still at the helm. Truly an example of visionary leadership that has stood the test of time.
Precise SystemsPrecise Systems is a professional services company currently working for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. Their core competencies include systems engineering, program and project management, logistics, information technology and cyber security, and software development services. They were founded in 1990 and continue to provide cutting-edge solutions and support to warfighters. Precise Systems was also recently named a Top Veteran-Friendly Company by U.S. Veterans Magazine for the Second Year.
REI SystemsIf ever there was a story that highlights that it only takes a spark to start a fire, REI Systems is it. They began with one NASA contract. And now they still have work with NASA, as well as contracts with Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, and many more. Their name means Reliable, Effective, and Innovative, and it’s great to have a name really encapsulate the company brand. They have work in modernizing government legacy applications on cloud platforms, offer advisory services, and data analytics – among other things, as well as offer many jobs that require some level of a security clearance.

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Jack L. Tilley served as the 12th Sergeant Major of the Army from June 2000 – January 2004. A Vietnam War Veteran, SMA Tilley has held a variety of important leadership positions throughout his 36-year career. Now retired, SMA Tilley continues to serve as advisor, leader and supporter of all service members, Veterans and their families as co-founder of the American Freedom Foundation. As the host of the Your Next Mission™ podcast, he continues to impart his experience and advice to those transitioning from military to civilian life.

Tune in to this episode to hear more about SMA Tilley, The American Freedom Foundation, Your Next Mission™, and Tilley's autobiography.

ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Leandria Ates, a principal manufacturing engineer at Northrop Grumman. We chatted about her military transition from the U.S. Army and her role in manufacturing at Northrop Grumman.

Leandria has been able to grow in her comfort level with the systems and overall workflow processes at the company. Her experience as a veteran has helped, enabling her to take on different roles and further develop her skills – and Northrop Grumman has been there at every step, supporting her journey from full-time military service to full-time veteran team member.

Empowering employees like Leandria to be the first line of defense for problem-solving helps provide a sense of ownership and team camaraderie at Northrop Grumman. The company’s employees are the key to providing pioneering solutions that streamlines workflow and builds employee confidence, for veterans and non-veterans alike. As one of the largest global, aerospace, defense and security companies in the world, Northrop Grumman proudly employs veterans as they make the transition to civilian life.

The Washington Post recently surveyed the D.C. area for the eighth year in a row in its Top Workplaces survey, conducted in partnership with Energage, LLC. Over 65,500 employees in the area responded, representing 413 companies. While there are many organizations in the D.C. area, government contractors provide a broad range of work and support to the federal government. Here is part II, where we tell you the top 10 mid-size defense contractors to work for in the DMV - what is a common theme between these great companies? Most of them are ClearanceJobs partners 😉

Stay tuned for Part III in the next few weeks!

“We want diversity of thought to be accepted,” says Lauren Buitta, the founder and CEO of Girl Security. “I don’t imagine kind of a peaceful national security space, but I think one in which difference of opinion is actually valued, both systemically and through institutional policy is key.”

ClearanceJobs sat down with Buitta to discuss viewing our national security policies through an equity lens, so that leaders understand the decisions we make in the name of national security and all of the cascading effects that follow. How will these issues affect women, girls, or other marginalized communities? Because all of these issues aren’t siloed.

The best way to hear about who has the corner on the best employer status is to survey employees. The Washington Post recently surveyed the D.C. area for the eighth year in a row in its Top Workplaces survey, conducted in partnership with Energage, LLC. Over 65,500 employees in the area responded, representing 413 companies. While there are many organizations in the D.C. area, government contractors provide a broad range of work and support to the federal government. We pulled the top 10 SMALL defense contractors to work for in the DMV - this is part 1 of a part 3 series!

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Department of Defense acquisitions are not procured in a way to be flexible for what is becoming a major skills gap in the cleared industry. Most defense contractors are indeed staffing firms if they want to admit it or not, and what the government is buying is the people to do the work. With the industry facing new innovations like hybrid remote work, what does the rest of the future of the cleared recruiting landscape look like?

After the pandemic, we now have a workforce that wants to work remote, customers that want the latest skillsets, with a cleared workforce that is already shrinking due to the private sector offering some attractive jobs. Oh, and the government really wants a low price.

ClearanceJobs sat down with one of our favorite recruiting rockstars, Tom Weinert, to tackle some of these cleared recruiting issues, and answer the question of what future looks like for cleared recruiting.

ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Northrop Grumman engineers Haylea Rheams, Emily Marvich and Sara Banadaki. They shared stories about how they got into engineering, the role that Northrop Grumman has played in their careers and what the next generation should consider when pursuing STEM careers.

Every career journey is different. Some have a very straight path, while others may not have such a direct route. For Haylea, Emily and Sara they each had someone in their life to help guide them and push their interest and desire to pursue engineering. Whether it was a parent, school or another prominent figure, they were emphatic that young girls notice women in STEM careers. Having strong role models and access to technology at a young age played a key role in defining their own career paths.

Episode 3 of the Future of the IC videocast series examined how government and industry can leverage emerging technologies to support IC mission imperatives from remote settings. Speakers articulated the promise and limits of these technologies, commercial and government best practices that the IC can learn from, and the extent to which remote technology can enable the national security enterprise to hire and retain top tech talent across the country.

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ClearanceJobs was joined by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance's (INSA) President, Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, who since 2010, has held various leadership positions at INSA, most recently serving as the organization’s first Chief Operating Officer. She was the driving force behind INSA’s expansion into markets outside the Washington, DC region, as well as its popular, The New IC symposium, which focuses on diversity with inclusion in the intelligence community.

Join more than 1,000 of your national security colleagues for a week of engaging panel conversations, an inspiring keynote, and a special fireside chat! Speakers will share their career journeys, talk about the barriers they've broken through, and discuss the importance of empowering women in the IC. Split into five different sessions, this virtual program will run one-hour each day for the week of July 12-16.

You will also be able to connect with your colleagues in-person! On Thursday, July 15 INSA will host an in-person outdoor networking reception for New IC attendees to make connections and build relationships.

ClearanceJobs recently spoke with Stu Hammer, Senior Director of Consulting Services at Peraton and Jennifer Napper, Vice President and General Manager for the U.S. Army and cyber operations segments at Peraton. Both offered their insight on the general skills needed in today’s job market, what Peraton specifically looks for in candidates and what to expect from the company’s recent merger.

ClearanceJobs: Describe the state of Peraton’s acquisition of Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Mission Support and IT Services and more recently Perspecta?Jennifer Napper: The transaction is complete and all functions are under the Peraton brand. Bringing together these organizations provides highly complementary portfolios of programs, capabilities and customers that will further expand Peraton’s ability to support missions of consequence around the world. Our nation’s security has never been so interconnected, and Peraton is now positioned to operate at this critical nexus, delivering differentiated, proven, and secure technology solutions across a broad set of government customers. To do this means hiring and retaining employees and teams of dedicated, highly technical professionals. Our employees need to understand the customer’s mission completely, lean forward, show initiative, and solve problems through innovation. With a keen understanding of the value of talent, lifelong learning is embraced and encouraged at Peraton.

ClearanceJobs: Talk about the skills needed in this job market.Stu Hammer: First, cyber operations and cloud capabilities have become mission critical. There is high demand for skilled talent in these areas, and Peraton carefully and actively recruits for this. We especially want candidates with demonstrated knowledge and experience. Certifications in AWS, Microsoft, Splunk, ServiceNow and others make candidates stand out. Second, cyber credentials need to include experience with cyber policy, assessments, threat intelligence, cyber software knowledge and risk management frameworks. Candidates do well when they show a full understanding of the threats and capabilities. That’s what customers need. Third, cloud technology is a field that is constantly changing, so candidates need a firm grasp on service providers. They must be prepared to keep pace as toolsets and other technologies get introduced.

ClearanceJobs: Tell us about the hiring process at Peraton.Jennifer Napper: Of course, the pandemic affected hiring plans and last year we could not attend the normal job fairs or hold in-person interviews. But, Peraton still recruited and hired. In the defense sector alone, the company hired more than 470 cleared professionals in 2020. And, that demand shows no signs of slowing down. With or without more in-person interaction, we’ll continue our vigorous recruitment. Also important is that we focus on hiring veterans. There are many candidates who want to continue to serve and use their skills after they’re hung up their uniform. Our recruiters are trained to work with these service members and help them leverage those skills during interviews. Peraton also maintains connections with the military’s transition services that operate pilot programs on cyber or other focused areas. At these critical bases, we deepen our connection to the local communities and professional organizations through event participation. This strengthens our presence among job seekers, and it means our employees are out there making a difference.

ClearanceJobs: Describe the hiring roadmap at Peraton.Stu Hammer: For candidates joining Peraton, resumes and interviews need to show knowledge, skill and drive. The hiring process is the time to clearly articulate top achievements, results, and outcomes. It’s critical to have the right skills and education, but it’s the excitement and drive for the work that makes candidates stand out. It starts with an engaging resume, followed by phone screens and interviews that present opportunities to highlight analytical, problem-solving and organizational skills. Communications with clients about critical mission support require candidates who can not only work well with others, but also present clearly. Peraton is the best at delivering trusted and highly differentiated national security solutions and cloud technologies for their customers. It’s an important responsibility to bring the most secure technology that protects the nation from security threats. That level of work requires hiring the best and the brightest.

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The ability of a small group of people to create widespread harm. That is something that anyone who was alive during the September 11th attacks and the aftermath can relate to. But what does the future of terrorism and their weapons of mass destruction look like?

As we reflect on 9/11 and the legacy of 20 years as troops are pulling out of Afghanistan, ClearanceJobs had a conversation with Zachery Kallenborn whose job is to ask these complicated questions and find hypothetical answers.

Kallenborn has long been interested in the why to evil scenarios. He also double majored in math and international relations, minoring in German physics and history. Him enjoying staying busy, constantly running away from boredom, or continuously chasing curiosity is an understatement. But luckily threats in national security are dynamic enough for his mad scientist mind.

As the US as a whole has increasingly adopted social media into the day to day of normal life, the US armed forces has established its own recruiting strategy and social media accounts to facilitate communication and interaction with potential recruits, family members, and friends. Throw in a pandemic where military recruitment teams cannot meet people where they are at, and personnel are farced to get creative in reaching new candidates - especially ones coming from a tech savvy Generation Z.

Jason Singleton, who has around a 10 year notch on his US Marine Corps belt, has taken social media a bit further with his USMC career: he uses it as a recruitment tool, but also to showcase the man behind the uniform and highlight some of his life balancing being active duty, being a military spouse, and managing the chaos of military moves with his family.

Is social media a good tool and making military recruitment better? We believe so.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Kin Moy and Assistant Director of National Intelligence and IC CFO, Trey Treadwell discuss the future of the Intelligence Community Workforce including reskilling, policy changes, and how the IC is moving forward with a new normal.

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Join us on our 135th episode for some special hot tips on IT certifications and how experience may actually be the key to your success in addition to those certs. Darius Burt is a US Army vet with over 20 years of military service in threat response, management, operational planning, and interagency coordination at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. After transitioning and completing his graduate degree in Cybersecurity Studies, he works in the defense contracting space to analyze user requirements, design, develop, and deploy effective Information Systems Security solutions. Tune in as we hash out IT and cyber certifications that can help put you at the top of a recruiter’s resume pile.

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The government acquisition process is usually separated into four steps: pre-solicitation, solicitation and evaluation, award, and contract administration. The pre-solicitation stage lays the foundation for soliciting proposals and awarding the contract. Now, who makes the determination of who wins, or even to buy a product or service for the government in the first place? It depends on a few things, but it helps to understand what the Contract Officer (CO or KO) is thinking. This episode is for anyone who works for a defense contractor that bids on government work.

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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illnesses are common in the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year. Estimates suggest that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment.

Working in National Security and Your Mental HealthIt may seem unfair to ask these questions, but remember, the government is looking for reliable and trustworthy…anything that gives them pause on that has to be investigated. They also need to be sure that you can’t be coerced or have a condition used against you.

While psychological conditions are part of the adjudicative guidelines, mental health issues can cause clearance applicants unnecessary anxiety. So, a current or former psychological condition in and of itself doesn’t cause a security concern. But when the behaviors trigger unlawful actions or could lead to a compromise of classified information or even espionage, it is a factor in the investigation.

mentalhealth #securityclearance #nationalsecurity #departmentofdefense #counseling #psychology #dod #defensecontracting #security

When you think of enlisting in the US military, serving as piano player in the Air Force may not traditionally come to mind. But even the nontraditional military journey and transition is a part of you and your brand as a veteran.

Resume building, keyword optimized CV’s, and applying for jobs is about 10% of job seeking. The other 90% is building deep and meaningful connections through networking – and most successful veterans who have found fulfilling careers will agree that that is how they have landed that dream job, nailed their next promotion, or found more money in their pocket.

But networking isn’t all face-to-face anymore, no matter the industry. A hybrid approach where you are creating and posting content online to show connections what you are about, starts with coming out of your shell. So, don’t be a hermit: talk about your journey, show your vulnerabilities, and engage with other veteran content to be your most successful self in the job search.

Some candidates have boasted about a six to seven hour stint in eQIP to knock out their SF-86 all in one sitting. While that may not be the best strategy, sometimes sitting down to complete a large task like this in one sitting is possible - if you are prepared. There are strategies to filling out your SF-86 - especially if you've lived a few years and done a few things that will take some time to fill out. On the other end of the spectrum are the recent college graduates with few jobs and references to document. The key is to think through each question carefully because ignorance or carelessness is rarely a valid argument.

Check out these top ten tips for when you sit down to fill out the SF-86.

securityclearance #clearancejobs #sf86 #nationalsecurity #departmentofdefense #dod #defensecontracting #security

You can't beat the job security of a blue collared job, and skilled trade clearance work is booming. Anything from a cable slicer and electrician to pipefitter and welder. You can support agencies that need personnel for facilities, ground, equipment, HVAC, plumbing, aircraft maintenance, and so much more.

Ginny Glasco is the Director of Recruiting Services at Akima, and manages the recruitment in 46 states and 16 countries. That's a plethora of career options. She is also an Army veteran and shares military transition tips, virtual job seeking advice, and the do's and don'ts of online career events that candidates should follow.

Employees at tech companies around the world are channeling their inner Patrick Henry and demanding liberty work from home options or else they quit. Over 35% claimed they would take their show on the road if their employer refused to meet the telework demands. Their outcry isn't off base from a recent DoD Inspector General report. While no one claimed that they would quit if work from home options don't change post pandemic, the responses were heavily in favor of the telework option.

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The National Defense Strategy (NDS) per the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) found that the return of competition between powers is the most critical challenge the US faces. It identified Russia and China as competitors that aim to manipulate the world around them into accepting their authoritarian models.

A few ways our adversaries do this have been seen for decades: through propaganda, hacking networks, implanting vicious software, or manufacturing seemingly innocent hardware.

Do you have a suspicious co-worker who is involved with espionage, sabotage, terrorism, or subversive activities while working in the DoD? Should my Facility Security Officer report it to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency or directly to the FBI?

This aid provides guidance to assist defense contractors with general scenarios for incident reporting. For an entire list of reportable activities, reporting requirements, and recipients, please refer to the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) and the Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 3:

https://news.clearancejobs.com/fso-industrial-security-reporting-requirements-what-and-who-to-report-to/

Darek Kawamoto is an inventor behind two of HawkEye 360's patents. The technology converts RF signals gathered from space into categorized, geolocated signal data, which drive meaningful insights for government customers across a wide degree of subject areas.HawkEye 360 is a commercial company that uses formation-flying satellites to create a new class of radio frequency (RF) data and data analytics. Darek is the Principal Engineer for Algorithms and was honored with the Edwin H. Land Industry Award by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA).

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Meghan Flannery Hayes is the Department Head at Pennsylvania State University’s Applied Research Lab (PSU/ARL) and has used her extraordinary leadership skills, vision, and empathy for others to transform her workplace, empower colleagues, and bring about positive organizational change. She is the lead member of the PSU/ARL's strategic plan and development team for recruiting and retention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. More recently, she was awarded the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s Joan A. Dempsey Mentorship accolade, which recognizes a member of the intelligence, defense, and homeland security communities for their efforts to counsel junior colleagues and develop the future workforce.

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The year has been filled with challenges and so many lessons learned. Our editorial team chats up the virtual life - living it, searching for jobs in it, and onboarding candidates despite it. It took a pandemic for the national security world to get serious about finding a way to incorporate telework. So what should stick going forward?

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The intelligence and national security community is embracing remote work - but is it a practice that will be able to continue moving forward? How has COVID-19 changed the national security workforce? The Intelligence and National Security Foundation and ClearanceJobs discuss those changes with former NSA Director Harry Corker and Avantus Federal CEO Andy Maner.Conversation underwritten by:Avantus Federal, a NewSpring Holdings company, is a mission-focused service driven solutions company headquartered in McLean, VA. Avantus Federal has a long history of consistent growth and high performance in the federal services market. At Avantus Federal, our work directly impacts national security and we approach each mission with an awareness of its gravity, harnessing hard-fought experience and expertise to fuel our unique approach. In the process, our clients’ commitment, responsibility and goals become our own. Learn more about our mission, clients and services at AvantusFederal.com.

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Joe Byerly is a combat arms officer with over 17 years of experience in combat and training environments his background being conventional mostly within reconnaissance organizations within the big Army. He has a few deployments under his belt, and has served within the the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) enterprise more recently. He is also the host of the From the Green Notebook podcast.Joe tells us about his successes through his military career, myths and misconceptions, and finding his strengths and weaknesses so he could better serve organizations.

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The start of a new administration is a great opportunity for federal agencies to take a fresh look at their programs and identify what's working and what needs to be improved on for the betterment of the American people.Studying behavioral insights has not been a priority in the past but doing this research and analyzing the data could be the key to inspiring a new generation to serve and allowing our government to work more effectively altogether.

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The editorial team walked through the pros and cons of working for a defense contractor as opposed to the federal government. Especially in the National Capitol Region, it's common to have considered employment prospects on both sides of the aisle. Whether or not you're looking for a change in your job, it's helpful to understand all of the different angles in national security employment.

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Really? More boot camp?In the DoD, we’re seeing that constant training is becoming a priority so the federal workforce can remain agile and have tomorrow’s skills to combat challenges the US is facing today.But we’re talking about a different type of boot camp: one for the digital age.

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If you’re either a king or a kook, you’re not going to make it in this world of security clearances.Thomas Sarnicola decided to create an anthology of stories from his experience in the fact finding process as a background investigator, and his novel No Kings, No Kooks, invites the reader into the world of security clearance investigations for the federal government and military.

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WWC Global is a federally-focused, woman-owned management consulting firm with a wide portfolio of clients including the Department of Defense, the Department of State, Department of Energy and others. They are ranked in the top 65 of woman-owned contracting firms among federal agencies & are headquartered in Tampa FL, offering opportunities for cleared candidates everywhere – including virtually.ClearanceJobs was joined by Lauren Weiner, CEO and Co-founder and Heidi Snell, Chief People Officer at WWC Global who shared lessons learned for candidates, recruiters, and contractors operating remotely during COVID-19.

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Tune in to listen to resume tips, whether yours is the correct length, and other insider tricks from the experts at ClearanceJobs.com.

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Your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in the military service does not always equate to your cleared career in civilian life. Imagine working as an Intelligence Analyst but are great at doing the analytical work. You transition out of the military and start the job seeking journey and find that you can apply to several federal agencies doing the same duties. But it's not fulfilling you completely. Ted Hallum found that he loved intelligence analysis but wanted to upskill to work in a growing field: Data Science.Website: https://vetsindatascience.com/Podcast: https://vetsindatascience.com/thedatacanteen

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The Cipher Brief is a digital, security-based conversation platform that connects the private sector with the worlds leading security experts. We deliver a relevant analysis of news and events that helps readers accurately anticipate and safely navigate the complex, unstable, global security environment. The Cipher Brief was founded by former CNN Intelligence Correspondent Suzanne Kelly on the belief that reporting on the latest security breaches or global security issues alone wont always help find solutions to the bigger problems. Engaging the private sector in a solutions-based conversation is what moves the ball down the field.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Steve Cooper, senior VP at Softworld. We discussed the role of communication and partnerships when it comes to staffing in the defense industry, as well as how things have shifted in 2020.

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A DoD used medicinal marijuana and after telling his FSO, was mistakenly told it was no big deal. Next he lost his security clearance during his periodic review, where it went to the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), where he was told he could keep his access if he stopped using. Eventually, he quit the company and threw a multi year temper tantrum tossing around classified information over email to former colleagues or the media. A Navy Chief also allegedly shared classified information with his Russian girlfriend, so you won't want to miss this week's news in review at news.clearancejobs.com.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Mike Manzo, director of Intelligence, Threat, and Analytic Solutions at General Dynamics Mission Systems. He discussed what sets General Dynamics Mission Systems apart.

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The editorial team walks through news on COVID-19 contact tracing in the defense sector, security clearance processing updates from agencies like the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the top modeling and simulation conference happening this year, and how mentoring can help to combat 'Imposter Syndrome.'

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Jack Terry from Leidos. He provided an overview of Leidos and how he has watched the organization grow over the years with a mission first and people always mindset.

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Five military men and women with large social media followings that had their identities stolen and used by Nigerian romance scammers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are always encouraging our military members and the cleared workforce to operate with caution in the digital age, so we sat down with one of those military influencers to hear her story and discuss tips on preventing this from happening more and more often.Megan, also known as Camie on social media, is active duty guard in Georgia. She tells us a little bit about her military experience and having a side hustle while supporting our nation. Now, secret squirrels are pretty good about operating online and in social situations. But the most interesting thing about Megan's story is that it started with someone she personally knew pulling her pictures from social media and pretended to be her. From there, the scammers started to pull her content as well.Catfishing: A Growing Epidemic During COVID-19 from SocialCatfish.com: https://socialcatfish.com/blog/nigerian-romance-scams-have-spiked-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020/

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Diversity of Thought a Key Driver in the Path to Success at Northrop Grumman by ClearanceJobs

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What we're talking about is different from social engineering within the social sciences. Pertaining to cybersecurity, social engineering is the manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging pertinent information. This is why this hack tends to be more insidious than the rest.For this episode of ClearedCast, Greg Stuart, the owner and editor of vDestination.com dishes on why it's detrimental to the individual, how you can prevent it, what to do if it happens to you, and even tells us a story of when his entire bank and children's college savings accounts were wiped clean in a matter of 30 minutes.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Dr. Tarun Soni, fellow and chief engineer at Northrop Grumman. He discussed how the breadth of opportunities available at Northrop Grumman have been a key driver in staying with Northrop Grumman over the years.

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Last month ClearanceJobs read Mission: Career Transition as a part of its monthly book club. At the end of the month, we sat down with author, CIA veteran, and career coach Alison Bouwmeester to discuss the book, how she navigated her career transition, and why she decided to write it.

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Blasting out resumes far and wide, or accepting "whatever" job or help without any clear, targeted direction.Sarah Maples went through a few transitions - transitioning from veteran to military spouse, and transitioning into a civilian career - tune in to learn more on transition tips and veteran success stories to push through the transition.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Kenneth “Kenny” Robinson, who is vice president of the Engineering and Sciences, Maritime/Land Systems & Sensor (M/LSS) and Field Engineering for Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems Sector. He leads an organization of engineers, managers, directors and contract labor personnel. Robinson joined Northrop Grumman in 2007 following a distinguished career with the U. S. Air Force. Prior to his departure from the Air Force, he spent ten years at the Space & Missile Systems Center (SMC), Los Angeles Air Force Base where he held various leadership positions in MILSATCOM, Space Superiority and culminating as the Commander, Global Positioning System Control Segment Group. Robinson shared with us a bit of an overview of Northrop Grumman from his point of view of where he is today and how the company has changed over the years that he has been there.

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We continue to see how Space Force is shaping up with new positions. The National Security Space Association recently called for reforms in space security policy, practices, and governance.While some things take center stage in elections, it's important to notice when state laws change, which could lead to confusion for clearance holders. While the country voted on candidates, they also voted in DC. and Oregon to decriminalize psilocybin. We wrote a while ago about more states legalizing marijuana with election day, but this week we focused on what happens when magic mushrooms are legalized in specific places.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Jason Corrigan, director of business development for mission readiness and protective systems at Northrop Grumman. Before joining Northrop Grumman, Jason served in the United States Air Force, completing three combat tours to Iraq with the 820th Security Forces Squadron as a Ground Combat Airman. He shared with us his transition out of the military to his role at Northrop Grumman.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Chris Rhine from TSG Federal who shared with us about the ways that candidates can be savvy about how to engage with recruiters when searching for federal job opportunities.

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t’s only fitting for the start of Military Appreciation Month that we highlight one of the trailblazers in the U.S. armed forces.The ClearanceJobs podcast was joined by Matice Wright-Springer, who in 1989, became the U.S. Navy's first African American female flight officer where she went on to serve on active duty for eight years. After transitioning out of the military, she worked in the private sector serving multiple contractors, serving as a White House Fellow, as principal director for the DoD, and now a vice president at ManTech, a $2.5 billion defense contractor that has been in business for over 50 years.

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The FBI and DNI updated the the public about foreign actors who got their hands on voter registration data sending voters spoofed emails. The goal of the emails were to confuse, create chaos, etc. Both the DNI and FBI director cited Iran and Russia as separate actors in this attempt, and they also remind the American people to remain vigilant. Here is your bi-weekly dose of news with ClearanceJobs. Everything from foreign adversaries spreading disinformation to courier cards to toxic bosses made the conversation."A weakened American people is a weakened country."

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ClearanceJobs was joined by Sean Bigley, a security clearance attorney who represents clients worldwide in security clearance denials. He assists service members, federal employees, and contractors in all stages of the security clearance process including upcoming investigations or representation at formal hearings. He is a former investigator for the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and shared a few of his security clearance horror stories with us.

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Katie Keller and Jill Hamilton are back highlighting the national security news that's been happening lately. Everything from Edward Snowden supporting our nation's bank account to the top movies that showcase the cleared life to lessons we can learn from Eddie Van Halen made the conversation.

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The Intelligence and National Security Alliance's reimagined 'The New IC: Empowering Women and Engaging Men' program focused on fostering much needed conversation between men and women working in national security. Jill Bruning is the Executive Vice President and General Manager at Amentum and joined ClearanceJobs for a conversation about diversity with inclusion: why it's important to keep these two important things in the conversation of building DoD teams. "Bias is Biological: Understanding, Embracing and Leveraging Our Differences for Success and Balance" explained some of the more than 100 differences between female and male brains—including how they speak, think, and interact socially—and encourages our workforce to recognize these differences as a means to empower inclusion and boost each other up.Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/14/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-national-security-workforce/The New IC: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/07/insa-kicks-off-annual-event-in-a-virtual-environment-the-new-ic/Embracing Differences and Diversity in National Security Workers: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/09/physiological-differences-sponsorship-and-diversity-in-national-security-workers/

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September 2020 was deemed insider threat awareness month following some of the most notable cases of our time.Peter Debbins traversed through the intelligence and defense community for more than 20 years, during which he claims to have had a loose relationship with the Russian military intelligence arm, the GRU.Timeline of events: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/25/watch-the-timeline-of-events-of-debbins-and-the-gru-in-u-s-defense-and-intelligence-sectors/The plot thickens: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/24/debbins-deepens-his-russian-relationships-as-the-gru-espionage-plot-thickens/Exposing the mole: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/22/the-russian-espionage-case-exposing-the-mole-in-the-u-s-special-forces/

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As the gears keep turning in the security clearance world, the editorial team highlights all of the national security news that's been happening. From the Intelligence & National Security Summit to security clearance terms to the effects of lying, we got it covered.Lying: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/15/still-lying-to-ourselves-5-reasons-why-we-lie/Clearance Terms: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/17/how-well-do-you-know-your-security-clearance-terms/Intel Summit: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/18/ic-leaders-perspectives-from-women-in-national-security/More Info: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/21/news-highlights-lying-is-bad-and-security-clearance-terms/

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion DE&I) is important for any industry, but especially for national security. For this episode of ClearedCast, Maxar Technologies executive and board member of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), Tony Frazier, joins us to chat about DE&I this field. An intelligence community / DoD that looks the same, thinks the same, and comes from the same area will present some serious challenges in defense. It limits the United States’ ability to understand or engage with global challenges. A diverse community is better equipped to develop policies to counter global threats.More on DE&I:More on the upcoming Intelligence Summit:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/08/intel-summit-2020-intelligence-community-goes-virtual-gets-conversational/

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Many of us have come to take traveling with our computers and mobile devices without remembering the security issues that may come about while being abroad. There are situations that should give you a second thought about how to travel with your personal devices, and while the risk varies, there are security steps, especially as a national security worker, that you should consider when planning to travel abroad or domestically.For this episode of ClearedCast, we were joined by John Davis who is a retired US Army counterintelligence Officer and linguist, currently in retirement and writing essays on counterintelligence, OPSEC and security issues for the ClearanceJobs news site.Learn more: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/09/opsec-principles-travel-security-and-your-pc-being-held-for-ransomOPSEC Tips: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2018/02/08/opsec-iot-fitness-apps-threat/Travel Security 101: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2018/03/27/spy-traveled-vacations-security-clearance-holder/

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Larry Hanauer, vice president of policy at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and Jen Sovada, Chief Futures Officer and Senior Vice President and General Manager of DoD and Intel at Mission Tech. The Intel Summit is 100% virtual this year, and there's still time to register for the three days of exclusive sessions and networking events taking place September 16-18. Attendees who can't attend every session will have the chance to watch sessions on demand later.

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ClearanceJob author Christopher Burgess provided a three piece series on Russian Spy, Peter Debbins. The timeline of events from 2011-2020 was particularly interesting with his movement around the defense and IC industry after being assessed and groomed by Russia. Burgess also provided insights on the Russian attempt to infiltrate Tesla's Sparks, NV facility with malware.Both stories highlight the need for ongoing OPSEC training and awareness.Learn more:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/09/01/top-news-stories-from-russian-espionage-to-quitting-your-job/https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/25/watch-the-timeline-of-events-of-debbins-and-the-gru-in-u-s-defense-and-intelligence-sectors/https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/26/company-insider-works-with-fbi-to-turn-the-tables-on-russias-million-dollar-attempt-to-hijack-the-network/

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When you think of CenturyLink, you may think of your internet provider – or perhaps the Seattle Seahawks stadium. But you should also think about an industry leader in telecommunications and technical solutions, with hundreds of job opportunities and a growing mission to support the federal government. Listen to a candid conversation with two leaders at CenturyLink, as they discuss why the work and the people are so important.

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Doctrine Man is your favorite comic super hero with 'truth, justice, and a sucker punch of snark.' Doctrine Man, Doctrine Man, spits out the comics no one can. Doctrine Man, Doctrine Man, saves the world without a plan!Steve Leonard, US Army vet, is a ClearanceJobs news contributor and joined us to discuss the dark side of leadership. What it is, and how to do deal.Learn more from Steve's stories: https://news.clearancejobs.com/author/steven-leonard/Learn more about toxic leadership:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/12/toxic-leader-3-ways-to-deal-with-the-narcissistic-boss/

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ClearanceJobs weekly news roundup continues for the month of August in 2020. This month is education themed, so naturally we covered the Alabama principle's 'Can't touch this' parody, what school regulations look like and who is hiring in defense.Alabama Goes Back to School with a Message from M.C. Hammer:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/11/alabama-back-to-school-with-a-message-from-m-c-hammer/3 Ways to Deal With the Narcissistic Boss: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/12/toxic-leader-3-ways-to-deal-with-the-narcissistic-boss/Secrets, Covert Action, and Intelligence Experts Shaping History:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/10/secrets-covert-action-and-intelligence-experts-shaping-history/The ICWATCH Dumpster Fire: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/08/the-icwatch-dumpster-fire-not-a-recruiters-friend/UFO? Pentagon’s UAPTA Budget Line Item Sparks Debate: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/12/ufo-pentagons-uapta-budget-line-item-sparks-debate/The Not-So-Magic Bus Combatting Groupthink: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/11/the-not-so-magic-bus-combatting-groupthink/

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Dr. Vince Houghton is the historian and curator at the International Spy Museum and joined ClearanceJobs for a chat on everything intelligence and espionage.Vince specializes in military and intelligence history, with specific expertise on late-WWII and early-Cold War eras. Prior to joining the International Spy Museum, Vince was a history professor at the University of Maryland, and is also former U.S. Army. He is the author of two books – Nuking the Moon: and Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board and The Nuclear Spies: America's Atomic Intelligence Operation Against Hitler and Stalin.Vince became interested in everything espionage, specifically nuclear weapons, as a young boy after reading The Making of the Atomic Bomb , by Richard Rhodes. Science & Technology really sucked him in after working through grad school where he became fascinated with nuclear weapon systems and other related concepts.Learn more on intel: news.clearancejobs.com/2020/08/10/secrets-covert-action-and-intelligence-experts-shaping-historyLearn more on nuclear weapons intel:https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/29/threat-analysts-real-life-dungeons-dragons-with-nuclear-weapons/

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As the pace of life continues to pick back up, Katie Keller and Jill Hamilton reviewed all the happenings at news.clearancejobs.com this past week. Our intelligence, security clearance and career advice articles help us to better understand each facet of national security. AI Race with China: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/27/where-is-the-u-s-in-the-ai-race-with-china/Chinese Intel Analyst Recruiting on LinkedIn: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/27/chinese-intel-addicted-to-linkedin/Misconceptions About the Clearance Process: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/30/top-misconceptions-about-the-security-clearance-process/How to Get Your Foot in the Cleared Door: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/25/3-ways-to-get-a-foot-in-the-cleared-door-without-clearance/Tune in to be in the know of what will be hitting the news state this week as we enter the month of August 2020.

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If you have held a government issued security clearance, you most certainly know about ‘pre-pub review.’ Pre-publication review is the process to determine that information proposed for public release contains no protected information and is consistent with the established Department of Defense and Intelligence Community policies. Such reviews are conducted by a panel of officials from the agency where a security clearance holder holds or held their clearance.Learn more: : https://news.clearancejobs.com/2020/07/27/future-for-cleared-employees-who-read-publicly-available-classified-information

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ClearanceJobs editors, Katie and Jill, break down what intelligence news broke last week, what security clearance updates were released, and what career advice crossed the news desk with CJ media. This week, the ClearedCast audience can expect to have the "Can you get a clearance if you don't need it?" question to be answered and learn some leadership lessons from a poet that can apply to security clearance careers. As always, we'll hear from Doctrine Man (if you haven't read his piece on military moves, check it out) and take a look at if virtual conferences are really worth it.

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While security clearance professionals are still awaiting updated DoD security clearances by the numbers until the July 15th quarterly National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) meeting, President & Founder of ClearanceJobs offers an update on the state of cleared recruiting today. Evan has been working in the industry for about 25 years. Prior to founding ClearanceJobs in 2002, he supported contractors in this space, seeing the need for a go-to hiring resource for cleared candidates, a candidate database for defense recruiters, and a platform for security clearance news and resources.

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Bold. Unafraid. Willing to take chances. Willing to try new things.If any of these words describe you, you may be the kind of professional who would succeed at Parsons. Innovation isn't boilerplate at Parsons; it's the cornerstone of how the company operates. ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Ricardo Lorenzo, chief technology officer at Parsons. He discussed how Parsons is innovates and onboards the best talent.

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ClearanceJobs sat down with Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis who currently serves as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations) for the United States Recruiting Command.With COVID-19, this year's Army National Hiring Days looks a little bit different than previous years. This new virtual hiring event will be the first time the Army has come together as a whole to leverage the digital space in a concentrated all-Army nationwide recruiting effort. They hope to hire 10,000 soldiers from June 30-July 2.

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Natalie Oliverio, US Navy Veteran and founder of Military Talent Partners, shares tips on finding your next career virtually, building your personal brand, defining yourself on your paper resume, and knowing your 'why'.

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ClearanceJobs sat down with Dr. Jason Edwards, the Princapal of Information Security at USAA. With 20 years of IT/Cybersecurity experience in sectors of military/government, insurance, digital security, banking, and energy, he has a diverse perspective on what cyber hygiene and prevantive care best practices defense contractors should be implementing.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down to chat with Tim Hinds, senior vice president of human resources at FTI. While FTI had a strong foundation working with the Air Force through its small business innovation research program, they've had significant success in turning phase one and two contracts into phase three contracts, and developing sole source contracts with government customers.

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Starting her journey in the military, COL Candice Frost was forced to challenge herself and the perception of others to accept women in their ranks. Starting in the 82d Airborne Division and continuing throughout her career, she worked to challenge the status quo and work to pave the path for other women and men to succeed. Through leadership and mentorship the diversity of teams she helped to coach brought about real change in organizations.Today, she shares the secrets of how to break through those barriers and achieve lasting change both in her consulting and as the Director with the Department of the Army Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2.

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Amanda is a military spouse and veteran who served in the Air Force for six years as a Civil Engineer including a deployment to Afghanistan. She traded in her combat boots for a diaper bag to stay home with her two boys and follow her husband’s military career. She published her first book in 2019 titled Women of the Military, sharing the stories of 28 military women as well as launching her Women of the Military podcast, where all five military branches and featured stories are represented. She has interviewed and written about anyone from the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force, the Women Air Force Service Pilots to the present day. You can learn more about Amanda at her blog Airman to Mom - www.airmantomom.com

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ClearanceJobs was joined by Casey Talley, Recruiting Manager at Integral Consulting Services, a firm that specializes in IT solutions, multimodal biometrics, intelligence analysis, cybersecurity, and operational and program management services to federal defense, civilian, and Intelligence Community clients in support of national and international security. They are a woman-owned business committed to delivering the highest-quality solutions and services.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Love Rutledge, host of the FedUpward podcast. She discussed how she's found success in a nearly 20-year career with the federal government, how to find opportunities for lateral assignments and upward mobility, and some of the most popular topics she's tackled on the podcast, including episodes about navigating fertility issues as a federal employee, meeting management, and performance appraisals.

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The Amazing Women of the Intelligence Community, also known as AWIC, is a grassroots organization that tackles professional issues women encounter in the Intelligence Community (IC) and in pursuing national security careers. Megan Jaffer, one of the founding members of AWIC, discusses the group's history, the progress over the last five years, the committee that plans topics/events, and Megan’s goals with the group moving forward. She was a recipient of one of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) 10th Achievement Awards for her impact on AWIC.

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The Commonwealth of Virginia has a unique opportunity to help Veterans gain career employment. While Virginia ranks 12th among states in total population, it ranks 7th in total Veteran population and 4th in Veteran working-age population. While many employers are unaware of the value Veterans can bring to their workforce, thousands more are seeking to hire Veterans as a part of their workforce but simply don’t know how. The Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program not only aims to educate and train companies as to why it is a sound business decision to recruit, hire, train, and retain Veterans, but also to help those committed companies meet their hiring goals.

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Margaret Weichart, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, discusses the status of security clearance reform, the significant progress being made, and the next steps in transforming the security clearance process. Weichart is stepping down from her role overseeing the President's Management Agenda, and will return to the private sector.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with three acquisition professionals with MITRE, a public interest company who works with government, industry, and academia to find innovative solutions to problems. On ClearedCast, we discussed the current contracting challenges and areas of opportunity, and how MITRE is helping bring new players to the contracting table.

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If you ever wonder about the success of Army marketing, you'd likely need look no further than the strong name recognition behind the U.S. Army's slogans. In order to attract a new generation, the U.S. Army recently unveiled its most recent campaign. 'What's Your Warrior' is asking the next generation where they see their career - and showing how the Army can get them there.

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ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Tom Weinert, the founder of Mount Indie, a family run business headquartered in San Diego, California. They act as a source for talent that provides recruiting solutions for business's of all sizes.

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Government and industry are partnering together to address insider threat reporting issues. New policies around two-way sharing for insider threat issues has been established - but what does this look like in practice? ClearanceJobs is chatting with Joseph Kraus, Senior Vice President of Mantech, about Trusted Workforce 2.0, continuous evaluation, and insider threat reporting.

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ClearanceJobs recently discussed tech modernization, data security and the cloud with John Feid, senior business development executive at 1901 Group. Feid is an expert in providing cloud computing solutions to government customers. He discussed the 1901 Group’s Disaster Recovery (DR) and Back Up (BU) as a Service (DR/BUaaS) solution. The need for such services has only expanded with the growth in data collection and cloud services.

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Each year approximately 200,000 service members transition out of the military. There are so many resources available. It's easy to start tuning them out. One resource army soldiers should not be tuning out, however, is Soldier for Life. The organization has made some major overhauls over the past several years, including a new website and a new podcast that continues to pick up steam and great new guests month after month.

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What does competent diversity look like within the intelligence community? And what can the national security community do to ensure it's attracting not just talent - but the right talent - to its workforce? Those are some of the questions #NatSecGirlSquad is looking to address as it empowers workers and advises government stakeholders on the challenges of hiring and retention.ClearanceJobs spent some time chatting with Maggie Feldman-Piltch, the managing director of unicorn strategies and the founder of #NatSecGirlSquad, a professional development and advisory organization committed to increasing competent diversity in national security and defense careers.

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Recruiter Bill Meeboer and his team at Lockheed Martin have been working closely with the National Background Investigations Bureau to implement innovations in the security clearance process. With these changes, Meeboer is optimistic for the future of cleared recruiting.

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When competition for cleared talent is at an all-time high, how can employers make the hires they need to fulfill their missions? Lockheed Martin is hard at work innovating ways to make this happen.Bill Meeboer, Senior Manager of Enterprise Talent Sourcing and Innovation at Lockheed Martin, joins ClearanceJobs to discuss what his company is doing to preserve the future of national security.

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What's the status of continuous evaluation in government, and how do current security clearance reform initiatives stand to impact the cleared workforce? ClearanceJobs chatted with David Buckley, managing partner at KPMG, as he prepares to moderate a panel on continuous evaluation at the upcoming Intelligence and National Security Summit.

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The Intelligence and National Security Alliance recently released a white paper on security clearance reciprocity - and how failures in policy and process are costing the government thousands of employee man hours. ClearanceJobs recently sat down with three members of INSA's Security Policy Reform Council: Charlie Allen, Principal, the Chertoff Group; Kathy Pherson, CEO, Pherson Associates; and Mary Edington, Director of Federal Security at KPMG to discuss the the white paper’s findings, and the history of security clearance reciprocity in government.

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Big data analytics firm Giant Oak and consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion recently launched a partnership that will allow TransUnion to leverage its robust data sets and Giant Oak's machine learning algorithms to complete the background investigation process faster, and with less investigator time. Learn more about how these two companies are working together to take data and turn it into actionable intelligence.

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As the government looks to innovate, there is a growing list of industry partners with solutions government agencies can put to the test. ClearedCast recently chatted with Dan Conrad, Federal CTO at One Identity, an identity and access management company serving both the federal government and commercial clients. Conrad discussed insider threats, trusted users, and how the government is looking to data and identity to keep its systems safe.

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ClearedCast recently interview Ron Sykstus, an expert on security clearance issues. Ron has a history of providing security clearance defense for those denied a security clearance and those who need assistance with navigating security clearance requirements.

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When he was a sleeper agent in New York City working for the KGB, Jack Barsky knew the threats that America posed to Communism and himself on a daily basis. He writes about the Soviet fears of Ronald Reagan in his 2017 book Deep Undercover.Now, a U.S. citizen who’s lived in America for most of his life, he sees mounting threats against the nation that many Americans do not recognize. He also discusses adjusting to regular life after decades of living in secret.

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After appearing on 60 Minutes and news outlets around the world, ex-KGB spy Jack Barsky detailed his experiences in his recent book, Deep Undercover. He was kind enough to speak with ClearanceJobs to reflect on his upbringing in East Germany, his career in espionage, today’s threats against America, and how to live in the aftermath of a life lived in secret.

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The focus on growing tech talent is key to a partnership between government cloud and cyber security provider 1901 Group and Radford University. 1901 Group is a part of an industry consortium with Radford University’s Applied Research Center. The partnership allows tech students from Radford University to get a taste of government careers first-hand.

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Broadcast Messages on ClearanceJobs are one of the top tools recruiters can take advantage of on ClearanceJobs.com. If you'd like tips on how to make your broadcast messages better, listen to advice from Maria Whitney, senior recruiter at Smartronix.

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If you're a government contractor with a product or service to deliver to the federal government, what are your options for getting talent to work when the security clearance process can take 18 months or more? A recent Wall Street Journal report noted defense contractors were using giant black tarps to separate elements of a nuclear submarine from uncleared eyes. It's just one way contractors are creating stovepipes between classified and unclassified work, to ensure the mission doesn't suffer just because the security clearance process is. Sequoia Holdings, a cyber, analytics and big data solutions provider with the federal government has experienced the effects of the backlog, both as it works to acquire talent and as it works to help its partners provide critical support to the federal government. And it has taken a creative approach to getting to work. Jay Pendarvis, vice president of Sequoia Holdings, outlines how a product called Combine is creating a simulated cloud environment for the IC.

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Having a satisfying life outside work is an essential encouragement to the stresses of being a security-cleared professional. For Shana Millspaugh, the support of employer Booz Allen Hamilton has enabled her to balance her personal and professional priorities.

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What does it take for a successful military transition, and when is it time to start? In the follow-up to our earlier conversation with Steve Leonard - aka, Doctrine Mana - retired Army colonel and the program director for the Master of Science program in Business and Organizational Leadership at the University of Kansas. He shares why it's not okay to wait until retirement to start the transition process, and how to make the most of your final years in uniform.

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Ongoing learning, professional development, continuous education. Whether you're a service member or civilian, professional development is likely on your career to-do list. But how do you find the right opportunities, how do you pursue them, and what kind of mindset makes that investment of time worthwhile? Those are the kinds of questions we're discussing on the latest episode of the Security Clearance Podcast in our conversation with Steve Leonard - aka, Doctrine Man. Leonard is a retired Army colonel and the Program director for the Master of Science program in Business and Organizational Leadership at the University of Kansas. He’s also the creator of the popular Doctrine Man, a humorous military cartoon that blossomed into an online brand with nearly 200,000 followers.

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Retired Marine Corps Major Scott Huesing is author of the bestselling book, Echo in Ramadi." He shares with ClearanceJobs his lessons in leadership, relationships, and readjusting to civilian life.

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Not every military job requires a security clearance, but service members make up the largest demographic of security cleared professionals, and many veterans leverage a security clearance in their civilian career. Learn who gets a military security clearance, and why.

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DoD is taking over background investigations - what does that mean, how did we get here, and what are the unknowns in the current proposals? ClearanceJobs talks with Merton W. Miller, a former Senior Executive with the Federal Investigative Service and National Background Investigations Bureau.

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Mobile technology is used to keep families connected and share data across organizations. Access to data is even more critical in response to a tragic event or law enforcement incident. How can technology help law enforcement responders when they need to react quickly? Larry Rose, Senior Vice President of Commercial Contracts and Procurement at Salient CRGT discusses how technology can allow first responders to connect with both one another and a command center in real time.

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If you hold a federal security clearance, you need to be careful what you publish to social networking sites - particularly LinkedIn. The Defense Security Service warns the site is the number one tool being used to target the defense industry today - and that requires more diligence on the part of security clearance holders.

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For now, your bitcoin investments are safe from the prying eyes of a security clearance background investigator – but that may not always be the case.

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Kay Curling, Salient CRGT (also known as Salient) chief human resources officer and Burt Yancey, co-founder and CEO of DirectPath, discuss how you can make the most out of your health care benefits, both in and out of open season.

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The Defense Security Service is pushing to take over its background investigation program. How did it run the program when it was at the helm prior to 2005, and what can we expect from them today?

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ClearanceJobs chats with William Henderson, a personnel security consultant. He discusses the history of the personnel security program, including the Defense Security Service, and offers commentary on the proposal to move the background investigations mission over to DSS.

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Neurodiversity is a popular topic across Silicon Valley. But it’s not just tech companies that benefit from hiring workers with conditions ranging from Autism to Down’s Syndrome. Learn how diversity in the workforce is expanding in new ways, and how it’s benefiting government employers as well as their employees.

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Brain scans show how excessive or daily drug use changes your brain. It's one of the keys Kimberley Berlin, a licensed clinical social worker and certified substance abuse counselor uses when describing the need to drop drugs - even for millennials who view it as 'legal' or 'natural.' Learn more about both the affect of drug use and why seeking treatment is actually a positive step for security clearance applicants.

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The company you keep does matter to the government - particularly if your friends are drug users or you have any history of drug use in your past. At higher levels of security clearance, you can also expect your friends to be contacted to provide information about you, and their drug use could affect your chances. Learn more in a conversation with Kimberley Berlin, a licensed clinical social worker and certified substance abuse counselor.

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Drug usage is one of the most common concerns for security clearance applicants, particularly those in college or recent graduates. Learn why about the amount of drugs used matters, as well as the number of times - and how to put the 'nanogram defense' to use in your favor.

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Team Rubicon has a roster of 47,000 volunteers across the country. According to David Burke, vice president of programs and field operations for Team Rubicon, that number is growing by about 200 per week—learn more about this amazing organization putting veterans back to work to help Americans when they need it.

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Can mindfulness practices help you as a security professional? Learn how positivity, focus and flexibility can help you succeed in life and work.

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Melissa Chapman, VP of Health at Salient CRGT discusses new initiatives in health IT, as well as the history that brought us to this place. Learn why Health IT is an important innovation, and how the government is investing in the security of its health IT records.

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The widespread legalization of marijuana is creating a twisty wicket for security clearance applicants who may have used in the past and then decided to pursue a federal government or military career later. The SF86 makes it clear - any marijuana use is illegal to the federal government.

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Millennials are changing conventional opinions about drug use and abuse, and that's even affecting security clearance determinations. ClearanceJobs talks with Kimberley Berlin, a licensed clinical social worker and certified substance abuse counselor, about her experience working with millennials.

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Michelle Sutphin, an industrial security professional and the industry spokesperson for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee discusses the change to Question 21 on the Standard Form 86 (SF86), questionnaire for national security positions. Learn why this change is good news for those who have made the positive choice to seek mental health treatment.

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Michelle Sutphin, an industrial security professional and the industry spokesperson for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee discusses the reduction in the size of the cleared workforce, and specifically efforts within the intelligence community to reduce the number of individuals with TS/SCI security clearances who don't require access.

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ClearanceJobs talks the current security clearance backlog, interim security clearance and funding difficulties with Michelle Sutphin, an industrial security professional and the industry spokesperson for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee. Learn more about the difficulties facing the security clearance process today, including budget concerns within the Defense Security Service, and a lack of investigators.

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Did you know there is a working group with government and industry representatives, working together on things like improvements to the national security programs of government and industry? Listen to this interview with Michelle Sutphin, an industrial security professional and the industry spokesperson for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee. She discusses the role of the NISPPAC, the latest initiatives within the committee, and the ongoing security clearance backlog.

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What motivates professionals with an active federal security clearance? Signing bonuses and salary are just one part of the equation. Mission, organization and service are often critical factors, according to Maj. Gen Kevin O'Connell, Executive Vice President of Program Operations at Advantage SCI, a Small Business (SDVOSB, WOSB, SDB) defense contractor that provides global counterintelligence, cyber security, and full spectrum security services.

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Advantage SCI - a Small Business (SDVOSB, WOSB, SDB) defense contractor that provides global counterintelligence, cyber security, and full spectrum security services recently sat down with ClearanceJobs to discuss its current hiring needs, the benefits of working for a small company, and why it's grateful to its workforce.

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If you listen to the chatter from the contract background investigator workforce, you quickly see that issues in morale are rearing their heads. More than two years after the largest background investigation firm went bankrupt, contract background investigators still struggle to find job satisfaction. ClearanceJobs contributor William Henderson offers his take.

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Why do background investigations take so long, and what is behind the current 500,000 case backlog? Here's the tail end of our security clearance year-in-review discussion.

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The security clearance process today is fraught with so many problems, it's difficult to keep track of them. ClearanceJobs sat down with William Henderson, co-founder of the Federal Clearance Assistance Service. He recently wrote a 'year in review' article for ClearanceJobs, and discusses the highs and lows of security clearance reform efforts.

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What are the most humanizing elements of this year’s presidential candidates? Hillary Clinton harbors a long-term interest in ‘unexplained aerial phenomenon’ – the latest nomenclature for UFOs. And President Donald Trump’s favorite snack? Doritos. Presidents and First Ladies – they’re just like us!

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Anyone He Likes, That’s Who.ClearanceJobs talks with writer David Brown about presidential security clearances. When it comes to security policy, the President is at the top of the food chain. That means he decides who gets access to classified information, and who doesn’t. But just because the President doesn’t fill out an SF86 doesn’t mean he’s likely to share the nation’s secrets. Learn more about the balance of presidential power and the security clearance process.

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Cybersecurity skills are important, but with technology in a constant state of change, it will take more than IT expertise to be a cybersecurity leader. Mansur Hasib, program chair, cybersecurity technology program at the University of Maryland University College, explains why cybersecurity skills are in demand, what it takes to succeed in a cybersecurity career, and what you should look for in a cybersecurity program.

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ClearanceJobs is proud to be sponsoring a fellow through The Mission Continues. Learn more about The Mission Continues fellowship program, its leadership training, and how it helps veterans ‘report for duty in their community.’

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ClearanceJobs recently discussed the end of the fiscal year, current contracting market trends, and the possibility of a continuous resolution with the CEO of Salient CRGT, Brad Antle. A year ago Salient Federal Solutions and CRGT merged, creating a $355 million federal services company. Antle offers his perspective on how companies like Salient CRGT are helping the government compete in a fast-paced, quickly changing IT market.

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What is CAC? It's just one of the tools the Department of Defense uses to keep information safe. We chat with Christopher Burgess, founder of the cybersecurity consultancy Prevendra, about the recently announced change tot he Common Access Control cards used by the DoD today. We're talking biometric security, dual factor authentication and why your next password might be your heartbeat.

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ClearanceJobs chats with Julie Mendez, certified job specialist with JSM Career Coaching. Julie offers insight into how to prepare and succeed at a job fair or networking event. She offers advice on resumes, breaking the ice and key differences between networking and traditional career fairs.

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Laurence Rose, PhD and SVP of Contracts and Procurement at Salient CRGT, recently sat down with ClearanceJobs to discuss his recent research into virtual workers and how 'the human touch' enables successful working relationships.

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Everyone is vulnerable to hacking or identity theft. Learn the three steps you can take to help keep your personal information safe.

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If you have a security clearance, you probably also have a smartphone. And just ask Hillary Clinton – mixing business with pleasure isn’t without risks. Technology and cyber-security reporter Peter Suciu explains how to safely navigate social networking sites from any device.

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Ron Gaete shares his story about transitioning from being a Military Combat Documention/Production Specialist to working Public Affairs for the Internal Revenue Services. Ron wrote an article about the subject that can be found here: https://news.clearancejobs.com/2015/02/13/military-transition-assistance-mastering-basics/

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National Background Investigations Bureau, the Investigative Workforce and the Clearance Perfect StormClearanceJobs recently interviewed Charles Sowell, Salient CRGT senior vice president and former advisor to the Director of National Intelligence. He discusses the implications of the new agency taking over the background investigations process, the benefits he sees, and the current challenges and opportunities facing both companies and the clearance workforce.

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Guest Christopher Burgess, CEO of security consultancy Prevendra, is back to discuss the aftermath of the OPM breach, social media monitoring of all security clearance holders, and more. Learn why the decision to launch a new agency to conduct background investigations may not actually solve the problem, and what Congress’ new continuous monitoring mandate might look like in this episode of the Security Clearance Careers podcast.

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ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Troy Steward, military blogger and talk show host, and also a successful IT professional. He shared his military transition tips, including why making the career switch from U.S. Army Infantry to IT was the right choice for him, and what advice he shares with other transitioning service members.

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Pursing a new career? The resume is far from dead - here's why you need to build a rock star resume, and tips for making sure your skills shine for recruiters. Learn more in the latest episode of the Security Clearance Careers podcast, as we sit down with resume expert Julie Mendez. certified career coach with JSM career coaching.

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ClearanceJobs interviews Andrew Levine, a former OPM background investigator who spent seven years conducting investigations in the Washington, D.C. metro. He offers tips on how to ensure your background investigation is processed quickly, and why it’s important to ‘sweat the small stuff’ in your SF-86.

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Senior Editor Lindy Kyzer speaks with Sean Bigley, security clearance attorney, about how financial issues can affect your security clearance. Whether you currently have a security clearance, or are applying for a security clearance, debt and financial issues are continually the number one cause of clearance denial and revocation.

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What was the effect of the OPM breach on cleared personnel? How will the government address this massive security breach, and will there be an impact on hiring? Learn more about these questions and more as the editor of ClearanceJobs.com sits down with Christopher Burgess, CEO and founder of Prevendra, a cyber security consultancy.

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