The first rule is that you cannot apply for security clearance yourself; it has to be done for you by a prospective employer, such as the Armed Forces or the Government.  The process can be quite costly so it won’t be done unless it is necessary.

 Levels of clearance

In the US there are generally three levels of clearance: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret.  Let’s take them in turn.

Confidential: information which if it fell into the wrong hands could, in some measure be damaging to national security.  This is the most basic level of clearance and is afforded to most military personnel.  It must be renewed every 15 years.

Secret: Any of this kind of information falling into the wrong hands could cause grave damage to the national security, and as such it is renewed every 10 years. 

Top secret:  This is pretty much everything else and as it could be considered to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security if in the wrong hands, then this level is renewed every 5 years.

Obtaining the clearance

There are a lot of background checks that need to be carried out before the clearance is granted and in some cases this can take up to two years, so bear this in mind if it is a job application you have just filed. 

Applicants are first fingerprinted and then they undergo the Personnel Security Questionnaire (Sf-86).  The Defense Security Service then conducts detailed background checks.  There are then 13 factors that are assessed and evaluation by a security committee.  These factors include things like substance abuse, criminal record, mental disorders, and detailed family history.

Prepare yourself

The process can be fairly intrusive so don’t be surprised if some dark secrets are uncovered.  The investigators will talk to family and neighbors; they will interview you and ask some searching questions.  So be wary of quitting a job and hoping to take on another one that requires security clearance, as you may not be granted it.

There are various firms that offer guarantees of obtaining a security clearance for you; these are scams and you shouldn’t give these companies money.  Nobody has a guarantee of getting through the system.

AFI 33-202 applies to all information systems, including information system components of weapon systems, information systems that provide the management infrastructure and connections among other information systems, and networks that are used to process, store, display, transmit or protect DoD information, regardless of classification or sensitivity.

The full standard may be found in AFI 33-202: Network and Computer Security. Items covered by AFI 33-202include:

• General Information


• Organizational Roles and Responsibilities


• Common Criteria


• Software Security


• Configuration Management


• Malicious Software (Virus, Worm, Trojan Horse, Logic Bomb) Protection


• Training


• Secret and Below Interoperability (SABI)


• Access to Information Systems and Networks


• Certification and Accreditation