What do they check for secret clearance?

Credit and criminal history checks will be conducted on all applicants. For a Top Secret security clearance, the background investigation includes additional record checks which can verify citizenship for the applicant and family members, verification of birth, education, employment history, and military history.

What will disqualify you from a secret clearance?

According to the Adjudicating Guidelines, potential financial problems that risk your security clearance include: Poor credit choices over a period of time. Theft, embezzlement, tax evasion and other financial violations. Patterns of unpaid debt.

What is a security clearance check?

A security clearance is designed to determine eligibility for access to classified national security information and entails an evaluation of whether an individual is a security threat (e.g. is the person likely to reveal classified information to a foreign government?).

Do security clearances check Internet history?

Although security clearance background checks can be intensely thorough, the government can't view your emails, Internet browsing history, hard drive data, and other virtual assets without a subpoena or warrant.

Do security clearances look at text messages?

INTERNET HISTORY, EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES AND iCLOUD

Security clearance background investigators do not check your browsing history, read your emails, surveil your every move, bug your telephones, or photograph you commuting to work. That's just not feasible, or allowable.

What’s Checked in a Secret Investigation?

Do they call references for secret clearance?

References are less likely to be contacted for a Secret security clearance, but if there are issues, references may be contacted to verify issues. Likewise, if you're less likely to need a personnel subject interview for a Secret clearance determination – unless there are issues an investigator needs to clarify.

What are the 3 types of security clearance?

There are three levels of security clearance: confidential, secret, and top secret.

How long does a secret clearance take?

In general, expect a CONFIDENTIAL or SECRET clearance to take between 1 and 3 months. A TOP SECRET will probably take between 4 and 8 months. However, some individuals have been waiting for the results of their TOP SECRET investigation for more than one year.

Does top secret clearance require polygraph?

Polygraph tests accompany some Top Secret or TS/SCI clearances; however, they are not required to obtain either type of clearance and are not part of the clearance background investigation.

What can ruin a security clearance?

In fact, one common area that can be troublesome on a background check is financial behavior that indicates the applicant is frequently over-extended on credit, personal debt, etc. Having too much debt and not enough income creates a potential circumstance where a security clearance application can be disqualified.

What percentage of people get denied security clearance?

But don't lose heart – 20-30% of all interim security clearances are denied, but that is vastly different than the figure of final clearance denials, which hovers around 1%.

How much debt is too much for a security clearance?

No branch of the military has a set amount of debt that is the breaking point for security clearance. You could owe $5,000 or $50,000 and be granted or denied clearance. It's all a matter of how you deal with the debt. Responsible behavior in tackling your debt problems is considered a positive.

What questions are asked on a security clearance polygraph?

Questions asked might concern drug and alcohol use, sexual misconduct, mental health, family relationships, compulsive or addictive behavior and more. A Lifestyle Polygraph can also attempt to look for issues in a person's private life for which he or she might be susceptible to blackmail or coercion.

Can you lose your clearance if you fail a polygraph?

The reality is while the government can't deny a security clearance based solely on a failed polygraph, it can absolutely deny a clearance based on negative information disclosed during a polygraph – that's the entire point.

What questions are asked on a CI polygraph?

A Counterintelligence Polygraph asks the candidate questions limited to those necessary to determine whether the examinee ever had any involvement with or knowledge of espionage/sabotage against the United States, unauthorized contact with representatives of a foreign government, or unauthorized disclosure of ...

Do you get interviewed for a secret clearance?

An ESI is generally a requirement for a Top Secret security clearance or a Secret clearance where Special Access Program (SAP) access is required. The ability to conduct those interviews via phone or video was a major boost during COVID, where restrictions made any in-person meetings more complex.

Does security clearance check bank accounts?

They run a credit check and run your name and SSN through NICS. If there are problems you'll be asked to provide more information. You don't have to provide the information (such as bank statements) but the clearance process will stop if you don't provide it.

What are the 5 levels of security clearance?

What is the lowest security clearance?

The Department of State official site lists three federal clearances from lowest to highest. They are, respectively, Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret.

How do I prepare for a security clearance interview?

A government–issued photo ID. A personal address book or a list of your contacts. Any relevant documents that may resolve any pending security issues. This could include your passports, financial documents, court records, and birth certificate—or anything else relevant to your case.

What is the difference between secret and Top Secret clearance?

While the investigations are different and separate, the adjudicative criteria – with the exception of “Foreign Influence” – are exactly the same. The critical difference between a secret security clearance investigation and a top secret security clearance investigation is the Personal Subject Interview.

What happens if you lie on security clearance?

We frequently warn of the importance of security clearance applicants being honest on government forms, including the SF-86 security clearance application. Falsifying information on the SF-86 is a felony that can result in fines or five years in prison.

What does security clearance ask references?

“The best references are individuals who have knowledge of you over a long period of time, if possible, and who know your work ethic through direct observation.” Strong references can also describe the best of your personality traits—such as reliability, honesty, and dedication.

Who can be a personal reference for a security clearance?

Your references should include people in these four categories: Current or former employers. Someone who knows you from volunteer work or other community engagement. A teacher, professor, or instructor.

How do you pass a polygraph if you are nervous?

Tice says it's also easy to beat a polygraph while telling a real lie by daydreaming to calm the nerves. "Think of a warm summer night... or drinking a beer, whatever calms you. You're throwing them off," he says.