View source for Security clearance

{{Short description|Permission to access restricted information}}
{{lead too short|date=January 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

A '''security clearance''' is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to [[classified information]] (state or organizational [[secret]]s) or to [[Exclusion zone|restricted areas]], after completion of a thorough [[background check]]. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal process to [[Vetting|vet]] employees for access to sensitive information. A clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access; the organization must also determine that the cleared individual [[need to know|needs to know]] specific information. No individual is supposed to be granted automatic access to classified information solely because of rank, position, or a security clearance.<ref>(Abiodun, 2006)</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=October 2024}}

==Canada==
{{Further|Classified information#Canada}}
{{Excerpt|Canada security clearance}}

==United Kingdom==
{{Further|Security vetting in the United Kingdom}}

===National Security Clearance types===
National Security Clearances are a hierarchy of levels, depending on the [[Government Security Classifications Policy|classification of materials]] that can be accessed—Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC), Enhanced Baseline Standard (EBS), Security Check (SC), enhanced Security Check (eSC), Developed Vetting (DV), enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV), and STRAP.

The BPSS is the entry-level National Security Clearance, and both CTC and EBS are effectively enhancements to the BPSS, with CTC relating to checking for susceptibility to extremist persuasion, and EBS relating to checking for susceptibility to espionage persuasion, the latter being needed for supervised access to SECRET material. The SC again is focused on susceptibility to espionage persuasion, and is required for an individual to have long-term unsupervised access to SECRET material and occasional access to TOP SECRET (TS) material, whilst for regular access to TS the DV, eDV is required. Occasionally STRAP is required with DV.

Those with National Security Clearance are commonly required to sign a statement to the effect that they agree to abide by the restrictions of the [[Official Secrets Act]] (OSA). This is popularly referred to as "signing the Official Secrets Act". Signing this has no effect on which actions are legal, as the act is a law, not a contract, and individuals are bound by it whether or not they have signed it. Signing it is intended more as a reminder to the person that they are under such obligations. To this end, it is common to sign this statement both before and after a period of employment that involves access to secrets.

===National Security Clearance history===
After the United States entered into [[World War II]], Britain changed its security classifications to match those of the U.S.. Previously, classifications had included the top classification "Most Secret", but it soon became apparent that the United States did not fully understand the UK's classifications, and classified information appeared in the U.S.'s press. This spearheaded the uniformity in classification between the United Kingdom and the United States. The terminology and levels of British security classifications have also changed from Positive Vetting and Enhanced Positive Vetting to SC, eSC, DV, eDV and STRAP.

===Other UK clearances===
In addition to National Security Clearances, other types of roles and organisations stipulate a need for clearances, including:
*Vulnerable Group Access (including children), as operated by the [[Disclosure and Barring Service]] (DBS), replacing former Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and [[Independent Safeguarding Authority]] (ISA) checks
*Law Enforcement, with a hierarchy of Police Personnel Vetting (PPV) and Non-Police Personnel Vetting (NPPV) levels.

==United States==
{{Excerpt|United States security clearance}}

== United Nations ==
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The UN has a Security Clearance (SC) procedure and document for [[United Nations]] staff travelling to areas designated as security phase areas, with numbers ranging from one to five ("no-phase" areas are calm countries where no SC is required).

[[United Nations]] staff can apply for SC online, at the website of the [[United Nations Department for Safety and Security|Department for Safety and Security]].

== Individuals who have had security clearances revoked ==
{{Dynamic list}}
In the post [[World War II]] era, there have been several highly publicized, and often controversial, cases of officials or scientists having their security clearances revoked, including:
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !! Reason !! Year of revocation
|-
|data-sort-value="Berger, Sandy"|[[Sandy Berger]] || Mishandling of classified documents || 2005
|-
|data-sort-value="Biden, Joe"|[[Joe Biden]] || [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|Trump]]'s rival<ref name="Trump rival">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74kg3e2m08o|title=Trump revokes security clearance for Harris, Clinton, and critics|first1=Jaroslav|last1=Lukiv|first2=Kayla|last2=Epstein|work=BBC |date=22 March 2025|via=bbc.com}}</ref> || 2025<ref name="Trump memo">{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/rescinding-security-clearances-and-access-to-classified-information-from-specified-individuals/|title=Rescinding Security Clearances and Access to Classified Information from Specified Individuals |first=Donald J.|last=Trump|work=Presidential Memoranda |date=March 22, 2025|via=whitehouse.gov}}</ref>
|-
|data-sort-value="Blagojevich, Rod"|[[Rod Blagojevich]]<ref name=Blagojevich>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28475919|title=Ill. governor's federal security clearance revoked|website=NBC News|date=2009-01-02}}</ref> || Corruption charges || 2008
|-
|data-sort-value="Brennan, John O."|[[John O. Brennan]] || Claimed but not processed<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/politics/trump-intelligence-agencies.html|title=Trump's Targeting of Intelligence Agencies Gains a Harder Edge|first1=Michael S.|last1=Schmidt|first2=Julian E.|last2=Barnes|work=The New York Times |date=May 25, 2019|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> || N/A
|-
|data-sort-value="Clinton, Hillary"|[[Hillary Clinton]] || [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|Trump]]'s rival<ref name="Trump rival" /> || 2025<ref name="Trump memo" />
|-
|data-sort-value="Deutch, John M."|[[John M. Deutch]] || Mishandling of classified information || 1999
|-
|data-sort-value="Drake, Thomas Andrews"|[[Thomas Andrews Drake]] || Unauthorized disclosure of secrets || 2010
|-
|data-sort-value="El-Ganayni, Abdel-Moniem"|[[Abdel-Moniem El-Ganayni]] || Unknown reasons || 2008
|-
|data-sort-value="Flynn, Michael T."|[[Michael T. Flynn]] || Lying to the FBI || 2017
|-
|data-sort-value="Harris, Kamala"|[[Kamala Harris]] || [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|Trump]]'s rival<ref name="Trump rival" /> || 2025<ref name="Trump memo" />
|-
|data-sort-value="Lee, Wen Ho"|[[Wen Ho Lee]] || Espionage charges || 1999
|-
|data-sort-value="Oppenheimer, Robert"|[[Robert Oppenheimer]] || Communist sympathies || 1954
|-
|data-sort-value="Saucier, Aldric"|[[Aldric Saucier]] || Whistleblowing on fraud<ref name="chicagotribunearmyagaintargets">{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=David|title=Army Again Targets Fraud Whistle-blower|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/04/15/army-again-targets-fraud-whistle-blower/|access-date=26 August 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=15 April 1992}}</ref> || 1992
|-
|data-sort-value="Snowden, Edward"|[[Edward Snowden]] || Unauthorized disclosure of secrets || 2013
|-
|data-sort-value="Turing, Alan"|[[Alan Turing]] [[United Kingdom|(UK)]] || Homosexuality conviction || 1952
|-
|data-sort-value="Xuesen, Qian"|[[Qian Xuesen]] || Communist sympathies || 1950
|}

This list does not cover people whose security clearance lapsed possibly following changing their job.<ref name="Vetting_guidelines_18082018">
{{cite web
 |title=Guidance United Kingdom Security Vetting
 |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/security-vetting-and-clearance
 |publisher=(UK) Ministry of Defence
 |access-date=18 August 2018
}}</ref>

=== Related to [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]] ===
{{Excerpt|United States House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
|Third hearing}}

==See also==
* [[List of U.S. security clearance terms]]
* [[List of established military terms]]
* [[List of government and military acronyms]]
* [[Security Advisory Opinion]]

== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
===Canada===
* [http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=28115 Standard on Security Screening]

===Germany===
German language official files
*[http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/s_g/BJNR086700994.html]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121609/http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Themen/Sicherheit/SicherheitAllgemein/Allgemein_VV_SueG_pdf.pdf;jsessionid=59C9F3088E2FB4BE2DA318B11C64ED68.2_cid373?__blob=publicationFile]

===United Kingdom===
* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/SecurityandIntelligence/DVA/ UK MOD's Defence Vetting Agency]

===United States===
* [http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/l/blsecmenu.htm (DoD) Factors Used for Determining Security Clearance Approval/Disapproval] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202125633/http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/l/blsecmenu.htm |date=2 December 2006 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604163722/http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/doha/industrial/ Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals decisions]
* [http://www.clearancejobs.com/security_clearance_faq.pdf Security Clearance FAQs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040329210014/https://www.clearancejobs.com/security_clearance_faq.pdf |date=29 March 2004 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121113105137/http://www.jobsforuscitizens.com/how-to-get-us-security-clearance/ How to get clearance]
* [https://fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/index.html DoD Intelligence & Security Documents, directives and Instructions]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=EjVHMRx-zakC&dq=clearance+jobs,+bennett&pg=PA290 DoD Security Clearances and Contracts Guidebook-What You Need to Know About Your Need to Know]
* [http://fedcas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Federal-Suitability-Security-Clearance-Chart.pdf Federal Suitability Security Clearance Chart]
* [http://www.natlawreview.com/article/defense-office-hearings-and-appeals-doha-experiencing-immense-backlog-cases-highligh Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) Experiencing Immense Backlog of Cases, Highlighting Need for Thorough and Effective Preparation of Clearance Applications]

===UN===
* [https://trip.dss.un.org/dssweb/WelcometoUNDSS.aspx United Nations Department of Safety and Security]

=== Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces ===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141108185635/http://www.dcaf.ch/Publications/Vetting-and-the-Security-Sector Vetting and the Security Sector], published by [[Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces|DCAF]]

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[[Category:Espionage]]
[[Category:Military terminology]]
[[Category:National security]]
[[Category:United States government secrecy]]
[[Category:United Nations legislation]]