Security Clearance Question - Read the thread above already before you ask

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I have been offered contract but require security clearance.

Agency says that this can be done in 1 week so I can start next wednesday. Is this true? Can I work while the security clearance is going through? As I kind of understood this from the company?

[xisystems]

Long story as it is hard to tell without knowing what clearance is required for the post and who you will be working for.

1 week is pushing it for any clearance you would be lucky to get any existing clearance confirmed by a new client in that time. as a rough guide,

SC - up to 3 months for clearance to come through
DV - up to 6 months may be more depending on your background

And by the way you wont be able to start any real work until the clearance has been processed and granted.

end of day you need to peak to the security department of the client company hey are the ones that sort the clearance out with DSSO.

but good luck with the new gig!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Cheers,

I understood from the clientco that they have people working there while undergoing SC. is that normal? Does that mean I can work there?

[TykeMerc]

I have been offered contract but require security clearance.

Agency says that this can be done in 1 week so I can start next wednesday. Is this true? Can I work while the security clearance is going through? As I kind of understood this from the company?

1 week will be what used to be called Basic Check, it's a glorified ID check.

SC takes 6 weeks - 6 months, 3 months is typical.
As to being able to work with just BC while SC is being done, that all depends on the site, Security officer, sensitivity of data and project, impossible to answer other than sometimes yes.

Judging from another of your recent posts I suspect I know the site/sites and they have a mix of BC/SC/DV cleared working in different buildings or floors.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

1 week will be what used to be called Basic Check, it's a glorified ID check.

SC takes 6 weeks - 6 months, 3 months is typical.
As to being able to work with just BC while SC is being done, that all depends on the site, Security officer, sensitivity of data and project, impossible to answer other than sometimes yes.

Cheers that answers my question as I had hoped.

[xisystems]

Strictly you should not have access to protectively market material without a valid security clearance other wise that is classed as a security breach and can land the client in big trouble.

The normal route is that you will under go a BC (there might be a new name now) check that will allow you to have access to Restricted material with supervision. This should cover your self up until the point which the SC clearance will kick in. However you do run the risk that if you fail the clearance process your contract will be terminated.

If you are expecting to work to higher classifications I don't think BC will allow you to work above restricted. But again hard to tell without knowing the circumstances. For instance a database or system admin is expected to hold a security clearance that is higher than the classification of a system. i.e. if the network is working at restricted you are expected to hold SC to be a admin.


Hope this helps.

Simon.

Doh too late !

[stek]

I started at current place 7th June, BC clearance in a week or two, officially SC'd 20th Aug. In the meantime I wasn't allowed near secure stuff until BC'd, then I was escorted in and out of the secure area but free to do my stuff. After SC'd I could do whatever.

That's quite lax, when I was in Nuclear industry I was DV'd (sure it was PV then - positive vetting - c1995) and while I waiting for it (took AGES) I was escorted everywhere even to the tulipter where the guy would stand outside the cubicle as I strained another one out. Hated that. But like anywhere else the laxity came in and as the trust grew I could wander about without my 'escort' and actually getting the clearance was a bit of damp squib...

Going back to my current place we've got a new guy and he was SC'd within a month, but with special provisos in that there's certain secure bit's he can't look at without supervision - we've not worked that one out yet or what he's done! Only one who's had the provisos out of what, 30 of us or so...

[malvolio]

Strictly you should not have access to protectively market material without a valid security clearance other wise that is classed as a security breach and can land the client in big trouble.

Not strictly true. You can have supervised access if the person doing the supervision is content you do not present a significant risk.

The normal route is that you will under go a BC (there might be a new name now) check that will allow you to have access to Restricted material with supervision. This should cover your self up until the point which the SC clearance will kick in. However you do run the risk that if you fail the clearance process your contract will be terminated.

See, you do understand the process. It's called BPSS by the way, and is now consistent across all clearance agencies

If you are expecting to work to higher classifications I don't think BC will allow you to work above restricted. But again hard to tell without knowing the circumstances. For instance a database or system admin is expected to hold a security clearance that is higher than the classification of a system. i.e. if the network is working at restricted you are expected to hold SC to be a admin.

This comes back to "supervised acess". For Sysadmins and DBAs, for example, this cannot realistically be provided. Hence the need for pre-existing clearance for such roles being mandated in the rules. However, 95% of roles are out of scope.