What Is Security Clearance Level?
Any person working with classified material is required to have a security clearance. Information is classified at different levels depending on how dangerous the U.S. government believes the material would be if it were to fall into the wrong hands. According to ClearanceJobs.com, a security clearance is an assurance made by the U.S. government that "a person or company is eligible for access to classified information."
Other People Are Reading
-
Types
-
There are three security clearance levels: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. People with Confidential clearance can access material that "could be reasonably expected to cause some measurable damage to the national security" according to TAOnline.com. Individuals with Secret clearance have access to information that "could be expected to cause serious damage to the national security," and people with a Top Secret clearance have access to material that "could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security if it was released without authorization."
Significance
-
There are many jobs that require a security clearance. It is important in careers as varied as health care, the military, education and finance. At any given time, 1.5 million private sector employees have a security clearance. Most of them work for private contracting or consulting companies that do work for the U.S. government.
-
Benefits
-
Having a security clearance looks good on a resume. If you've received a clearance in the past, your future employer won't have to "invest time and money into a background check and the paperwork that goes with that" according to TAOnline.com. People with a security clearance can expect to make $5,000 to $15,000 more than those without a clearance.
Process
-
You can't get a security clearance unless your employer determines that you need one to do your job. If this happens, you'll be asked to fill out a clearance application. Then your company's facility security officer (or FSO) will review the application and send it onto the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office, which is the agency that grants clearances. They'll review it and either grant you a clearance or deny your clearance application.
Considerations
-
You'll have to undergo a background check before you can receive a Secret or Top Secret Clearance. According to the FBI, a background check must be performed with "various Federal agencies and local law enforcement" before you can be issued a Secret clearance. They also check your credit history. A Top Secret clearance requires the same check as a Secret clearance, but it requires a longer, more thorough background check.
-
