Security Clearance Careers Podcast

Allison Snell from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency talked with ClearanceJobs about her role on CISA’s Election Security Initiative Leadership Team and their work in securing the U.S. elections.  The election security initiative at CISA manages election risks and critical infrastructure on a national, state, and local level. Election security requires staff in the field, a...

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) reached a milestone announcement this month –  100% enrollment of the Department of Defense security clearance population into its continuous vetting (CV) program . That includes service members, DoD civilians and contractors. The application and investigation process doesn’t change – and the Federal Investigative Standards and adjudi...

The Cybersecurity division of the Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Agency (CISA) leads the endeavor to secure federal, civilian, and government networks in cooperation with the private sector to maintain the security of the critical networks of our nation. ClearanceJobs had a conversation with one of the prominent female voices heading the incident response teams.  Alexis Wales, the...

Are you a cleared engineer that loathes panel interviews? Got a cleared engineering one coming up that you are super nervous for? Wondering what questions you’ll be asked? Not to worry, because LaKiesha Tomlin has you covered.  She's worked for large, enterprise level defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Boeing and has also landed gigs within the commercial big tech space with giants...

Nick Hamblet, vice president of engineering at General Atomics – Commonwealth Computer Research, Inc (GA-CCRi) joined ClearanceJobs to discuss his career journey and the work that GA-CCRi does in national security.  CCRi is a data analytics and software engineering company that was founded in 1989 in Charlottesville, VA. Hamblet has been with CCRi – now GA-CCRi since spring 202...

As a service organization, stakeholder engagement is really about partnership and making sure the right partners are connected with CISA in order to execute the mission. The partnership is a two-way street with industry offering different views and CISA informing of threats and risks. Keeping everyone at the table is essential. The key is to know your customers, audience, and partners; and in turn...

If the federal government is going to keep up with nefarious actors and get serious about cybersecurity, it needs to start with hiring and the way they reach cybersecurity professionals. According to Erin Weiss Kaya, Senior Strategist with the Innovation Group at Booz Allen Hamilton, the unemployment rate in the cybersecurity field is close to 0%. However, cyber talent remains limited despite the...

After Billy Bob Brown Jr. spent 20 years in the military, and work with a government IT contractor and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), his drive to serve the U.S. kept him supporting the federal space. Brown considers it a joy to find ways to support the U.S. Constitution and supporting the balance between the local jurisdictions and federal mandates. While the state government has some...

Mental health and the security clearance holder once had a very complicated relationship. But now that we are in an era where seeking out mental health treatment voluntarily is encouraged, we still have combat veterans that struggle to work through events that may be classified. How do you seek out mental health treatment if your traumatic event is attached to service or a classified event you can...

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the newest agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) umbrella, leading the effort to improve and maintain the highest level of security when it comes to protecting our nation’s cyber assets, but just as importantly, our communications infrastructure. In emergency situations, this can include the effective response and comm...

The ClearanceJobsBlog never disappoints - and the editorial team runs through the craziest security clearance stories, part II. Tune in to hear about the clearance holder and hearsay / rumors of someone overstaying their visa, restraining orders and stalking, cryptocurrency strikes job chances again, a couple thinking about amateur porn, and a security team disclosing a whistleblowers identity. Le...

ClearanceJobs chatted with Beau Woods from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about how he came to the decision to join CISA and the undertaking he has had this past year on the COVID task force. CISA is the youngest federal agency, and it’s an exciting time to be a part of CISA as they develop who they are after just being stood up in 2018. In the broader ecosys...

Codes, Ciphers & Mysteries: NSA Treasures Tell Their Secrets...Don't miss the International Spy Museum's pop up exhibit, highlighting artifacts from the National Security Agency. The exhibit closes September 30! The exhibit showcases a treasure trove of extraordinary artifacts used for codemaking, codebreaking, and secure communications from NSA’s National Cryptologic Museum. Andrew Hammond, h...

U.S. Veterans Magazine released a list of its top veteran-friendly companies. The magazine polled hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies in order to analyze them and make recommendations for veterans. The editorial team chatted through a list of organizations with employment, business, and supplier opportunities within the federal government for veterans, transitioning service members, disabled vetera...

Working in any facet of the Intelligence Community (IC) requires you to be a decent writer. But the most effective communicators have some things in common: they able to influence through their writing. Carla Bass, a retired Colonel out of the U.S. Air Force, offers many insights and ways to help you influence through writing: whether you’re crafting a resume, hoping to land your dream job or care...

ClearanceJobs recently chatted with Tish Rourke about her role at Lockheed Martin and opportunities in the cyber space. Rourke is the Vice President of the Cyber & Intelligence (C&I) market segment within the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems (RMS) business area where she is responsible for a $600M portfolio of programs delivering a wide array of capabilities in support of nation...

The world of cybersecurity is moving quickly. With new technologies, there are new vulnerabilities, so it’s important to continually be learning and growing, ready to find new ways to meet moving targets. It also requires a passion to keep up with the changes in industry. A mind with a bend towards problem-solving is key in meeting the cybersecurity field. ClearanceJobs chatted with Paul Rivera an...

The ClearanceJobs Blog is a place where you can read and discuss the government security clearance process, filling out the SF-86, how to get a security clearance job and many background investigations issues that can come up. Jill and Katie pulled some of the more bizarre security clearance stories like one user who accidentally worked for a porn company and was wondering if they should file with...

The Cybersecurity  Maturity Model Certification or  CMMC, is an big topic of concern for companies serving within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). But whether you supply products, services, or people to the federal government or not, we are also seeing cyber vulnerabilities put commercial businesses at the top of news headlines. DHS recently issued guidance that pipeline backers a...

After working from home for the last year and half, it may prove difficult to get yourself out of bed and commuting back onsite to an office, or worse...a SCIF with no windows. Especially if you're one of those employees that like to hit the snooze button, utilize these top 10 tips to get you out of bed and back in to the office successfully. 1. Start your day with the smallest task possible. 2. U...

The Department of Defense depends on a wide-ranging and intricate defense industrial base (DIB) for the products, services, and people that empower the DoD's capabilities in tackling hot national security issues. The entities that work with the DoD should be diverse, and organizations can continue in developing a diversified DIB by partnering with organizations that are a part of the small busines...

Here are the TOP TEN LARGE DEFENSE CONTRACTORS in the DC metro area: 1. LMI LMI snagged the The  Washington  Post Top Workplaces 2021 Award, continuing its long history in pushing innovation and growing talent. LMI’s employees have diverse backgrounds, coming from government and defense, business and industry, and academia and research. And more than half of LMI employees are either...

Jack L. Tilley served as the 12th Sergeant Major of the Army from June 2000 – January 2004. A Vietnam War Veteran, SMA Tilley has held a variety of important leadership positions throughout his 36-year career. Now retired, SMA Tilley continues to serve as advisor, leader and supporter of all service members, Veterans and their families as co-founder of the American Freedom Foundation. As the host...

ClearanceJobs recently sat down with Leandria Ates, a principal manufacturing engineer at Northrop Grumman. We chatted about her military transition from the U.S. Army and her role in manufacturing at Northrop Grumman.  Leandria has been able to grow in her comfort level with the systems and overall workflow processes at the company. Her experience as a veteran has helped, enabling her to tak...

The  Washington Post  recently surveyed the D.C. area for the eighth year in a row in its Top Workplaces survey, conducted in partnership with Energage, LLC. Over 65,500 employees in the area responded, representing 413 companies. While there are many organizations in the D.C. area, government contractors provide a broad range of work and support to the federal government. Here is p...