Security Clearance Insecurity

Iron Butterfly Podcast continues to tell the untold stories of women serving in the Intelligence Community. Cadie Hopkins and Megan Jaffer join the show to discuss their latest endeavor - a full length documentary highlighting never before told stories of women serving in the IC. Iron Butterfly continues to champion belief, authenticity, and love, and the importance of platforms for women to share...

Debbie Sallis of The Cyber Guild, a nonprofit on a mission to build a resilient, inclusive cybersecurity workforce joins the show to discuss how the Guild is tackling retention, community-building, and allyship through programs. Plus, hear how the upcoming May 29th Cyber Connect event in Arlington, VA is helping transitioning federal and military professionals build trusted connections, sharpen th...

A number of intelligence community professionals now find themselves looking for their next opportunity. Unfortunately, the transition out of the IC and into the private sector doesn't come with a guidebook. That's why Alison Bouwmeester wrote the book Mission: Career Transition. After spending 28 years with the Central Intelligence Agency, she took on the new task of helping others to find their...

n this episode, we're joined by Elisabeth Baker-Pham , partner at KCNF , for an in-depth conversation on a big change coming to the federal security clearance process. Elisabeth breaks down the new Personnel Vetting Questionnaire , or PVQ — a major update aimed at simplifying and streamlining the clearance application journey. What does the PVQ mean for applicants? Why are forms like the SF-85 , S...

Every day there seems to be new guidance going out to the federal workforce, sometimes with mandates that conflict with local agency communication. How can federal workers stay on top of the policy deluge? Kevin Shehan, owner and founder of Shehan Legal and a former civil servant joins the show to discuss recent hot topics, from the 'five things' email to the firing of employees on probationary pe...

In the midst of massive restructuring across the federal government, federal workers may be wondering how to cope with the massive changes. Jill Hamilton, senior editor of ClearanceJobs joins the program to talk about the influx of news and changes. For federal workers in the national security space it's important to follow specific agency guidance and not get caught up in negative headlines. For...

Virtualization and big data aren't new - but the government's use of these technologies in different ways largely is. Jared Shepard, President and CEO of Hypori comes on the show to discuss how the U.S. government and industry are both working together to make their security posture stronger - and more accessible. He also discusses his nonprofit Warriors Ethos. In the second half of the show Sean...

Author and former CIA operative Michele Rigby Assad joins the show to discuss her book 'Get Off the X'. It's Assad's second book, and shares stories from the CIA that can help you face your hurdles, find your purpose and live authentically. In the second half of the show, Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs discuss how legal run-ins could affect your clearance eligibility. See Privacy Pol...

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently announced the new National Security Data and Policy Institute, a first of its kind partnership enabled by the support of congress and now housed at the University of Virginia. Charles Luftig, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Policy and Capabilities joins us on the show to discuss the new initiative and how it exemplifies the...

Happy 20th anniversary of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) to all who celebrate! Despite being signed into law 20 years ago, many of the key provisions related to the security clearance process are still issues today, including: Slow security clearance processing times Lack of reciprocity Need for better technology/security clearance systems of record Trust across IC ag...

A change in presidential administrations doesn't just mean new policies and priorities in government - it also means new political appointees coming in and others moving out. Grant Haver , a former political appointee in the Department of Homeland Security, knows first-hand the experience of transitioning out of federal government, and the sprint of service political appointees take on. He created...

The Trump Administration is announcing cabinet and senior staff appointments, and setting the tone for a new Administration. But what impact, if any, could the new president have on security clearance policy and personnel vetting reform efforts. Sean Bigley and Lindy Kyzer of ClearanceJobs discuss the role of the White House on clearance policy and process, and why personnel vetting is largely a b...

The Honorable Susan M. Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence in a special episode highlighting a recent live conversation on Personnel Vetting 2.0. Joined by President of CANDA Solutions and security expert Andrew Razumovsky and hosted by ClearanceJobs’ Lindy Kyzer, the session dives into updated approaches to personnel vetting and security processes in a fast-paced wor...

Building better teams is a key goal across every organization. But all too many fail to put better data and insights into that team building process. A new book by COL Kris Saling, Data-Driven Talent Management , helps give people managers better tools to add to their team building toolkit, including considering what data is already available, how it can be ethically gathered, and then how it can...

The federal hiring process is an ongoing topic of conversation. Over the past several years the executive branch has taken several steps to help spotlight the need to transform the federal hiring process. As the nation's largest employer, the federal government processes more than 22 million applications and hires approximately 350,000 workers. Loren DeJonge Schulman, Associate Director, Performan...

We're looking ahead to the future of the national security workforce and the policies and processes necessary to grow the workforce of the future. In this special episode, join us for an interview with Kimberly King, Career Service Manager for Analysis, Office of Human Resources, Directorate for Mission Services, DIA and the Hon. John Sherman, Dean, The Bush School of Government and Public Service...

It's an easy to toss about myth that if you work for the federal government, your career is virtually indestructible. And while it's true that federal service offers some protections and provisions at-will employment doesn't, it's false to say that you can't be fired . Whether its losing your job or simply a reprimand, ClearanceJobs senior editor Jill Hamilton joins the show to discuss some of the...

Security clearance due process issues and the twisty intersection of employment decisions and security clearance eligibility isn't a new topic. A new book shines the spotlight on one individual's issues with the clearance process, and potential issues with how security offices address employment issues. Mark Moyar, author and former political appointee, currently serving as the as the William P. H...

The federal hiring process can be discouraging for all parties. Applicants often struggle with the black hole and long delays. Hiring managers have to deal with a host of regulatory and policy requirements that affect the hiring process. Katherine Kuzminski, Deputy Director of Studies and Program Director, Military, Veterans & Society at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins the...

If the thought of a polygraph gives you sweaty palms you're not alone. The polygraph is known to be bunk science, but that hasn't stopped it as being a part of the Intelligence Community's employment process . The reason isn't the science - it's because the test is successful in getting individuals to reveal previously undisclosed information. Lindy Kyzer and Jill Hamilton with ClearanceJobs discu...

Recruiting and talent management in the federal government space remains a hot topic. Fortunately, a number of organizations are working alongside the federal government to enhance and improve the onboarding process and overall workplace culture. Michelle Amante, vice president, federal workforce solutions at Partnership for Public Service joins the podcast to share more about the many things her...

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) implementation and oversight is barreling toward government agencies and contractors alike. CUI aims to help companies better protect the numerous information that may be sensitive, but not classified. Victoria Pillitteri, manager of the security engineering and risk management group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) joins the sh...

The national security workforce needs to onboard the next generation of security talent, but career pathways in the national security space aren't always linear, and you don't always find a clear path in a college career guide. Janet Nalls, director and chief of staff at Netcentrics joins the podcast to discuss national security and how she transitioned from an intelligence career supporting intel...

This weekend the intelligence community is celebrating one of its highlight events of the year, the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s William Oliver Baker Dinner. The event is a great engagement between current and former intelligence and national security community, and each year INSA recognizes the remarkable contributions of some of our nations incredible leaders. This year’s Willia...

Security threats are growing, and there is high demand for security professionals to work across the spectrum of security functions, from physical and personnel security to cybersecurity. Professional associations are a critical part of attracting and training the next generation of talent. NCMS is a non-profit professional security society, and they're gearing up for their annual seminar taking p...