Security clearance

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A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information (state or organizational secrets) or to 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 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 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>Template:Full citation needed

CanadaEdit

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United KingdomEdit

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National Security Clearance typesEdit

National Security Clearances are a hierarchy of levels, depending on the 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 historyEdit

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 clearancesEdit

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 StatesEdit

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United NationsEdit

Template:Multiple issues 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 Department for Safety and Security.

Individuals who have had security clearances revokedEdit

{{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}}{{#ifeq:||}} 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:

Name	Reason	Year of revocation
Sandy Berger	Mishandling of classified documents	2005
Joe Biden	Trump's rival<ref name="Trump rival">Template:Cite news</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rod Blagojevich<ref name=Blagojevich>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> \|\| Corruption charges \|\| 2008
John O. Brennan	Claimed but not processed<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	N/A
Hillary Clinton	Trump's rival<ref name="Trump rival" />	2025<ref name="Trump memo" />
John M. Deutch	Mishandling of classified information	1999
Thomas Andrews Drake	Unauthorized disclosure of secrets	2010
Abdel-Moniem El-Ganayni	Unknown reasons	2008
Michael T. Flynn	Lying to the FBI	2017
Kamala Harris	Trump's rival<ref name="Trump rival" />	2025<ref name="Trump memo" />
Wen Ho Lee	Espionage charges	1999
Robert Oppenheimer	Communist sympathies	1954
Aldric Saucier	Whistleblowing on fraud<ref name="chicagotribunearmyagaintargets">Template:Cite news</ref>	1992
Edward Snowden	Unauthorized disclosure of secrets	2013
Alan Turing (UK)	Homosexuality conviction	1952
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"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>