Personnel
When you hold a security clearance, you are expected to comply with the high standards of conduct normally required of persons holding positions of trust. See “Personal Conduct.”
- You are expected to keep your security office informed of certain changes in your personal life or activities in which you might engage that have potential security ramifications. See “Self-Reporting of Personal Activities.”
- You are also expected to report any factual information that comes to your attention and that raises potential security concerns about co-workers. See “Reporting Responsibilities.”
Personal Conduct
Standards of conduct are set by Executive Order 12968 on Access to Classified Information. That presidential order directs that access to classified information is granted only to individuals “whose personal and professional history affirmatively indicates loyalty to the United States, strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion, and sound judgment, as well as freedom from conflicting allegiances and potential for coercion, and willingness and ability to abide by regulations governing the use, handling, and protection of classified information.”
Failure to comply with the standard may cause your eligibility for security clearance or occupancy of a sensitive position to be reviewed and possibly revoked.
The concept of continuing evaluation is an important part of the personnel security process. It means you are subject to periodic reinvestigation and to a reasonable degree of monitoring by supervisors, co-workers, and security professionals between investigations. These safeguards are necessary because situations and behaviors change over time. Experience shows that individuals approved for a security clearance or position of trust sometimes fall into a pattern of unreliable or untrustworthy behavior after being granted an initial clearance.
All personnel holding a security clearance also have
Reporting Responsibilities.