Security Consulting Services

An FCL is a determination made by the U.S. Government that a contractor is eligible for access to classified information. A contractor must have an FCL commensurate with the highest level of classified access (Secret or Top Secret) required for contract performance.

The Director of National Intelligence serves as the head of the Intelligence Community, overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program budget and serving as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.

Working together with the Principal Deputy DNI and with the assistance of Mission Managers and Deputy Directors, the Office of the DNI’s goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad.

LEADING THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
The U.S. Intelligence Community is a coalition of 18 agencies and organizations, including the ODNI. The IC agencies fall within the Executive Branch, and work both independently and collaboratively to gather and analyze the intelligence necessary to conduct foreign relations and national security activities.

The IC’s mission is to provide timely, insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence to inform decisions on national security issues and events. The DNI executes the IC’s mission through decision making bodies, IC strategies, IC budget and resource management, development of IC capabilities, information sharing and safeguarding, and partnering with domestic and international partners.

The National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that the cleared U.S. defense industry safeguards the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The NISP applies to all executive branch departments and agencies. The major signatories to the program are the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

For defense contractors, a Facility Security Officer (FSO) is a crucial position for establishing and maintaining a facility clearance (FCL) and the associated programs/requirements.

Facilities or Entities that are going through the process of obtaining and facility clearance (FCL) through the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA) should have a FSO in place as part of the Key Management Personnel for the facility. The FSO is responsible for working with the government agency Industrial Security team and/or other contractor facilities FSO to ensure the FCL request documents are properly submitted for FCL sponsorship. The FSO is also responsible for working with the DCSA Facility Clearance Branch (FCB) to provide them with additional information needed to support the sponsorship of the FCL.

The FSO acts as the liaison between the defense contractor and the U.S. government security agency that the company is contracted with. The 32 CFR Part 117, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) serves as an FSO’s “bible” on industrial security processes and guides them on how to carry out their responsibilities.