Marlee Drake

How Do You Obtain a Personnel Clearance?

Understanding how to navigate the PCL process A Personnel Clearance (PCL) is a necessity for all employees who work with classified information. An employee can’t obtain a PCL without being hired onto a government contract, and once they are, their clearance will take an average of two to eight months to obtain, though it may take more or less time depending on their individual … [Read more...] about How Do You Obtain a Personnel Clearance?

The Requirements for Windows in a Secure Facility

What does it take to have a window in a SCIF, SAPF, or Closed Area? The benefits of natural light have been written about extensively: It offers necessary vitamin D, can help you sleep better, and can even ward off seasonal depression. However, in a secure facility, letting natural light in through windows creates a security vulnerability that requires extensive mitigation, if it can be allowed … [Read more...] about The Requirements for Windows in a Secure Facility

Can Your Smart Security Tech Be Too Smart?

Are we sacrificing security in the name of convenience? As technology becomes more advanced, some of our security systems are able to be controlled without so much as pushing a button. You can remotely engage your system from your phone or shut it off with the sound of your voice. This can save some time, but as we lean more into smart technology, are we putting ourselves into a more vulnerable … [Read more...] about Can Your Smart Security Tech Be Too Smart?

How Does RF Shielding Effectiveness Testing Work?

An overview of how TEMPEST testing is conducted If you’re constructing a SCIF or SAPF, part of your requirements will include meeting TEMPEST standards for radio frequency (RF) shielding. This is a crucial part of both your facility security and your accreditation. The requirements for these tests are laid out in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 299, the Standard Method … [Read more...] about How Does RF Shielding Effectiveness Testing Work?

What is CUI?

Understand how to identify and send Controlled Unclassified Information If you hold a personnel clearance (PCL), it’s likely you will at some point work with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is sensitive information that isn’t classified but still needs some level of protection and safeguarding. If CUI is obtained by adversaries, it can put you and your company at risk, and … [Read more...] about What is CUI?

How Does the SCIF Accreditation Process Work?

How to cross the finish line with your SCIF or SAPF project Accreditation is the ultimate end point of SCIF or SAPF construction. The last thing you want is to invest time and money into the construction only to stumble at the finish line and not have your facility accredited by your Accrediting Official (AO). But the process of SCIF accreditation doesn’t begin when you finish your … [Read more...] about How Does the SCIF Accreditation Process Work?

What You Need to Know About the GSA Black Label Container Phase-Out

Will you be affected by the phase-out of older GSA-approved containers? All Black Label General Services Administration (GSA) approved containers will have to be phased out and replaced through a plan that will span four years starting in 2024. Black Label containers are cabinets and vault doors manufactured from 1954 to 1989. The phase-out will begin with the oldest of these containers. Class … [Read more...] about What You Need to Know About the GSA Black Label Container Phase-Out

Enforcing an Office Security Plan Through Leadership

How to motivate your personnel to be compliant with office security measures When your company works with classified information, you need a security plan in place for a variety of things, from how the information will be stored to how the facility will be opened and closed each day. Requirements for these security plans exist in documents like the ICD 705 Technical Specifications, or Tech … [Read more...] about Enforcing an Office Security Plan Through Leadership