Personnel Security

About Personnel Security

DCSA’s Personnel Security closely examines people affiliated with the federal government (military, civilian, contractors, consultants, etc.) to ensure they possess the requisite judgment, reliability, and trustworthiness for their position. 

The personnel security process includes four distinct functions:

Initiation

A customer agency submits a security questionnaire to DCSA to begin the personnel vetting process. This part of the process is external to DCSA.

Background Investigations

As the primary Investigative Service Provider (ISP) for the Federal Government, DCSA conducts over two million background investigations per year on civilian and military applicants and Federal employees or employees of Government contractors and consultants to Federal programs. 

Background Investigations

Adjudications

DCSA makes adjudicative determinations for roughly 95% of the federal population. We maintain the largest adjudication capability across the U.S. government and support all three branches of the federal government, the main elements being the Military Departments, National Industrial Security Program (NISP), and the DOD Fourth Estate.&

Adjudications

Continuous Vetting

Continuous Vetting (CV) regularly reviews an enrolled individual’s background to ensure they continue to meet affiliation requirements and should continue to hold positions of trust. Continuous Vetting helps DCSA mitigate personnel security situations before they become larger problems. There are approximately 4 million individuals enrolled in CV.

Continuous Vetting

Additional Resources