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Agency News

Sept. 28, 2023

DCSA holds Transfer of Authority ceremony

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) bid farewell to Director William K. Lietzau in a ceremony today at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The event reflected on Lietzau's tenure at DCSA and the role of the agency in protecting national security. As part of the ceremony, transfer of authority of the agency was transferred to Daniel J. Lecce, now acting director of DCSA.

Sept. 27, 2023

NISPPAC promotes the importance of National Background Investigation Services

As part of a recent National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC) meeting, the NISPPAC shared a video recording of Ike Rivers, chief security officer at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Rivers spoke about the importance of the partnership between DCSA and industry and encouraged industry to onboard into the National Background Investigation Services and start using the system. Rivers, a NISPPAC member, also talked about the variety of support industry receives from the NISPPAC. To watch the video shared at the NISPPAC meeting,

Sept. 27, 2023

DCSA call center numbers changing

Due to a change in phone carriers and a transfer to CallManager software, all DCSA call center numbers are changing effective October 2.

Sept. 25, 2023

DCSA Leaders Convene with Multinational Industrial Security Working Group to Standardize Security

ZURICH, Switzerland – Three DCSA Industrial Security Directorate leaders represented the United States at the 38th annual Multinational Industrial Security Working Group (MISWG) Plenary, hosted by the Swiss government from Sept. 11-15.

Sept. 21, 2023

New DOD Prevention, Assistance and Response cadre depart Quantico training event to engage in PAR efforts nationwide

QUANTICO, Va. – Brittani Blanchard trained with the Prevention, Assistance and Response (PAR) cadre assigned to military installations across the country – including Hawaii, Alaska and Guam – for the first time and envisioned the PAR program’s future impact upon U.S. military and national security.

Sept. 15, 2023

Now Open: 2024 DCSA Student Experience (DSE)

DCSA is currently accepting applications for the summer 2024 DCSA Student Experience (DSE) from September 15 to October 31. Undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university interested in working in a highly competitive internship to gain experience in adjudications, background investigation, counterintelligence, industrial security, personnel security, and other mission support areas are encouraged to apply.

Sept. 12, 2023

DCSA renames Counterintelligence Award

Today, DCSA hosted the family of John “Jack” Donnelly, the Director of the Defense Investigative Service (DIS) from 1988 to 1996, for a ceremony to rename the DCSA Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence to the Jack Donnelly Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence. This name change celebrates the 30th anniversary of the counterintelligence program he established in 1993. In 1981, Mr. Donnelly entered the Senior Executive Service, as a Department of Defense counterintelligence expert at the Pentagon. In 1988, Mr. Donnelly was appointed as the Director of the DIS, where he oversaw the security of cleared defense contractors and security background investigations of industry personnel. During his tenure at DIS, Mr. Donnelly transformed DIS’ relationship with cleared industry to promote partnership and mutual responsibility for preserving national security. Under Mr. Donnelly’s guidance, the DIS established a program that trained and sensitized investigators to counterintelligence red flags. Mr. Donnelly’s dedication to the national security mission led to the establishment of the agency’s counterintelligence mission in 1993. The Excellence in Counterintelligence Award is given to cleared companies who strive to deter, detect, and disrupt the theft of sensitive or classified U.S. information and technologies by foreign entities, and who seek to promote the uncompromised delivery of such technologies to the Department of Defense and other U.S. Government agencies. DCSA recognizes only four of those companies for their outstanding excellence in counterintelligence.

Sept. 8, 2023

Agency publishes Federal Investigations Notice (FIN) pertaining to DCSA products, services and pricing

DCSA has published a Federal Investigations Notice (FIN) pertaining to fiscal year (FY) 2024 and FY25 products, services, and pricing. This FIN is a follow-on to FIN 23-01 dated January 30, 2023. FY24 and FY25 pricing high level results, changes, and updates are as follows: DCSA is adjusting legacy, 5-tier background investigation (BI) prices in FY25 by 1% below the FY23 rates. This reduction follows DCSA’s one-time BI rate decrease of 18% in FY24 designed to return accumulated working capital fund (WCF) cash to DCSA customers. New TW 3-tier BI products will be introduced by DCSA in accordance with the TW Implementation Strategy FY25. The rates for these products will be consistent with FY23 legacy BI prices, adjusted only for inflation.

Sept. 5, 2023

DCSA Kicks Off 5th Annual National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM)

Since 2019, the month-long campaign, held annually in September, brings together thousands of U.S. security professionals and policy makers from government and industry to educate and increase awareness about the risks posed by insider threats, and the role of insider-threat programs. This year’s them is ‘Bystander Engagement.’ An engaged bystander is an individual who is aware of concerning behaviors and knows what to do to address those concerns. In his annual NITAM letter, DCSA Director William K. Lietzau added, “This year’s NITAM theme promotes increased awareness for the workforce to identify, understand, and report potential behaviors of concern, and to engage and assist at-risk employees.” Throughout the month, DCSA officials will host and participate in several supporting events including: • The Counter Insider Threat (C-InT) Social & Behavioral Science (SBS) Summit 2023 - SBS 2023 • The official kick-off DCSA Conference for Insider Threat on Sep. 7 – Register (Webinars and Conferences (cdse.edu)) • A memorial webinar reflecting on the tenth anniversary of the Washington Navy Yard shooting: The Washington Navy Yard Shooting: 10 Years Later and A Survivor’s Account – Register (Webinars and Conferences (cdse.edu)) • Remarks by DCSA’s DOD Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center (DITMAC) Director James Shappell, at an annual insider threat symposium Other items recognizing NITAM include, launching the official NITAM website, a NITAM public service announcement, an agency director’s recognition letter and a social media campaign for increased awareness. “Regardless of how you choose to participate,” said Lietzau, “please know that your actions and contributions support our collective effort to identify and mitigate insider threats to our national security.” For more information on NITAM 2023, please visit: National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) (usalearning.gov).

Aug. 7, 2023

New DOD Prevention, Assistance and Response Cadre to Convene for PAR Training

Prevention, Assistance and Response (PAR) coordinators assigned to U.S. military installations will convene at Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Quantico headquarters from Aug. 7-10 for a PAR Cadre Training Seminar. The PAR program – a newly formed DCSA capability under the direction of the DOD Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center (DITMAC) – will prepare the new coordinators to fulfill their roles supporting commanders and equivalent civilian leaders on installations and in the military community by conducting threat assessment and management, particularly focused in the area of workplace violence.