Cosmic Top-Secret Clearance for Space Travelers?

When you see the word “cosmic” the first thing that usually comes to mind would be something to do with outer space, right? In the security clearance world Cosmic Top Secret is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) equivalent for a U.S. Top Secret security clearance or classified information. The other NATO clearance designations are NATO Secret, NATO Confidential, and NATO Restricted (official unclassified). There are currently thirty-two countries that belong to NATO and each one conducts their own investigations and grants final personnel security clearance eligibility. NATO itself does not grant eligibility, but rather accepts the clearance from the granting country under reciprocity. In order to get access to NATO classified or restricted information, each country has to provide NATO their personnel’s security clearance verification and then give them a NATO security briefing. This information is processed and input into a NATO repository before access is granted.

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is the government entity responsible for sending outgoing Requests for Visit (RFV) for all U.S. contractors who are traveling to classified sites outside the U.S., and not just for NATO countries, but others as well. Depending on the country you are visiting, request lead times are from five to forty days and some countries have additional specific requirements. Some countries require a NATO Security Clearance Certificate to accompany the RFV. Despite the all-powerful sounding title of being cleared at the Cosmic level, it is really just a fancy way of saying Top Secret!