Personnel Security Management Office for Industry FY17 Statistics

The Defense Security Service’s Personnel Security Management and Oversight-Industry (PSMO-I) is responsible for processing contractor security clearances for industry and overseeing continuous evaluation and insider threat programs on behalf of Department of Defense (DoD) and 32 other Federal agencies who participate in the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). In their latest publication of program accomplishments and future transition efforts they outlined their Fiscal Year 2017 clearance processing and continuous evaluation program statistics, and how they are helping with the phased transition of moving responsibility for background investigations from the NBIB back to DSS.

FY17 Clearance Statistics

814,000 – National Industrial Security Program (NISP) contractors with clearance eligibility

743,000 – NISP contractors with access to classified information

152,453 – Requests for investigation for security clearances processed

91,967 – Interim security clearance determinations made

10,230 – Adverse information reports triaged

56 – Interim Clearance suspensions in process (actual suspensions, not LOJs)

100,000 – Knowledge Center calls answered, providing on-the-spot personnel security clearance issue resolution

Continuous Evaluation (CE) Program

1,115,384 – Subjects enrolled in CE

293,255 – Industry

822,129 – Military Services/4th Estate

 CE Alert Reasons

31.7% – Financial Considerations

31.5% – Drug Involvement

27.3%  – Criminal Conduct

8.3%  – Alcohol Consumption

1.0%  – Sexual Behavior

0.3%  – Personal Conduct

51 – Eligibilities Revoked (May 2016 to December 2017)

As you can see from the numbers above, just as in initial clearance processing, financial considerations lead all other issues. It is a bit surprising, however, to see the percentage of drug involvement alerts. I would be curious to know what sources are used to get the information. Current clearance holders should be aware that continuous evaluation is now the focus, and based on future DoD Personnel Security Program updates, may replace periodic reinvestigations very soon.