Author Archive

Marko Hakamaa

Marko Hakamaa served in various military police positions with the United States Army worldwide for 22 years before retiring in 2006 as a Master Sergeant. Afterwards, he transitioned into the civilian workforce as a contractor background investigator for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) before entering civil service as a Security Specialist in 2009.

Security Clearance Process

Senator Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee of the Judiciary, initiated an investigation into the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and their more than eight hundred percent rise in security clearance suspensions over the past four years which seems directly tied to political partisanship and influence. The investigation

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Adjudication

A research study conducted by the RAND Corporation takes a look at how adjudicative criteria for evaluating the trustworthiness of security clearance applicants has changed from the “baby boomer’ generation to today’s “Generation Z”. The report breaks down trends and risk factors common to all generations and shows how the

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Security Clearance Denial

All security clearance holders receive an initial security briefing that covers the does and don’t as far as what behaviors and personal conduct could jeopardize their eligibility. Basically, this is anything that could be used to extort or blackmail someone to gain information, obtain money, or exert influence. A recent

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Security Clearance Process

On March 15, 2021 the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) rolled out their new Defense Information System for Security (DISS) to replace the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS). DISS is made up of the three sub-systems below:  Case Adjudication Tracking System (CATS) performs electronic and human adjudication functions, automating record-keeping for security

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