Reportable Activities for Cleared Contractors Codified

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently released an updated version of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) that lines up with the previously released Security Executive Agent Directive (SEAD) 3 regarding reportable activities and reporting requirements for contractors who hold a security clearance. The Center for Development of Security Excellence developed a job aid to make it easier for Facility Security Officers to determine what is reportable, how to report it, and to whom. For instance, if a contractor is involved in espionage activities the FSO would report it to the FBI and their government Industrial Security representative. If someone was arrested for DUI, an incident report would be filed into the Defense Information System for Security (DISS) for the Vetting Risk Operations Center (VROC) to review. To see all of the different areas of reportable activities, click here to see the job aid.

JPAS Out, DISS In

On another note, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) announced the retirement of JPAS at the end of March. DISS will be the system of record for all security clearance and background investigation information.

This the timeline for users to transition over is Monday March 1. Industry may begin using DISS to initiate investigation requests, submit incident reports and adverse information, and manage all matters pertaining to a contractor’s eligibility and access to classified information, security management activities (e.g. briefing, access indoctrination, and reporting) and visit authorizations between National Industrial Security Program contractors and/or DoD components.

Effective April 1, Vetting Risk Operations (formerly VROC) will not be able to access JPAS to process any investigation requests and will process all investigation requests via DISS. 

That means:

·       After March 15, you will not be able to initiate a new request in JPAS.

·       Investigation requests initiated in JPAS must be submitted to Vetting Risk Operations prior to March 31.

·       Vetting Risk Operations is taking all necessary actions to process all JPAS investigation requests by March 31.