Imagine that you have a work sacrifice of a company, but you are allowed to start working, or receive a payment, for almost a year. And if you cannot approve a security authorization, your sacrifice is terminated. Or they sacrifice an internship, but you can’t work in the most interesting part of the project. It sounds like a non -accessory. Well, that is the current process if you want to work for companies or government agencies that work in classified programs.
A company by Silicon Valley, Palantir, is trying to change that and cuts the time between being hired and doing a productive job. Here’s why and how.
Around the last five years, more of my students have understood that Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine and strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China means that the world is no longer a stable and safe place. This has convinced many of them to work on national security problems in new defense companies.
However, many of those government agencies and agencies require them to work in projects with confidential information that the Government wants to protect. These are called classified programs. To be hired and work on them, you must first approve a government security authorization. (A security authorization is how the government learns if it is reliable enough to maintain secrets and not damage national security).
For work in most new defense companies/contractors or national security agencies, instead of starting working with their offer letter, instead it would receive a “conditional” work sacrifice, which is an elegant way to say: “We want me to work here, but you must wait!
Types of security authorizations
The time that takes the authorization process depends on thoroughness and how deeply the government investigates its background. That is directly related to how classified will be the work it will do. The three main levels of classification (from less to the best) are confidential, secret and high secret. 
The type and depth of background research to obtain a security authorization depends on the level or classified information with which it will work. For example, if you only need access to confidential or secret material, they would control the national agency with the law and credit (NaClc). The Government will analyze the Criminal Background repository of the FBI, will make a credit verification and a check with its local law agencies. This can take a relatively short time (~ 3 months).
On the other hand, if you are going to work on a high secret/SCI project, this requires a more extensive background verification (and much longer ~ 6-9 months) called a single background investment (SSBI). Some types of authorizations also require that you perform a polygraph test (lies detector).
How do you “clarify” the government?
National background research services (NBIS) is the government agency that will investigate its background. They will ask him for his:
- Drugs and alcohol (hard drugs, addiction, chronic consumption, etc.)
- Criminal conduct (serious crimes …)
- Financial stability (they will execute a credit office report)
- How have you used IT systems (for example, have you pirate?)
- United States loyalty
- Foreign influence (is it owned by a property abroad? Foreign investments, etc.)
- Psychological conditions and personal behavior.
- Travel history (have you lived or gone to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, etc.)
- In addition, they will talk to their friends, family, other current and former important, etc. To learn more about you
Palantir Accelerated Student Authorization Plan
Palantir wants its interns and new hiring to be carried out and work on the most difficult and interesting government problems from day one. However, these types of problems need to have a security authorization. The problem is that today, all companies begin an application for a security authorization on the day to work.
The idea of Palantir? If you get a full -time internship or sacrifice from Palantir While you are still at schoolThey will immediately use it as a contractor. This will allow the issue to initiate your security authorization process while at school porch You introduce yourself to work. That means it will be authorized ~ 9 months later for your first day at work. Think about this as an early admission program of the university. (If it is happening, Palantir will be authorized for you if it comes to Palantir the following year).
Why do this?
Obviously, this is a long -term strategic investment in the university talent of Palantir, but also affects the entire defense ecosystem to create a broader team of the best engineers in the United States that can support the critical missions of our country. And are encouraging other technological defense companies to implement a similar program.
I think it’s a great idea.
Now, what are the other innovative ideas that Silicon Valley can do to attract a national security force?
Filed in: National Security |