By
PTE John Wellfare
COMPROMISES in security can occur from changes in personal circumstances
and workplace requirements, according to Defence Security Authority
(DSA) staff responsible for conducting a re-evaluation of security
clearances across the ADF.
The project, which will examine personnel whose security clearance
is due or overdue for re-evaluation, comes under policy introduced
in 2000 that requires personal security clearances to be reviewed
every five years.
Director National Operations, DSA, Dave Callan said the project
was intended to identify and plug security leaks that may have
arisen through a member’s changed circumstances.
“It’s quite important [to review clearances] because
things change,” he said.
“When we do a security clearance it’s a snapshot of
the individual at a moment in time and over time, of course, people
do other things and move on and perhaps even change.
“It’s important that we regularly have a look at the
people and see whether they have in fact changed and whether that
poses a problem.”
Mr Callan said intensive commitments had left a backlog of members
whose security clearances had fallen due for re-evaluation.
“It’s a rolling program in the sense that we’re
targeting the backlog of these re-evaluations and there are obviously
more people coming through all the time and if their clearances
fall due, we’re tackling that simultaneously.
“We will also be mounting a large awareness process and that’s
been part of the DSA charter since we were established, so that
we don’t rely solely on periodic checks, that we actually
make people much more aware of security in the workplace.
“If someone gets married or enters a long-term de facto relationship
then that is a change of circumstance we need to have a look at.
“We don’t actually do a security check on their spouse,
we do a check of [the member] and how their circumstances relate
to the person they married.
“Similarly, a unit security officer who becomes aware that
one of their people has been contacted by anybody who might raise
some suspicion, would be reporting to us the change of circumstance.”
For more information contact DSA on 1800 008 306 or email DSA.ADOvetting@defence.gov.au.
