The Origins of SEAD-4: Defining and Working within The Circle of Trust
Signed by then Director of National Intelligence, James E. Clapper, in June 2017, SEAD-4 is the common regulatory rubric for all Executive branch elements with Security programs…
O (No) Canada: C-3 Canadian Citizenship and Security Clearance Eligibility
On December 15th, 2025, many Americans awoke to find themselves suddenly Canadian—myself included. Bill C-3 (An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act) extended Canadian citizenship…
The Hazards of Being a Global Citizen and Doing Classified Work: Guideline B, Foreign Influence
In the context of eligibility for access to classified information, Guideline B, Foreign Influence is one (1) of the thirteen (13) Adjudicative criteria established by Security…
Procedural Points #6 | CIA – Applicants Before Office of Security, Appeals (Part II)
Part II: Personal Appearance and Appeal For more information on CIA SOR and requesting review, see Part I: Statement of Reasons and Response. Examine Your Investigative File and…
Procedural Points #6 | CIA – Applicants Before Office of Security, Appeals (Part I)
Part I: Statement of Reasons and Response For the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as with most federal agencies, the talent acquisition process slows to a crawl at the vendor…
PERSPECTIVE | Choosing Legal Rationale to Justify Caribbean Boat Strikes: The Piracy Paradigm
The Christmas holiday police action against the President of Venezuela took many inside the Beltway by surprise, even United States Senators. Questions now circulate about whether…
Procedural Points #5 | Gaining a Limited Access Authorization (LAA)
Government employees, military, contractors and subcontractors whose work requires access to classified information may be eligible for security clearance—but only if they are…
Procedural Points #4 | Filing With the Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB)
Clients are often faced with a failed ‘closure’ challenge. They have been mistreated; administrative due process provides a path to remedy, but that path leaves the client…
Procedural Points | Air Force Special Access Program (AF SAP) Appeals Process
*Alert | January 2026 DAF/SAPCO Policy Changes* Updated January 30, 2026 January 21, 2026, the DAF replaced AF SAP appeal hearings with an administrative appeal process via…
When Cybersecurity and National Security Interests Collide
Good cybersecurity protects private information from being accessed by an outside source. However, when that outside source is an intelligence agency and the private information…