 |
Standards of Personal ConductStandards
Of Personal Conduct
|
You are expected to comply with the high
standards of conduct normally required of persons holding positions of trust. These
standards are set by Executive Order 12968 on Access to Classified Information. This
presidential order directs that access shall be granted only to individuals "whose
personal and professional history affirmatively indicates loyalty to the United States,
strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion, and sound
judgment, as well as freedom from conflicting allegiances and potential for coercion, and
willingness and ability to abide by regulations governing the use, handling, and
protection of classified information."
Failure to comply with this standard may
cause your eligibility for security clearance to be rejected or re-evaluated. The concept
of "continuing evaluation" is an important part of the personnel security
process. It means you are subject to periodic re-investigation and to a reasonable degree
of monitoring by supervisors, co-workers and security professionals between
investigations. These safeguards are necessary because people change over
time. Experience shows that persons approved for a position of trust sometimes fall
into a pattern of unreliable or untrustworthy behavior after being granted an initial
clearance.
The formal process for initial approval or
subsequent reconsideration of a security clearance is called "adjudication."
This adjudicative process is guided by a regulation entitled Adjudicative Guidelines
for Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified Information, approved by the
President in 1997. These guidelines apply to all U.S. Government agencies, and to both
government employees and cleared contractors.
The full regulation is available by clicking
on Adjudicative
Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Access to
Classified Information. The Adjudicative Guidelines cover the 13 areas of
security-relevant behavior listed below. For each issue area, the guidelines cite the
basis for security concern, potentially disqualifying conditions, and conditions that
might mitigate (offset) adverse information. For a direct link to the policy for one of
these issue areas, click on the issue area below.
Alcohol
Consumption
Allegiance to the United States
Criminal Conduct
Drug Involvement
Emotional, Mental, and
Personality Disorders
Financial Considerations
Foreign Influence
Foreign Preference
Misuse of Information
Technology Systems
Outside Activities
Personal Conduct
Security Violations
Sexual Behavior
Since the policies are expressed in quite
general terms, you may also want to view a list of Examples
of Security-Relevant Behaviors under each of these 13 categories. For a discussion of
some of the more common personal problems that employees have, and how to avoid a security
problem by getting help for yourself or a co-worker, see the information on Understanding and Helping with Personal
Problems.
In addition to complying with these standards
yourself, Executive Order 12968 states that you are "encouraged and expected" to
take appropriate action if you become aware that a co-worker appears to be violating these
standards of personal conduct. This is discussed in Reporting Improper, Unreliable or
Suspicious Behavior.
You are also expected to report any known or
suspected Foreign Intelligence Activity
about which you become aware and any indications -- known as "Anomalies" --
that a foreign country has unexpected knowledge of U.S. national security information.
|