Federal Suitability and Security Clearances: Issue Mitigation Handbook

Federal Suitability and Security Clearances: Issue Mitigation Handbook. By William H. Henderson. Last Post Publishing, lastpostpublishing.com; 254 pages; $26.50.

This book provides an in-depth explanation of the background investigation process and the considerations that must be made when assessing an applicant’s suitability for federal employment, access credentials, or a security clearance.

Towards the beginning of the book, the author describes some of the main characteristics and the background investigations that are required to obtain a Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) credential, a federal security clearance, or a suitability and fitness determination for federal employment. The explanation of clearance processing timelines, common application process challenges, and the adjudication and appeals process surrounding applications is comprehensive and insightful.

The book’s second part details potentially disqualifying conditions for security clearances, credentialing, and employment suitability; it also addresses mitigating factors addressed under federal law. The discussion of the “whole-person concept” describes the nine factors that must be considered by adjudicators when evaluating an individual’s conduct when granting or denying a security clearance.

This handbook guides readers through the myriad processes involved in getting federal applicants approved for security clearances and other government access credentials. It would be valuable to many government and industrial security professionals involved with personnel security clearances and access determinations.

Reviewer: David O. Best, CPP, ISP (Industrial Security Professional), CBM (Certified Business Manager), is a senior program analyst with the Information Security Oversight Office in Washington. He is a member of ASIS International.