What is a security clearance check?
A security clearance check is a thorough background check run on candidates for jobs that require access to sensitive or classified material. The purpose of the check is to decide if the candidate can be trusted with government information that would pose a risk to national security interests if leaked.Clearance LevelsThe United States government issues three types of security clearances: Confidential, Secret and Top Secret. Confidential is the lowest-level clearance and Top Secret is the highest. There are two other clearances that are used in special circumstances. A Sensitive Compartmentalized clearance allows a person to have access to classified information in a limited field. Special Access Programs is a clearance that is higher than Top Secret.Who Conducts the CheckThe U.S. government is the only organization that runs security clearance checks. The agency that oversees clearance checks is the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).What They Look ForTotal loyalty to the United Sta
