Interim Policy Bulletin 668


Interim Policy Bulletin

Policy numbers and titles:

CD 564 – Departmental Security
CD 564-1 – Individual Security Screening
CD 564-5 – Access to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)

Why were the policies changed?

Technical amendments were made to the above noted Commissioner’s Directives to implement two other types of security screening: site access status and enhanced screening, pursuant to the Treasury Board Standard on Security Screening.

These technical amendments will be effective immediately and policies will be amended accordingly upon their next review.

What has changed?

CD 564 – Departmental Security, paragraph 8, will now read as follows:

Managers at all levels will:

g. confirm that individuals hold a valid security status or clearance determined by the duties/activities to be performed, prior to authorizing access to Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) facilities, protected information and assets.

CD 564-1 – Individual Security Screening, paragraph 4. c., will now read as follows:

Managers will:

c. ensure that the security status or clearance is in place and current prior to issuing an unconditional job offer, awarding a contract, placing an individual in a position by means of a secondment or an assignment or any other activity and prior to them being given access to protected or classified information, assets or facilities.

Paragraph 4. f. will now read as follows:

Managers will:

f.  inform/consult the Deputy Chief Security Officer (DCSO) regarding any information that could put into question an individual's ability to obtain/maintain a security status or clearance.

Paragraphs 4. g. and j. will now read as follows:

g. if the security status or clearance is denied, temporarily suspended or revoked, brief the individual and provide them with the reasons for the denial, suspension or revocation, unless the information may be exempted under the Privacy Act. Advise the individual of their rights to review and redress

j. consult departmental Labour Relations when, as a result of a revocation of the security status or clearance, the individual no longer meets the conditions of employment

The Definitions section in Annex A of CD 564 – Departmental Security and CD 564-1 – Individual Security Screening will be amended to include the following definitions:

Site access status: the standard of security screening conducted for other individuals who are not employees, when duties do not require access to information but do require access to protected or restricted areas or facilities. Site access status is conducted when reliability is the primary concern.

Enhanced screening: a type of security screening activity conducted when duties and access to information, assets or facilities are related to or directly support security and intelligence functions.

Annex B of CD 564-5 – Access to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) will be revoked.

How were they developed?

The policies were amended in collaboration with the Departmental Security Division, Community and Stakeholder Relations and the Strategic Policy Division, to ensure that all individuals, who are not employees, but require access to protected or restricted areas or CSC facilities, are appropriately security screened prior to being granted access.

Who will be affected by the policies?

These policies apply to all CSC employees and individuals who have access to government information, property and assets under CSC’s jurisdiction.

Accountabilities?

All managers at all levels.


Commissioner,

Original signed by:

Anne Kelly


Annex A - Security Screening Levels

Site Access Screening Reliability Status and Security Clearances
Site Access Status

5 year background information

Valid for up to 10 years
Site Access Clearance*

5 year background information

Valid for up to 10 years
Reliability Status

5 year background information

Valid for 10 years
Secret Clearance

10 year background information

Valid for 10 years
Top Secret Clearance

10 year background
information

Valid for 5 years
Verification of identity

Law enforcement inquiry (criminal record check)

*No access to information
Verification of identity

Law enforcement inquiry (criminal record check)

CSIS security assessment

*No access to information

*Not used at CSC
Verification of identity and background

Verification of educational and professional credentials

Personal and professional references

Financial inquiry (credit check)

Law enforcement inquiry (criminal record check)
Valid reliability status

CSIS security assessment
(Foreign travel, foreign assets, character references, education, military service)

Valid reliability status/Valid Secret clearance

CSIS security assessment
    Enhanced screening (also includes)

Law enforcement inquiry (law enforcement record check)

Security questionnaire
and/or
security interview

Open-source inquiry
Valid reliability status

CSIS security assessment
Enhanced screening (also includes)

Security questionnaire and/or security interview

Open-source inquiry

Polygraph examination

Definitions

Classified information and assets: applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could reasonably be expected to cause injury to the national interest, defence and maintenance of the social, political and economic stability of Canada.

CSIS security assessment: a security assessment involving verification of CSIS databases and other methods to assess whether there is reasonable cause to believe that an individual has engaged, is engaged, or may engage in activities that constitute a “threat to the security of Canada”, as defined in section 2 of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act.

Enhanced reliability status screening: the basic screening for positions that perform security and intelligence functions or duties that support those functions.

Enhanced screening: a type of security screening activity conducted when duties and access to information, assets or facilities are related to or directly support security and intelligence functions.

Financial inquiry: to assess whether an individual poses a security risk on the basis of financial pressure or history of poor financial responsibility.

Law enforcement inquiry: an examination of law enforcement authority records, databases or databanks to determine whether an individual:

  1. has a criminal record, and/or
  2. is associated with a criminal organization or known criminals, and/or
  3. is a dangerous offender, and/or
  4. is known, suspected of, or has engaged in criminality.

Open-source inquiry: an analysis of open-source information to verify background information provided by the individual and to identify behaviour that may be inconsistent with security responsibilities.

Personal and professional references: information about the individual that is obtained from and/or validated with persons who know or who are in a position to observe the individual.

Polygraph examination: the use of questioning techniques and technology to record physiological responses which might indicate deception by the individual.

Protected information and assets: applies to information or assets that, if compromised, could reasonably be expected to cause injury to a non-national interest, that is, an individual interest such as a person or an organization.

Reliability status: the minimum standard of security screening for positions requiring unsupervised access to Government of Canada protected information, assets, facilities or information technology systems. Security screening for reliability status appraises an individual's honesty and whether they can be trusted to protect the employer's interests. This screening can include enhanced inquiries, verifications and assessments when duties involve or directly support security and intelligence functions. Reliability status may also be referred to herein as a security status.

Secret clearance: a clearance screening that builds on reliability status screening and is conducted for positions requiring frequent and unsupervised access to Government of Canada information, assets, facilities or information technology systems categorized as Secret.

Security clearance: the standard of security screening for all positions requiring access to Government of Canada classified information, assets, facilities or information technology systems. Security screening for a security clearance appraises an individual’s loyalty to Canada and their reliability as it relates to that loyalty. This screening can include enhanced inquiries, verifications and assessments when duties involve or directly support security and intelligence functions.

Security questionnaire and/or security interview: the individual being screened completes a questionnaire or is interviewed to determine if they may pose a security risk on the basis of ideology, conduct, associations, or features of character.

Security screening: the process of conducting a security screening activity and evaluating an individual's reliability and/or loyalty to Canada in support of a decision to grant, grant with a waiver, deny, or revoke a reliability status, security clearance or site access clearance.

Site access clearance: the standard of security screening for other individuals who are not employees, when duties do not require access to information but do require access to protected or restricted areas or facilities. Site access clearance is obtained when loyalty to Canada is the primary concern.

Site access status: the standard of security screening conducted for other individuals who are not employees, when duties do not require access to information but do require access to protected or restricted areas or facilities. Site access status is obtained when reliability is the primary concern.

Top Secret clearance: a clearance screening conducted for positions requiring frequent and unsupervised access to Top Secret Government of Canada information, assets, facilities or information technology systems.

Verification of educational and professional credential: the confirmation of relevant educational and professional credentials.

Verification of identity: examining a record from an authoritative source indicating an individual’s identity. There are two categories of evidence of identity: foundational and supporting.

Verification of identity and background: the validation of an individual’s unique identity and biographical information. Identity must be verified before undertaking any subsequent security screening activity.

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