Enhanced Reliability Check (ERC) - Merged

[mclipper]

Actually, everyone in the CF has Enhanced as a minimum.  Doesn't matter if they are Reg or Res.  The information used for course load messages used to come from ITMIS (now I think it's called MITE) and information such as security clearances is not alway accurate or up to date.  That is also why people who have remustered are often on the load messages as their previous MOC.  I guess what I am trying to say is that those are not any way to tell who has or does not have a security clearance. 
As for working in the OR, did you check each file to see who does or doesn't have clearances.  I think you would be very surprised at how many people (even in a reserve unit) have security clearances.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Though most of it has been correct, some of the info posted in this thread has been a little off.   So as to clear up any misconceptions that remain, this is straight from the horse's mouth wrt this issue:

Enhanced reliability status is the type of screening required when the duties or tasks of a position or contract necessitate access to designated information and assets, regardless of the duration of an assignment, appointment or contract. An individual granted enhanced reliability status may access, on a need-to-know basis, designated information and assets.

A security clearance is the type of screening required when the duties or tasks of a position or contract necessitate access to classified information and assets. An individual granted a security clearance may access, on a need-to-know basis, classified information and assets up to and including the level of security clearance granted.

In other words, enhanced reliability is required for all mbrs of the military, regardless of trade or place of employment, and grants them access to designated (Protected A, B, and C) materials, subject to their need to know.   Security clearances (Levels I, II, and III) grant a mbr access to materials classified as Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret, respectively.   The difference between classified and designated materials is that classified information is deemed sensitive and important to the national interests of Canada, and designated information is deemed sensitive and important to the interests of a particular individual.

In 2000-2001, CSIS processed 49,964 requests for access to sensitive or restricted sites and facilities and 36,803 security assessments under the Government Screening program. The average time required to process Level I applications was 32 days. Level II applications required 41 days to process while it took an average of 113 days to process Level III applications.

It doesn't mention the average waiting time for an enhanced reliability check, but I believe that it's around 2 weeks, assuming that there are no hiccups.

The above two quotes are from http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/gospubs/TBM_12A/CHAPT2-4-1_e.asp, and http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/backgrnd/back9_e.html, respectively.  

 

[clasper]

Wow.  I'm amazed they have an average of 113 days for level III clearances.  Mine took about 5 months, and was the fastest clearance of anyone in my unit, and the fastest among many people in the int community at the time (although this was 10 years ago).  A friend of mine waited just a hair under two years to get his clearance.  Sounds like they've sped up the process.  I hope they aren't cutting any corners...

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Well dude, if it makes you feel any better, mine was a nightmare, and the short version of the story is that it took over 5 years for my level III to come through.   Must have been all those bad cheques I passed to North Korean operatives during my time working for the Khmer Rouge in China.    ;D

 

[Korus]

Those numbers do seem quick. Maybe it just doesn't count the amount of time the application spends sitting in a pile waiting for someone to begin reviewing it...

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Exactly.  Don't start counting from the day that you hand in your application at the CFRC.  Those numbers reflect the amount of time that CSIS actually spends working on the individual checks.

 

[portcullisguy]

Since when do officers get Secret clearance?! I only know one or two people with that kind of clearance; one is an Engineer NCO who was doing some HumInt tasking overseas, and the other is an INT NCO. The majority of information that comes through a typical unit will be Protected A or B. Even when I spent time working in a BOR or with medical records, I never saw anything marked beyond Protected B. With the exception of Int Officers and people working in NDHQ and the like, why would Joe 2Lt require a Secret clearance?

Actually, "secret" clearance is quite common in the Federal Public Service (which the CF is loosely associated to).  I just got secret clearance myself, which I required to have my workstation profile changed to that of a supervisor for some of the computer systems I use in my job with customs.  All supervisors have secret, and our intelligence officers have top secret.  I would imagine CF intel officers would be at top secret as well, putting them on par with us and CSIS.  CSIS will not even talk to any other gov't intel workers if they are not top secret cleared.

Enhanced is a very basic level of security clearance, intended for people who may have access or contact to low-level information, but not necessarily any sort of managerial control over it.  An officer has a command responsibility, and a requirement to access information on a more administrative level than an NCM, and secret would be a requirement.

Security clearance has nothing to do with the classification of materiel, such as Protected A or B.  It is the level of your right to access information in general, what precautions you take with that information, and the classification of information (other than Protected) that you need to access.  As always, you must have both a need and a right to access information, regardless of your and its classification.  And, fuindamentally, we are all responsible for security.

If someone dropped the most top secret war plans Canada had on your front step, and you found them, just because you are only Enhanced doesn't mean you shouldn't take steps to secure the information and prevent it from being disseminated, and contact the appropriate authorities.  You might catch hell for having it, but you're still doing your job if you are keeping it from the bad guys.

 

[Korus]

Just to elaborate, Proteced A, B and C are known as "designated" materials, not classified. Confidential, Secret, and TS are "classified" materials.

 

[Andyd513]

Im a sigs res. Pte (r) and was given the paperwork I needed to apply for level III the night I was sworn in. They expect us to have it filled out by the time we get back from BMQ so we can hopefully have the top secret clearance by the time we start our 3's, or at the latest when we come back.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

That's normal.  What's also going to be normal is that you won't even be close to having level III by then, unless a miracle happens.  You don't need level III for your 3's anyway, not by a long shot.  In an ideal world, a 3's student is supposed to have level II at least, but we pump through those who don't anyway.  If we didn't, we'd only get about two guys trained annually.

 

[Inch]

A little tidbit, all reg force officers are at least Secret (lvl 2), and certain trades are Top Secret (lvl3).  Lvl3 trades include, pilots, navs, MARS, etc.  The higher Security Clearance is due to the crypto radios and systems associated with aircraft avionics and and the same sorta thing on the ships, I'm sure the crunchies have that same kinda stuff with TCCCS and what not.  I enrolled 16 Jun 99 and had my Lvl 3 clearance by the middle of Nov 99.  I just renewed it since they're only good for 5 years.

Also, anytime you get a posting, attach posting, TD or any message for that matter, it has a few things on it: S/N, Rank, Name & Inits, MOC, Sec clearance, first official language (FOL) , second lang profile as well as your dependants.  Some of this stuff may be omitted but most of it is there most of the  time.

Cheers,

 

[291er]

Security clearances can take a while, that's for sure.  I only waited six months for my Level III (and above) , however I know some ppl in my trade who are still waiting, going on 2 years for it.  CSIS also prioritizes clearances, for example, a Comm Rsch Pte waiting for his QL3 (which requires above TS) would not be high on the list, comparitively to someone requiring the same clearance to be deployed overseas.  It takes a while for CSIS to do all the "fieldwork" on you as well, such as interviewing old neighbours, teachers, etc.  If you're relatively young, and don't have any criminal history, and have not been bankrupt before, you shouldn't have a problem getting your clearance.

 

[portcullisguy]

It amazes me that it takes CSIS that long to do a security clearance.  I am convinced that most of the applications sit on a desk for a minimum period before anyone even looks at them.

I work in in a workplace with over 500 security cleared employees, all Level I or II, just with my employer, and a host of others from other government agencies.  Only a handful have mentioned that their neighbours or family have been interviewed.

I imagine the majority of the checks are done on computers, and at least half of them done on computers I already have access to: CPIC, PIRS, and (indirectly) RAPID, the tax system.  Those three right there will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about a person's history.

CSIS' main concern has traditionally been checking people against a database of people associated to terrorist and organized crime groups.  People with criminal convictions are routinely granted "clearance", at least at Level I (Enhanced - the clearance required to work at an airport in Canada).  It is up to an employer whether they want to hire someone with a criminal record, not CSIS.

In my opinion, the government would be better off having a police service to their checks.  The RCMP have a notoriously detailed and lengthy background check procedure, over and above the standard CSIS security checks.  They routinely interview references of your references, and check THEIR reliability, as well as the applicants.

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

It amazes me that it takes CSIS that long to do a security clearance.  I am convinced that most of the applications sit on a desk for a minimum period before anyone even looks at them.

That's probably the case, but as was mentioned earlier, requests for clearance are actioned on the basis of priority.  Mine took a long time, but I'm a reservist.  Other people probably got bumped ahead of me, and rightly so.

I work in in a workplace with over 500 security cleared employees, all Level I or II, just with my employer, and a host of others from other government agencies.  Only a handful have mentioned that their neighbours or family have been interviewed.

As I understand it, interviews are not normally done on level I and II checks.  Level III and level III SA screenings are the ones that are really in depth.

People with criminal convictions are routinely granted "clearance", at least at Level I (Enhanced - the clearance required to work at an airport in Canada).

Level I clearance is "Confidential", not enhanced.  The two are totally different. 

 

[291er]

Quite correct Willy.....
The interviews and such get really in depth when you're applying for Top Secret and above clearances.  Top Secret material is designated as material which could cause extreme damage to national security should it be disclosed to the wrong person(s).  And once you get above the Level III stuff, a completely different entity takes care of your screenings and ensure that you should rightly have access to sensitive material.

Level I and Level II clearances are quite common, especially in the Federal govt and law enforcement.  Remember that Level I and Level II info is disseminated on a "need-to-know" basis.  Whereas Level III and above is disseminated on a "must-know" basis.  I think some employees with low-level clearances (I and II) may go their entire career without seeing any classified material, this clearance is simply given because this classification of material is stored and viewed in the areas in which they work, so there is potential that they may see it.  And just because you have a Level III or above clearance does'nt mean you're James Bond or cleared to know about the alien cover-ups.....where I work we have janitors with above Level III clearances 

hope this provides some clarifications

 

[casing]

I'm curious about one thing.  Since the Level II clearances and up are not undertaken until after you enroll and are on course, what happens if you require a Level III but end up not being able to get it?

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

If your MOC requires a minimum security clearance level which you are not able to meet, then you will face either compulsory remuster or release.

 

[casing]

Here's a link to an interesting article about how CSIS conducts Level III clearances.   The article is basically complaining about the process being outdated, but there is some good information in there about what is actually done.

http://highspeed.rogers.com/news/national/story.jsp?cid=n071125A

 

[portcullisguy]

When I first started, not only was Level I the same as "Enhanced" but they had a special category for Airport security clearance.

Now, the new TBS330 form lists only the following security categories:

- Reliability Status
- Level I (Confidential)
- Level II (Secret)
- Level III (Top Secret)

Only Level III requires a photograph attached.

They used to also ask what other citizenships you have (and that Rogers article mentions that dual citizens are checked out more thoroughly), but there is no space to put that info on the new form, which came out in 2002.  It now asks if/when you immigrated to Canada.

 

[rdschultz]

On the bottom of the 2nd page (of the TBS/SCT 330-60E), it asks if you maintain citizenship of a country other than Canada.