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How Does the CIA Keep Its IT Staff Honest?

Posted by timothy on from the vogonic-control dept.

Tootech points out this story for anyone who's been curious about getting that top-secret clearance and the promise of a cushy pension from the CIA, as a reward for decades of blood-curdling, heart-pounding, knuckle-whitening IT service: "Be prepared to go through a lot of scrutiny if you want to work in the Central Intelligence Agency's IT department, says chief information officer Al Tarasiuk. And it doesn't stop after you get your top secret clearance. 'Once you're in, there are frequent reinvestigations, but it's just part of process here,' says Tarasiuk, who also gets polygraphed regularly, though he won't be more specific. For those senior IT managers who are the 'privileged users,' meaning system administrators, 'there is certainly more scrutiny on you,' Tarasiuk says. 'It's interesting: there's so much scrutiny that a normal person might not want to put up with that. But it's part of the mission.'"

7 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm by lightknight · · Score: 5, Insightful

    By only employing people who are willing to work for money, and paying them well?

    --
    I am John Hurt.
    1. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      By only employing people who are willing to work for money, and paying them well?

      If money is the only incentive, I'm certain there are many foreign governments that are willing to pay for inside information.

    2. Re:Hmmm by the+linux+geek · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Employing people monetarily-driven might make them more of an espionage threat.

    3. Re:Hmmm by kagaku · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Umm... any company that cares about security? It helps prevent someone from picking up a list badge and thinking "oh look at this badge for XYZ Co! let's see if it still works!"

      --
      everyday is another shooter.
  2. Polygraphs are nothing but BS. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you read about the actual history and accuracy of polygraphs, you will find that they are not "lie detectors" at all, but merely tools of intimidation. (I could cite many, many sources. While not authoritative, the Penn & Teller show "Bullshit" has a very informative episode on the matter. And yes, the show is called "Bullshit" for a reason. Polygraphs are bullshit.)

    Polygraphs are used as tools for intimidation in order to interrogate. By themselves, they are worthless. They are security theater, much like the TSA. I really hate to see our country run by people who believe in (or pull) this kind of BS.

  3. Lots of them in the government by mbkennel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is some kind of standardization of ID cards.

    They *might* have some generic code, you might get "DOD", "DOE" but also a common one is "U.S. Government" for the entire Intelligence Community (which is a term of art referring to quite a number of agencies). I've seen business cards on them with little more than a "U.S. government" identifier and some generic identifiers for email or phone number.

    What is indicated pretty clearly by some kind of color & pattern code is (a) authorization level (b) bool isContractor

    The most striking thing about the CIA (and many other cards), is that they don't even have the person's *NAME*.

    Yes, I have some first hand knowledge, as I was inside the CIA HQ building about 10 years ago and my escort mentioned how the ID cards don't have any names on them, intentionally.

  4. Re:WTF? by stephanruby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...says Tarasiuk, who also gets polygraphed regularly, though he won't be more specific.

    Polygraphed?

    I hope they also check each employee's horoscope just to make sure.