ACG National Capital
Physical, personnel, and information security are significant concerns for the United States national security posture following the events of 9/11, multiple high profile data leaks and other issues that have impacted the nation. This has created opportunities for security companies, as well as increased the security demands on government contractors and companies that work with the federal government.
On Tuesday, November 12, ACG will be partnering with Inceptre Corporation for an event called, “The Characteristics of an Effective Security Organization.” Hosted by Inceptre’s Director of Programs/Security, Robert Grimsland, the event will cover a number of topics, including managing your security costs, providing security guidance for industrial contractors seeking government clearances, and clearance reciprocity and its possible impediments.
We recently spoke with Mr. Grimsland to discuss the upcoming event. Here is what he had to say:
CGCS: What kind of security will you be focusing on during “The Characteristics of an Effective Security Organization” event?
Mr. Grimsland: My comments will touch on the major security disciplines – personnel, physical, information – that impact all companies, whether in the classified or unclassified arena. There will be more emphasis on personnel security to include clearance reciprocity in the classified world and effective vetting of candidates in the unclassified world.
CGCS: How has the security climate changed in recent years, especially after the events of 9/11?
Mr. Grimsland: I will provide my opinions on how critical it is to have senior leadership support for your security program. That leadership support tends to increase in a time of crisis, like 9/11, and lessen in time of non-crisis. The fluctuating management and budget support creates challenges for security programs to consistently sustain their programs. We have been going through a period where the events of 9/11 seem to be a distant memory and we’ve seen declines in budget. Recent events like the Snowden leaks and the Navy Yard shooting will put the spotlight back on security.
CGCS: How is that change impacting how companies do business with the federal government?
Mr. Grimsland: I will be discussing my views in more detail on clearance reciprocity and whether or not it’s working. The government’s ability to grant timely clearances directly impacts industrial costs. I will correlate how the fluctuations in leadership’s views of security can directly impact clearance timelines.
CGCS: What can ACG members expect to learn at the event? Is it geared towards security professionals?
Mr. Grimsland: Although the event is geared to security professionals, I believe corporate support officers, HR officers, and even senior executives could benefit from hearing how things actually work in a large government security organization. I will discuss how senior security officials need to compete with mission managers for scarce budgetary resources.
To learn about more upcoming events and to register, click HERE