Showing results for: certification
What Sponsoring a Clearance Actually Costs a Company
A Top Secret clearance starts with a Tier 5 background investigation, and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency bills that investigation at $5,355 for a non-DoD agency in fiscal 2025. The number is public and precise. It is also close to useless as a hiring budget, … more
Scattered Castles vs. DISS: The Two Databases That Decide If You Get the Cleared Job
For job seekersLooking for your next cleared role?Create a free ClearedJobs.Net account. Get matching cleared jobs in your inbox every day and let cleared employers find your resume.Create Your Free AccountThe two databases that decide whether your clearance follows you When a de… more
NISPOM in 2026: What 32 CFR Part 117 Requires of a Cleared Employer
February 24, 2021 is the day the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual stopped being a manual. On that date it became a federal regulation at 32 CFR Part 117, with the force of law behind every paragraph, and contractors had six months to implement it. If you run … more
CMMC Level 2 and the Staff You Now Have to Hire: Assessors, ISSOs and Compliance Leads
On November 10, 2025, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification took effect. That date started Phase 1 of the rollout, and it is the moment CMMC stopped being a policy slide and became a clause in live Department… more
How to Get State Department Contractor Jobs: A 2026 Field Guide
Cleared Careers / Federal Contracting How to Get State Department Contractor Jobs: A 2026 Field Guide Two numbers explain State Department contracting in 2026: the $15 billion ceiling on the Worldwide Protective Services III IDIQ the State Department awarded in December 2020, … more