Progress reported in security clearance process.

• Position: NDIA NEWS: ASSOCIATION BRIEFS

The process for government contractors to obtain security clearances for employees has improved somewhat in recent years but remains fraught with "black holes," according to a recent survey conducted by the Information Technology Association of America and the National Defense Industrial Association.

Eight out of 10 companies reported an increase in contractual requirements for cleared personnel in the past five years. More than 100 companies who provide sensitive defense and technology support to the federal government were surveyed. Many respondents have more than 1,000 employees who require clearances.

"The problem is that, as the government's need for cleared private-sector employees has grown, the government's ability to process those clearances has barely kept up," said Trey Hodgkins, senior director of defense and intelligence programs for ITAA. "Everyone loses when delays slow down products and projects deemed essential to national security."

To receive the necessary clearances for employees, the survey found...