
Facebook Is Looking for Employees with National Security Clearances - rayuela
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-16/facebook-is-said-to-seek-staff-with-national-security-clearance
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CalChris
_National_ Security Clearance is hyperbole. Security clearance is more
accurate.

A security clearance is somewhat difficult to get and not especially hard to
keep (Snowden). However, having a clearance then opens you up to an entire
industry. During tough times (2008) that means jobs will be available:

[https://www.clearancejobs.com/](https://www.clearancejobs.com/)

The background checks are thorough. We've had many in the family (
_definitely_ not me), my dad, two of my brothers, two uncles, my ex-
girlfriend, brother in law, .... And then we get listed as personal references
which is a real pain. A drug conviction will not blackball you but then you
have to be completely honest as they will find out and that will blackball
you. Debt is a biggie.

[https://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/c10978.htm](https://www.state.gov/m/ds/clearances/c10978.htm)

As for the article, I think the inferences people are making are reasonable.
Also, given Facebook's scope that they need people with clearances seems
reasonable.

~~~
csnewb
Out of curiosity, is past drug use considered an automatic disqualification?
I've never been convicted of literally anything, my record is 100% clean. But
let's just say college was a very experimental period of time. I'm interested
in getting a security clearance but that's the only major red flag I see that
could count against me.

~~~
Animats
Overview of the current rules.[1]

Getting cleared to CONFIDENTIAL is easy. SECRET involves a background check
and filling out the SF-86 form [2].

In some ways, the higher clearances (TOP SECRET, SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED
INFORMATION) are easier. It's not a checklist thing at the higher levels. You
get to discuss problems. There are long interviews, lie detector tests, checks
of original records, and interviews of people in your past. The FBI used to do
this work, but I think it's outsourced now. The current processing time for a
TS clearance is about a year.

(It's been decades since I was in that world, but I've held clearances.)

[1] [http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/security-clearance-
jobs...](http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/security-clearance-
jobs/security-clearance-eligibility.html) [2]
[https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdf](https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf86-non508.pdf)

~~~
toomuchtodo
Any suggestions for looking for jobs that one can use to obtain a TS clearance
(with a tech background)? Always looking to stay as marketable as possible for
lean times.

~~~
wbl
You know the place. Also defense contractors and national labs with an
interest in small supernovas.

~~~
toomuchtodo
Thanks! I hear Hawaii is not too bad.

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l5870uoo9y
The immense power centered in a company like Facebook is a security threat,
particular to foreigners given that it is an American company. It would make
sense to regulate Facebook like an utility company and regionalize or
nationalize the scope of its operations.

~~~
bhhaskin
What? No. That is a very very bad idea. That would end up legitimizing
Facebooks power and open the door for absolute government control. It is very
simple, if you do not like Facebook then don't use Facebook. Tell your friends
and family not to use Facebook. They currently only have any power because we
give them power.

~~~
l5870uoo9y
It think it is an illusion to think we as individuals can just boycott
Facebook. Facebook have become such an integral part of social life for many,
that you not only exclude yourself from an web site by leaving it, but an
important social institution not to mention years memories in text, pictures
and film. Change must come from political action.

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mankash666
I suppose Facebook is picking it's government allies. This puts it at risk of
being banned in countries that have strained relationships with said allies,
something FB has been able to avoid till now

~~~
module0000
This isn't what is going on, at least in my opinion. This type of job posting
means the government _wants_ facebook to do something. To do "something",
facebook needs employeees to perform that work. Whatever work this entails,
the government would only like people with XYZ clearance to work on it.

As an example, imagine Uncle Sam calls you(the CEO at facebook), and requests
a list of dissidents based on ABC criteria, and would like that list and the
research that produces it to be handled by people with security clearances.
Your next step is to hire people with that security clearance, so they can do
the work and you can start sending Uncle Sam invoices.

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josefresco
Does that mean if you spend enough money with Facebook they'll send a Facebook
rep to work in your office that _also_ has security clearance? New feature!
even better than 2016's version.

~~~
bogomipz
In case anyone doesn't get the reference, Facebook employees were embedded in
Donald's Trump "digital operation's center" during election season:

[http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/technology/article/Pars...](http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/technology/article/Parscale-
tells-60-Minutes-Facebook-employees-were-12259557.php)

~~~
gizmo385
Weren't they also embedded in the Clinton campaign? As well as the Obama and
Romney campaigns in 2012?

~~~
bogomipz
No, Facebook offered their services to the Clinton campaign and they Clinton
campaign rejected the offer. It's actually in the 60 minutes piece referenced
in the link which is viewable online.

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Kevin_S
Where are the job postings if they exist? I'm interested.

~~~
jonwachob91
Looks like we won't see them until FB announces more details. Possibly at
their senate/house hearing on 1 Nov.

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jmnicolas
It's becoming harder and harder to deny that Facebook is really CIAbook !

~~~
SomeStupidPoint
Is it?

It's also possible that FB, finding itself the victim of continual PSYOPs, is
hiring people with backgrounds in that to help defend the company or needs
security cleared people to liase with government security teams on that issue.

I'm getting sick of the cheap cynicism that fancies simplistic, dramatic
interpretations over nuanced, realistic ones.

(This isn't to say that FB doesnt collaborate with the government in any
number of ways -- just that the parent is a lazy, cheap shot.)

~~~
grp
From the article: _These types of employees are needed when private companies
interact and share information back and forth with government agencies._

~~~
bdcravens
Yes, and this can be as simple as a contractor building a CRUD intranet app
for buying post-its for a 3-letter organization.

~~~
KekDemaga
I had no idea facebook was operating in that space.

~~~
bdcravens
I have no idea what they're building. I'm just speaking to what parent comment
is implying about clearance requirements.

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sova
Go Facebook. Let's make the internet right the first time

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ringaroundthetx
If you want government contracts, employees of the contractor also have to
have the same level of clearance necessary as the government employee.

This is non-news.

~~~
jacobra2
Honest question, what kind of government contracts do you think facebook is
bidding on?

~~~
ringaroundthetx
Any random full stack engineer off the street could apply to any government
contract, reply to RFPs, and bid on anything.

Everyone is already doing it. You can make $200,000+ a few years out of
college as a software engineer if you go the TS-SCI clearance route, from any
third tier state school. Oh look and now you can also apply to Facebook with
that skillset and clearance.

A company with thousands upon thousand of full stack engineers getting work
for full stack engineers? Wow sound the alarms lets speculate on what the
contract is!

And yes, they probably also are trying to leverage their broad infrastructure
for department of defense applications.

~~~
rhexs
FYI the average defense contractor engineer isn't paid nearly that much (as
compared to true private industry) and puts in quite a bit of free OT.
Senior/PM salaries may get that high in DC but I don't think that is anywhere
near the norm. There can be a lot of money made in defense, but it's almost
always in the marketing/sales/guys winning the contracts. Most of those guys
are ex-government.

Along with a disappointing salary, you also get industry leading job
instability. Enjoy job cuts every two years -- sign up to be a defense
contractor today!

