From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Q clearance or Q access authorization is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance required to access Top Secret Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, and National Security Information, as well as Secret Restricted Data. Restricted Data (RD) is defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and covers nuclear weapons and related materials. The lower-level L clearance is sufficient for access to Secret Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) and National Security Information, as well as Confidential Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, and National Security Information.[1][2] Access to Restricted Data is only granted on a need-to-know basis to personnel with appropriate clearances.
A Q Clearance is equivalent to a U.S. Department of Defense Top Secret clearance.[2] "...the Q access authorization corresponds to the background investigation and administrative determination similar to what is completed by other agencies for a Top Secret National Security Information access clearance."[2]
Anyone possessing an active Q clearance is always categorized as holding a National Security Critical-Sensitive position (sensitivity Level 3).[3] Additionally, most Q-cleared incumbents will have collateral responsibilities designating them as Level 4: National Security Special-Sensitive personnel.[4] With these two designations standing as the highest-risk sensitivity levels, occupants of these positions hold extraordinary accountability, having the potential to cause "exceptionally grave" or "inestimable" damage to the national security of the United States.[5]
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(a) A "Q" access authorization permits an individual access on a need-to-know basis to (1) Secret and Confidential Restricted Data and (2) Secret and Confidential National Security Information including intelligence information, CRYPTO (i.e., cryptographic information) or other classified communications security (COMSEC) information.
There's a lot to chew on here. I just want to say o7...proud to be part of this.
There are quite a few people on this board that have or have had a Q clearance. I had one as an NRC cyber inspector. In fact because they are basically the equivalent of a DoD Top Secret the process to get the clearance is the same. I had to use the eQIP process, which boils down to an online version of the old SF-86 form everyone used to fill out for their clearances. Once the clearance process is confirmed, the NRC then granted me the "Q".
I will say when I was at NRC they had the clearances printed on our ID badges - I always thought that was risky. I was remote because my work was at nuclear plants and not HQ, but on the occasions where I had to work out of HQ I noticed most of the badges had an "L" and not a "Q". Even the most of the NRC nuclear inspectors I worked with only had an "L", primarily because they weren't responsible for inspecting the security plans or the cyber/digital risks. They looked at stuff like pipes, corrosion, leaks - things that did not deal with national security information or nuclear security information. That has probably changed now.
I got caught up in the old government sequester in 2013 or 2014 (can't remember the exact year) under Obama when the congress couldn't agree on a budget and were forced to cut 10% from every govt agency. Most agencies did the easy thing and laid off contractors (which the cyber inspectors were). When they laid us off the employee nuclear inspectors started doing the cyber inspections so they would hopefully have gotten their clearances upgraded to be able to see the stuff they needed to ensure security.
The point is - a "Q" clearance isn't rare or some magical super clearance. It is a TS, created for the NRC. You still have to have the need-to-know and authorization to see information, just like any other clearance. It does not grant you access to everything, just like a TS does not. It does make it possible for the holder to have the ability to see a lot depending on your position, extra investigations, maybe a poly, behavioral observation, and other factors.
Wikipedia.... Lmao
I'm guessing that bald headed tranny, luggage thief Britton had no "Need to Know" about anything important. He was just part of the show.
He probably had an "L" clearance, which is basically the equivalent of a DoD Secret.