{"id":27072,"date":"2024-06-04T16:59:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T16:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2024\/06\/04\/americas-gatekeeper-has-a-message-for-small-defense-contractors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:08:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:08:59","slug":"americas-gatekeeper-has-a-message-for-small-defense-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/intel-geoint\/isr\/2024\/06\/04\/americas-gatekeeper-has-a-message-for-small-defense-contractors\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018America\u2019s gatekeeper\u2019 has a message for small defense contractors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a lesser-known Pentagon agency you must get to know if you\u2019re a small business hoping to break into the multi-billion dollar defense contracting arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview, its new director said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcsa.mil\/about-us\/history\/\" target=\"_blank\">the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency,<\/a> nicknamed America\u2019s gatekeeper, is better known for conducting 95% of background investigations for federal workers and military personnel, but less so for its role protecting the nation\u2019s industrial base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/davidcattler?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\">David Cattler,<\/a> who took the reins in March, wants to change that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an effort to centralize the government\u2019s sprawling personnel security system, Congress sought to move this responsibility to DCSA from the Office of Personnel Management, which was finalized <a href=\"https:\/\/ors.od.nih.gov\/ser\/dpsac\/Documents\/Executive_Order_13869.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">via an executive order<\/a> in 2019. Now, Cattler said he\u2019s in the midst of a \u201c90-day approach\u201d as the leader of an organization that should be at full performance in five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/2019\/10\/01\/background-investigations-move-to-their-new-home-at-the-pentagon\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Background-Investigation-Transition-Cropped.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Background investigations move to their new home at the Pentagon<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Officials at the Department of Defense and civilian agencies successfully orchestrated the transfer of nearly 3,000 employees from the Office of Personnel Management to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House has said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2024\/01\/25\/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-to-expand-small-business-access-to-federal-contracts\/\" target=\"_blank\">small businesses are \u201cthe engines of the economy,\u201d<\/a> and it has told agencies like DCSA to ensure their participation in government contracts. Last year, they spent a record $178 billion on small businesses. DoD alone <a href=\"https:\/\/business.defense.gov\/About\/Goals-and-Performance\/\" target=\"_blank\">increased its spend by 8%.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s an imperative from government to extend a welcome to small businesses, and DoD has a growing portfolio of commercial technology and services that can diversify the industrial base. There\u2019s also a need to ensure barriers to entry aren\u2019t too high without compromising security. That\u2019s where DCSA comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This interview was edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>You\u2019ve been in this role for a little less than three months. What\u2019s new to you? What\u2019s your vision for the agency?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m a big \u201cfirst 90 days\u201d person. This is one of several organizations I\u2019ve either joined or created or led over the course of my career that is new or beginning or had some big issues that needed to be addressed. And this one\u2019s no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As far as the \u201cfirst 90 days\u201d approach, I tend to see this as an organization that after five years should be in full performance. In a lot of ways it is because it builds off a pretty strong legacy, whether you were formerly with the Office of Personnel Management or the Defense Department. We\u2019re talking decades of experience and structure and qualification in the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first thing that struck me in this 90 days is that we\u2019re not actually fully confident in every way we should be. We\u2019re not fully mature. Some things have to be worked out. If you put it in commercial terms, we\u2019ve gone through a five-year period of strategic merger and acquisition, and that can be tough because you do need to have a mindset of one culture, one team, one brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2550\" height=\"3300\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg 2550w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg?resize=232,300 232w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg?resize=768,994 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg?resize=791,1024 791w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg?resize=1187,1536 1187w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240322-D-BG401-1001_David_M_Cattler.jpg.jpg?resize=1583,2048 1583w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2550px) 100vw, 2550px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Cattler is the director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a purpose-built security agency that combines a lot of elements from the legacy Office of Personnel Management and its authorities and statutory responsibilities, along with a similar and impressive set of things from DoD. And the expectations for what DCSA will do span across the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DCSA is not just America\u2019s gatekeeper; DCSA should be the nation\u2019s premier provider of integrated security services. So the first task is not to assert that we are that, but to have other people see us in that way, and relatedly to have them see us as their preferred partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>How does DCSA interface with the defense-industrial base and its security?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re outside the national security community, especially the security part of the national security community, and if you\u2019re outside of the defense-industrial base, do you know who we are? I don\u2019t think so. And that\u2019s a real shame because taxpayers are paying $2.8 billion for it this fiscal year. I take this very seriously. You\u2019re paying 15,000 people to do the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We were created as a result of yet another inflection point: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federaltimes.com\/smr\/opm-data-breach\/\" target=\"_blank\">the OPM hack. <\/a>We\u2019ve accreted some of these additional responsibilities like the insider threat role, in no small part because of the series, conditions and departmental analysis after the Navy Yard active shooter [incident], Fort Hood, and related tragedies and real problems within the security community to anticipate, detect, characterize, intervene and mitigate those sorts of threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you work for a company, if you want to start one or if you want to keep up business at a company that requires a facility clearance, the odds are pretty good you\u2019re going to work with DCSA. If you have a cyber problem, if you have an insider threat problem or if you have a counterintelligence problem, the odds are pretty good you\u2019re going to interact with DCSA. If you want to be certified to be a professional in a space, or if you want to get better as a professional inside and outside government, you\u2019ll likely interact with DCSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>What is the ideal relationship between the agency and industry?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Security can be viewed by some as an overhead cost. It\u2019s a must-do, but I\u2019m going to go to compliance. Some \u2014 many even \u2014 may go the extra mile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I sent a letter to our key partners in government and in the private sector when I first arrived, saying: \u201cCall me directly, anytime. Send me an email I want to meet you all. I really want to hear from you. If I can help you, I will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re going to expand CEO-level and C-suite engagement. I get that security can be viewed as overhead and as a cost, but we need to practice security by design, which means that security really should be baked in from the very beginning. Security is a required element to one\u2019s approach to tackling a contract \u2014 the same as it is for us in government before we embark on anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be reasonable, particularly on the cost of compliance. You need to be efficient and effective. You don\u2019t have to build to the minimum; you can build in some additions so that there\u2019s more resilience and maybe some fallbacks or spillover so that you\u2019ve got overlapping capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5564\" height=\"3546\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-79464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg 5564w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg?resize=300,191 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg?resize=768,489 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,653 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,979 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/211027-F-GJ070-1010.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1305 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5564px) 100vw, 5564px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kayli Bates, an information protection office personnel security program manager, works on her computer, handling all matters from security clearances to debt delinquencies. (Airman 1st Class Tiarra Sibley\/U.S. Space Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was a little surprised by how warmly welcomed I was by industry. We are on the same team. And to be clear, it\u2019s not that they think they\u2019re going to have an easier time in a compliance inspection; that\u2019s not what it is. It\u2019s that you don\u2019t start in an adversarial way. We want industry to be proved to be secure. Nobody who works for DCSA is going out trying to have someone lose their security clearance or fail on a facility clearance review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the relationship with industry is critically important. It\u2019s very, very close. And it is mutually respectful, hopeful and very supportive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>The federal government is trying to increase business with small companies. How do you ensure the barriers to entry aren\u2019t too high without cutting corners on security?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of this stuff becomes about balance. We want to trust you. We want you, as a small business, to be able to compete. For classified work, we want you to be able to sustain the facility so you can do the work and compete for more work or different work. But that\u2019s also about trust and the right balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that the internal directives have been approved, we\u2019re moving forward with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bipc.com\/insights-from-the-fifth-national-forum-on-foreign-ownership-control-or-influence-foci-and-the-defense-counterintelligence-and-security-agency\" target=\"_blank\">Section 847 implementation, <\/a>[a provision from the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that says DCSA will review Defense Department contracts that exceed $5 million for foreign ownership, control or influence in its supply chain]. The clock will soon start for that to be implemented. Put that human terms: Say I\u2019m the CEO of a company that\u2019s won a DOD contract of $5 million-plus. That\u2019s just about everybody, right? We\u2019re going to have to take a hard look at that coming in. We want 25 calendar days to complete our review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s an inflection point in terms of responsibility, authority and accountability. There\u2019s no one that works at DCSA that wants to be in a position to tell the CEO of a small business: \u201cSorry, that\u2019s going to take 40 days, 80 days, 120 days.\u201d We\u2019re going to do everything we can to make sure we\u2019re ready when the light turns green, to move forward and be able to satisfy that set of requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why we\u2019ve asked again for more resources and proper authorities. Give us the guiding directives to get the policy framework built so that we know what we\u2019re required to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If I put myself in the shoes of somebody in the private sector and ask myself, \u201cWould I just spend money on security?\u201d \u2014 maybe, maybe not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if the government came to me and explained \u2014 and we can and we do \u2014 the reason why we have changed this policy that will correspondingly increase cost is X, Y and Z, and we provide the expert that can give you the details, they get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Is that baseline trust there, or is DCSA in the rebuilding stage with industry and its stakeholders?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s there. The only thing that surprised me was how strongly positive these interactions have been. Industry is telling me: \u201cWouldn\u2019t it be great if DCSA had more responsibility and authority?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>From a workforce perspective, DCSA conducts 95% of the federal government\u2019s background clearances. How are you tackling the modernization of this system? What advice do you have for someone who\u2019s looking to get cleared for the first time?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One bit of advice I would give to somebody that\u2019s coming in from the outside is: Plan ahead and be realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve never held a security clearance and you wish to pursue a government job that requires one, it could take some time. Hiring is one thing; onboarding is another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second thing I would say is: Be honest. When you open that eApp form and you start typing, fill it out completely and honestly. Don\u2019t overthink it. Not to sound harsh or overly dramatic, but we\u2019re going to find out about things because we\u2019ve got awesome people and great databases, and we\u2019re going to check you six ways to Sunday before we put you in a position of trust. So be honest. A mistake that you made that you\u2019ve picked yourself up from and recovered and moved on from \u2014 that\u2019s perfectly understandable. Nobody\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next thing I would stress to people coming in from the outside is: If you\u2019ve had a security clearance and it\u2019s fairly recent, and you are enrolled in [continuous vetting], you can actually be re-onboarded, re-adjudicated and authorized for onboarding very quickly. And that\u2019s another element of Trusted Workforce, [a whole-of-government approach to reforming the personnel security process].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reciprocity is also a piece of this. If you come into the DOD, I\u2019m proud to say that the DCSA team can get that done for your employer in less than one day. Reciprocity going in other directions can be more of a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>What\u2019s the latest on timelines for security clearances?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we talk about the timelines that are in Trusted Workforce \u2014 and where we are with the inventory and the goals \u2014 what we\u2019re tracking right now is the toughest 10% of cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So in 90% of the cases, you\u2019re going to move quite quickly through because you probably haven\u2019t had a brush with the law or you haven\u2019t traveled extensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the things we\u2019re looking for in terms of potential indicators where \u2014 it\u2019s not a bar to your clearance or a bar to your re-clearance, it\u2019s just something that gets flagged for investigation and adjudication, and we have to take a deeper look. That deeper look can take time. And that time can aggregate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to do interviews remotely, but we also do a great number of interviews and investigations in person. It can be challenging. People are working from home, sometimes in remote areas. They\u2019re working odd schedules. Your references need to be checked, and they\u2019re working from home, they\u2019re working on schedules, they\u2019re traveling. That all takes time to get through.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency is at the heart of protecting national security personnel and the defense industrial base.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":79458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":41,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[29,13,15,41,16],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3366,3302],"class_list":["post-27072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-industry","category-intel-geoint","category-isr","category-it-networks"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"J3T7UNNBYRCCTFHMMDGUYSGKGM","arc_canonical_url":"\/management\/leadership\/2024\/06\/04\/americas-gatekeeper-has-a-message-for-small-defense-contractors\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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