The
Personnel and Document
Security Division
(PDSD) has overall
responsibility for
the policies and
procedures of the
USDA personnel and
document security
programs. As discussed
below, personnel
security focuses
on human reliability
while document security
ensures the protection
of classified national
security information.
PDSD has a Personnel
Security Branch
(PSB) and an Information
Security Staff (ISS).
PSB initiates background
investigations on
USDA employees and
contractors with
OPM and adjudicates
those investigations
for suitability
(Public Trust positions)
and for security
(National Security
positions). PSB
handles the issuing,
passing, suspending,
and revoking of
security clearances
for USDA personnel.
ISS is responsible
for providing guidance
to both USDA agencies
and its contractors
on Departmental
security classification
programs. ISS conducts
security indoctrination
and awareness training,
provides guidance
on the award of
contracts that require
access to classified
information, and
assists agencies
with the purchase
of classified destruction
devices as well
as secure copiers
and fax machines.