Defence finds security check problems
An internal Defence review investigating whistleblower claims
that thousands of security clearances were falsified has found "serious
maladministrations" at the Defence Security Authority.
In May, three workers formerly contracted to the authority said they regularly falsified information on security documents because they were pressured to clear a backlog.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said on Tuesday the internal review is one of two investigating the allegations.
"It found a series of serious maladministrations, such that the department has now reported to me and senior officials have also written to the Senate Estimates committee adding to the evidence they gave at Senate Estimates in May of this year," Mr Smith told ABC's Lateline.
Mr Smith said the government still has to receive the other report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
"What we're now focusing on is remediating the difficulties that we found in the procedures, but also starting the very important task of going through the security assessments that have been adversely affected by these process deficiencies to make sure that there's been no substantive error.
"In other words, that no one has been granted a security clearance who would otherwise not have been granted a clearance."
He said the process of re-checking the thousands of security checks was starting now.
"We have to go through the painstaking process of checking, effectively individually, all of these security assessments that were subject to these adverse procedures."
Mr Smith insisted that the chances of security being breached was not high.
"The advice I have is that there is a low risk or low possibility that in the end we've ended up with an adverse outcome. In other words that someone's been granted a security clearance when they otherwise would not have been."
In May, three workers formerly contracted to the authority said they regularly falsified information on security documents because they were pressured to clear a backlog.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said on Tuesday the internal review is one of two investigating the allegations.
"It found a series of serious maladministrations, such that the department has now reported to me and senior officials have also written to the Senate Estimates committee adding to the evidence they gave at Senate Estimates in May of this year," Mr Smith told ABC's Lateline.
Mr Smith said the government still has to receive the other report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security.
"What we're now focusing on is remediating the difficulties that we found in the procedures, but also starting the very important task of going through the security assessments that have been adversely affected by these process deficiencies to make sure that there's been no substantive error.
"In other words, that no one has been granted a security clearance who would otherwise not have been granted a clearance."
He said the process of re-checking the thousands of security checks was starting now.
"We have to go through the painstaking process of checking, effectively individually, all of these security assessments that were subject to these adverse procedures."
Mr Smith insisted that the chances of security being breached was not high.
"The advice I have is that there is a low risk or low possibility that in the end we've ended up with an adverse outcome. In other words that someone's been granted a security clearance when they otherwise would not have been."
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