What does security cleared mean?
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
Definition
Security cleared means you have passed a background check, called vetting, that lets you work in a job with access to sensitive government information, sites or people. In the UK the main levels are CTC, SC and DV.
- Category
- Security
- Also called
- security clearance, national security vetting, security vetting
- Last updated
Sources checked: gov.uk
Last verified against the official page:
In the UK, "security cleared" means someone has passed national security vetting for a role that involves sensitive information, sites or people. The vetting is run for the government and decides whether the person can be trusted with that access. Employers often list it as a requirement in job adverts, usually as "SC cleared" or "DV cleared".
GOV.UK lists the clearance levels, which go up with the sensitivity of the work:
- Counter Terrorist Check (CTC): for roles at high-risk sites or in close proximity to certain public figures.
- Security Check (SC): the most widely held level, for jobs with regular and uncontrolled access to material classified SECRET, and some posts in international organisations.
- Developed Vetting (DV): the most detailed level, for roles with frequent and uncontrolled access to TOP SECRET material. It builds on the SC checks and adds a detailed interview with the candidate and their referees.
GOV.UK also lists Level 1B, introduced on 31 October 2022 for close proximity to public figures at particular risk and access to some sensitive information, and the Accreditation Check, used mainly for aviation staff.
Baseline checks are not clearance
A Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check is a separate, lighter step. It covers identity, right to work, employment history and unspent criminal convictions. GOV.UK says it is not a security clearance.
What it means for your personal information
Vetting asks for a lot of personal detail about you and often about people close to you. That is a reason to be careful with the same details elsewhere. If you hold or are applying for clearance, a home address, family names and employer sitting on people-search sites and in other public listings is exactly the sort of exposure worth cleaning up.
The US uses the same words for a different system, with its own levels (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret).
How to protect yourself
- 1
Use only the official route to apply
Clearance is applied for through your employer or sponsor. Anyone offering to arrange clearance for a fee or asking for your details by email or text is not the official route. Check GOV.UK for how vetting works.
- 2
Be careful with a recruiter's request for vetting documents
Send ID and personal details only after you've confirmed the employer and the role exist, using contact details you found yourself.
- 3
Limit what's public about you and your family
Remove home addresses, relatives' names and your employer from social profiles, and set accounts to private.
- 4
Find your listings on people-search sites
Serus finds where your address and phone number are listed and removes them for you.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between SC and DV clearance?
Per GOV.UK, SC is for regular and uncontrolled access to SECRET material, while DV is for frequent and uncontrolled access to TOP SECRET assets and adds a detailed interview with you and your referees.
Can I get security cleared on my own?
No. You are put forward for vetting by an employer or sponsor for a specific role that needs it.
Is a BPSS check a security clearance?
No. GOV.UK says BPSS is not a security clearance. It checks identity, right to work, employment history and unspent convictions.
Sources
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