The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is a federal security and defense agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) that reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. DCSA is the largest counterintelligence and security agency in the federal government and is responsible for providing personnel vetting, critical technology protection, counterintelligence, training, education and certification. DCSA services over 100 federal entities, oversees 10,000 cleared companies, and conducts approximately 2 million background investigations each year.

Background

The agency was originally established as the Defense Investigative Service and was created on January 1, 1972. In 1999, the agency changed its name to the Defense Security Service. In July 2019, DSS was reorganized as DCSA, in conjunction with the transfer of responsibility for conducting background investigations from OPM's National Background Investigations Bureau.

Responsibility

DCSA conducts personnel security investigations for 95% of the federal government, supervises industrial security, provides counterintelligence support to the cleared defense industrial base, and performs security education and training. DCSA also provides the uniformed US military services, Department of Defense agencies, 35 federal agencies, and approximately 10,000 cleared government contractor facilities with security support services. The Director of DCSA reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.

National Industrial Security Program (NISP)

DCSA administers the NISP on behalf of the Department of Defense and 35 other federal agencies. DCSA provides oversight to approximately 10,000 cleared contract companies to ensure they are adequately protecting facilities, personnel, and associated Information Technology systems from attacks and vulnerabilities.

Organization

DCSA is organized into five directorates, each of which are led by a mission director and contain various subcomponents.

Personnel

DCSA Industrial Security Representatives, Counterintelligence Agents, Background Investigators, and Information System Security Professionals are credentialed Special Agents. DCSA also uses a number of contract investigators and staff to help support DCSA's various missions.

Locations

The DCSA headquarters is located on Marine Corps Base Quantico. DCSA also has 167 field offices across the United States.