Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
	Seal of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
	Badge of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
Agency overview
Formed	1 October 2019
Preceding agencies	Defense Investigative Service; Defense Security Service; National Background Investigations Bureau;
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Quantico, Virginia, U.S.
Agency executive	William K. Lietzau, Director;
Parent department	United States Department of Defense
Website	www.dcsa.mil

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is a federal security agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Within areas of DoD responsibility, DCSA is tasked with conducting personnel security investigations, supervising industrial security, and performing security education and awareness training. DCSA Industrial Security Representatives, Background Investigators and Information System Security Professionals are credentialed Special Agents. The Director of DCSA reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. DCSA provides the uniformed US military services, Department of Defense Agencies, 33 other federal agencies, and approximately 13,500 cleared contractor facilities with security support services.

History

Originally known as the Defense Investigative Service (DIS), DIS was established in 1972.^[1] In 1999, the agency changed its name from DIS to the Defense Security Service (DSS).^[2] In July 2019, it was reorganized as the DCSA, in conjunction with the transfer of responsibility for conducting background investigations from OPM's National Background Investigations Bureau.^[3]^[4]

For fiscal year 2016 DCSA was authorized 800 civilian employees. Of those, about 400 were field personnel directly responsible for security oversight of approximately 13,000 cleared defense contractor facilities.^[5]

References

^ "About DSS – History". Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
^ "History". www.dss.mil. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "New agency name, acting director". Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "Transferring Responsibility for Background Investigations to the Department of Defense". Federal Register. April 29, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
^ "DSS Fact Sheet". Retrieved December 8, 2007.

External links

Media related to Defense Security Service at Wikimedia Commons