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.[1] 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.
Seal of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
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Special agent's badge of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 30 September 2019; 4 years ago (2019-09-30) |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Type | Security Agency |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Headquarters | Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, U.S. |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent department | United States Department of Defense |
| Website | www |
The agency was originally established as the Defense Investigative Service and was created on January 1, 1972.[2] In 1999, the agency changed its name to the Defense Security Service.[3] 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.[4][5]
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.
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.
DCSA is organized into five directorates, each of which are led by an Assistant Director and contain various subcomponents.
DCSA Industrial Security Representatives, Counterintelligence Special 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.
The DCSA headquarters is located on Marine Corps Base Quantico. DCSA also has 167 field offices across the United States.
US military investigative organizations
Media related to Defense Security Service at Wikimedia Commons