FAS

Scattered Castles: IC Directive on Personnel Security

10.10.08 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence today released a series of policy documents governing security clearances and access to classified information for intelligence community employees.

Intelligence Community Directive 704 (pdf) and five accompanying policy guidance documents set forth policy on security clearance background investigations, adjudicative guidelines, clearance revocation and appeal processes, reciprocal acceptance of security clearances, and more.

Intelligence Community Policy Guidance 704.5 (pdf) identifies “Scattered Castles” as a comprehensive database of IC security clearance authorizations, which can be used to verify clearances.

With minor technical changes, the new directive and accompanying guidance appear to closely replicate the previous policy under Director of Central Intelligence Directive 6/4.

See ICD 704 and the supporting guidance, along with other IC Directives, here.

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
A Digital Public Infrastructure Act Should Be America’s Next Public Works Project

Congress must enact a Digital Public Infrastructure Act, a recognition that the government’s most fundamental responsibility in the digital era is to provide a solid, trustworthy foundation upon which people, businesses, and communities can build.

12.08.25 | 18 min read
read more
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
Increasing the Value of Federal Investigator-Initiated Research through Agency Impact Goals

To increase the real and perceived benefit of research funding, funding agencies should develop challenge goals for their extramural research programs focused on the impact portion of their mission.

12.04.25 | 11 min read
read more
Education & Workforce
day one project
Policy Memo
Privacy-Preserving Research Models Essential for Large Scale Education R&D Infrastructure

Without trusted mechanisms to ensure privacy while enabling secure data access, essential R&D stalls, educational innovation stalls, and U.S. global competitiveness suffers.

12.02.25 | 6 min read
read more
Global Risk
Report
A Guide to Satellite Imagery Analysis for the Nuclear Age – Assessing China’s CFR-600 Reactor Facility

Satellite imagery has long served as a tool for observing on-the-ground activity worldwide, and offers especially valuable insights into the operation, development, and physical features related to nuclear technology.

12.01.25 | 1 min read
read more