SUBJECT-0904.dossier · government agency · status: active
D(
subject of file

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)

Handles security clearance investigations
Tracked because Handles security clearance investigations · 15 documented connections
Facts on record12
Connections mapped15
Sources cited17
✦ Thin coverage gap +8 connected to 15 entities · only 12 facts on record · flagged for follow-up research
Evidence: 7P 4S 1I
Network web → Timeline → Compare with… → Position Drift → Coverage tone → View on Graph → View Card → Export CSV JSON Dossier ← Entity Directory
Stated vs Revealed
No documented contradictions on file.
PATTERN company → [regulatory filing] → government agency → [regu... 3121× PATTERN person → [regulatory filing] → government agency → [regul... 2430× PATTERN government agency → [regulatory filing] → government agen... 709× PATTERN company → [oversight] → government agency → [regulatory f... 709× PATTERN organization → [regulatory filing] → government agency → ... 690×
Connection Map
Key Connections
← Trae Stephens person
oversight
DCSA maintains Industrial Security Program records relevant to Anduril's facility clearance status and Stephens' individual clearance
→ US Department of Defense (Pentagon) institution
organizational_parent
DCSA operates as a defense agency under the Department of Defense, responsible for counterintelligence and security functions for DoD personnel and facilities
→ Office of Personnel Management (OPM) institution
administrative_coordination
DCSA coordinates with OPM on personnel security clearance processes and background investigations for federal employees
→ Securities and Exchange Commission government agency
regulatory_filing
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) made a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 9, 2021.
→ CACI Premier Technology, LLC company
contractor
CACI received DCSA contract for background investigation support services; company has history of employee controversy including 2012 lawsuit settlements
← Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense government agency
oversight
The subcommittee oversees appropriations for Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency operations
Facts (12)
Data Freshness
Ageing Last update: 150d ago · Avg age: 408d
Confidence Tiers: Primary Source — cross-referenced government/corporate filings Pending Review — sourced but not independently verified AI Inference — analytical hypothesis from cross-referencing
✓ Verified Findings (11)
Independently re-checked: a second model read the source artifact and confirmed it supports the extracted claim.
✓ verified Partially Corroborated NBIS Periodic Reinvestigations reduction of 54% achieved through eApp improvements
✓ verified Pending Review Background investigation inventory dropped 24% to 222,700 cases as of early 2026
Date: 2026-06-15 Added: 02 May 2026
✓ verified Primary Source In 2023, DCSA had funding to conduct oversight of only 25-30% of the cleared industrial base
✓ verified Primary Source No permanent DCSA director after David Cattler retired in September 2025; Justin Overbaugh serving as acting director
✓ verified Partially Corroborated DCSA assumed background investigation operations after two cybersecurity incidents in 2015 compromised sensitive data
✓ verified Primary Source Data spills comprise nearly 60% of documented security violations by cleared contractors
✓ verified Primary Source Pentagon investigator Nousheen Qureshi admitted to faking dozens of Top Secret security clearance background checks
✓ verified Primary Source DCSA documented 815 security violations by cleared defense contractors in fiscal 2025, with 1,032 open security vulnerabilities identified
✓ verified Primary Source $2.4 billion already spent on NBIS since program start, with $2.2 billion additional projected through fiscal 2031, totaling $4.6 billion
✓ verified Primary Source DCSA National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) program launched 2016, originally projected for 2019 delivery, now delayed until 2028 - over a decade behind schedule
✓ verified Partially Corroborated Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) filed filing with the SEC on 2021-03-09. Accession number: N/A.
All Connections (15)
organizational_parent primary since 2019
DCSA operates as a defense agency under the Department of Defense, responsible for counterintelligence and security functions for DoD personnel and facilities
administrative_coordination primary since 2019
DCSA coordinates with OPM on personnel security clearance processes and background investigations for federal employees
intelligence_cooperation secondary since 2019
DCSA coordinates counterintelligence activities with CIA as part of broader U.S. intelligence community operations
counterintelligence_coordination secondary since 2019
DCSA works with FBI on counterintelligence investigations and threat assessments related to defense personnel and facilities
intelligence_sharing secondary since 2019
DCSA coordinates with NSA on security clearance processes and counterintelligence matters affecting national security
contractor primary
CACI received DCSA contract for background investigation support services; company has history of employee controversy including 2012 lawsuit settlements
→ Securities and Exchange Commission government agency
regulatory_filing primary since 2021
Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) made a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 9, 2021.
operational secondary since 2020
Coordination on cybersecurity matters affecting defense infrastructure
← Palmer Luckey person
background investigation subject inferential since 2017
Anduril's classified contract eligibility mandates that Luckey underwent comprehensive multi-jurisdictional criminal background checks by DCSA under NISPOM.
← Trae Stephens person
oversight primary since 2017
DCSA maintains Industrial Security Program records relevant to Anduril's facility clearance status and Stephens' individual clearance
clearance_transfer_coordination secondary since 2020
The 2020 RTX merger clearance transfer required coordination with DCSA for Facility Security Clearance (FCL) processing, and RTX was assigned new FCL registration and CAGE codes by DCSA following the merger.
oversight primary since ongoing
The subcommittee oversees appropriations for Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency operations
← Maven Smart System instrument
oversight secondary since 2019
DCSA administers the Special Access Program security protocols under which Maven Smart System operates, including personnel security clearances and facility clearances for Palantir personnel working on the program.
← L3Harris Technologies company
oversight secondary since 2020
GAO report GAO-22-105003 confirms DCSA experienced backlog in facility clearance processing during 2020-2022, affecting entities like L3Harris post-merger.
Regulatory Bypass secondary since 2017
Erik Prince (founder of Blackwater/Academi) was granted access to the White House without the standard DCSA background check updates usually required for contractors with foreign affiliations.
Sources (17)
2021-03-09 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2021… sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2025-10-06 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2025… sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-05-20 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2026… sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) — Parliamentary… parliamentary_record Processed 📜 Receipt
2025-07-24 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2025… sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) — Court records… court_document Processed 📜 Receipt
2025-02-21 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2025… sec_filing Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 ↗ National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 ↗ DCSA Personnel Vetting initiative transforms security clearance investigation pr… external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2025 ↗ Investigator admits faking dozens of Top Secret security clearance background ch… external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2024 ↗ Personnel Vetting: DOD Needs to Improve Management of NBIS external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-04 ↗ GAO flags hundreds of classified contractor security violations external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2026-02-24 ↗ Pentagon eyes 2028 to deliver much-delayed background investigation system external_handoff Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) — Lobbying disc… government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) — Corporate reg… government_disclosure Processed 📜 Receipt
2026 UNVERIFIED Research: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) — USASpending c… contract Processed 📜 Receipt
2021-03-09 ↗ SEC EDGAR: filing — Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) (2021… web_search Processed 📜 Receipt