Defense security clearance
Defense security clearance = permission to access secrets
A defense security clearance is the authorization granted by the state to a person to access classified information or materials, at a given level and for the needs of their mission. In France, since the 2021 reform, there are two levels: Secret and Très Secret (Top Secret).
The application is not made by the candidate themselves: it is filed by the employer, or the entity that needs the person to access classified information, and it is tied to a position. It triggers an administrative investigation carried out by the competent services, the DRSD for defense companies. The "need to know" principle applies: being cleared does not grant access to everything.
Clearances are found at defense manufacturers, in space, intelligence, some cybersecurity activities and among their subcontractors. A clearance can be denied, and it ends or must be reviewed when the person changes roles.
Why it matters when hiring
A candidate does not "get cleared" on their own: the employer starts the procedure, often after hiring. The investigation time must be anticipated in the hiring and onboarding schedule. An already cleared profile is an asset, but a clearance does not transfer automatically. Raise early, tactfully, the factors that may complicate the investigation (time abroad, dual nationality), without ever making them a discriminating criterion outside the legal framework.