Vetting
Vetting
When is vetting relevant? It may be both necessary and appropriate to vet an individual in several contexts. Such contexts include recruitment and appointments to positions of responsibility, where access to sensitive information or critical functions may be involved. A vetting is appropriate when a company desires to have prior knowledge of potential security risks and to include this in the general assessment of the individual in question.
CERTA Intelligence & Security holds special expertise in this area. CERTA will conduct vetting procedures, at the request of private parties that have rightful and legitimate interests in having specific individuals vetted.
The Objective
The objective of the vetting process is to examine whether there are any issues that could cast doubt on the reliability, credibility, or judgement of the individual in question, and which would therefore have consequences for the evaluation of his or her trustworthiness and credentials.
The vetting of an individual is particularly important in relation to trusted positions, which encompass:
- Great responsibility.
- Access to sensitive information.
- Control of financial assets or critical areas of responsibility.
- Trusted functions where disloyalty, indiscretion, or an outright security breach can have serious detrimental consequences.
Vetting can help qualify the decision process and reduce the risks pertaining to the recruitment and appointment to trusted and sensitive positions. In addition, it ensures that the person or entity who requested the vetting cannot be accused of lacking diligence or responsibility in their collection and assessment of information regarding the individual in question prior to recruitment or appointment.
The vetting of an individual can be performed at five levels:
- 1. Screening (Digital Footprint): Involves the collection, processing, and analysis of information from open sources, with the aim of forming a clear picture of the individual’s presence and behaviour on the Internet.
- 2. Open Source Intelligence Report (Integrity Report): Involves the systematic and global collection, processing, and analysis of information from open sources, with the aim to uncover potential risks related to the individual in question.
- 3. Background Check: Involves the completion of an Integrity Report as well as the use of open sources to validate and verify information pertaining to the individual’s background and qualifications including education, professional relations etc.
- 4. Extended Background Check: Requires the consent of the individual in question and will additionally involve the collection, processing, and analysis of sensitive information including financial and legal affairs, information from references etc.
- 5. Full Vetting: In addition to the Background Check, a full vetting involves a security interview with the person in question, to enable a more thorough assessment of the individual’s reliability, credibility, and judgement, as well as to reveal potential exposure to the risk of e.g. blackmail.
The results of the vetting procedure will be presented in a written report, which includes documentation of both the process and its results.
Who Performs the Vetting?
The completion of a comprehensive vetting procedure requires special expertise. CERTA’s products are based on a solid foundation of methods and skills, used in intelligence and security services, and performed by researchers and analysts who have extensive experience with intelligence work. Additional advisors with special experience in investigations and psychological profiling will also be involved in the completion of security interviews.
Discretion, Confidentiality and Data Protection
CERTA’s vetting procedures are conducted with discretion and in compliance with confidentiality requirements, and the protection of sensitive personal information is a priority.
A Screening will normally be conducted without the consent or knowledge of the person under investigation. As will the Integrity Reports and Background Checks.
The Extended Background Check and Full Vetting both require consent – and eventually authorisation – from the individual in question and will thus grant access to more information.
The personal information collected as part of the vetting procedure will not be stored or processed further by CERTA.
WANT more information?
Jakob Scharf
Executive Director / Co-founder, CERTA
Former Director, PET
