As the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) marks its fifth year, Director David Cattler today highlighted the importance of advancing the agency’s initiatives beyond the foundational business processes established during its early years.
“What I really aim to do is take DCSA to the next level,” said Cattler during a webinar hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance today. “You should also see us push experimentation [and] workflow enhancement for efficiencies and enhancements.”
Among Cattler’s top initiatives is the expansion of the agency’s workforce.
“The government and our citizens recognize that we need to be better able to draw upon the best of the United States,” said Cattler.
Cattler discussed ongoing workforce reforms, including the Trusted Workforce 2.0 initiative, which aims to overhaul the personnel clearance and vetting process. He emphasized the need to harness the talent eager to support national security and ensure “mobility of opportunity” through an effective clearance system while balancing speed and trust.
This week, DCSA is onboarding more government employees into the CV program as it expands the Trusted Worker ecosystem to include the non-sensitive public trust population.
A key component of Trusted Workforce 2.0 is continuous vetting (CV), according to Cattler.
“What it actually gives us in practice is a scale that even if you could technically achieve it, you couldn’t afford … for the time it would cost you just for the labor, to say nothing of the related IT,” said Cattler, adding that the shift to CV is “bold yet appropriate,” emphasizing it as the best way to maintain trust among DCSA’s 3.8 million security clearance holders.
Cattler acknowledged the current use of AI in background investigations and case studies with partners like the Performance Accountability Council Program Management Office but noted that the agency has only begun to tap into AI’s potential.
However, he noted that the agency has only scratched the surface of AI’s potential and expressed eagerness to incorporate more advanced applications and resources in DCSA’s future efforts.
