Assessing Security Risk in a New Normal: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Personal and Work Behaviors
Abstract
Assessing potential risks because of personal and work behaviors is a crucial function of the security, suitability, and credentialing (SSC) personnel vetting process. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on a wide variety of risk behaviors and indicators that are considered during SSC investigations and adjudications. For example, alcohol use has increased among certain parts of the U.S. adult population, which could lead to impulsive or poor decision making. Work schedules have become irregular, which can mask anomalous behaviors that might have previously indicated a potential insider threat. People might have had difficulty coping with isolation and depression because of lockdowns, quarantine, or business closures. These changes suggest that existing standards or baselines of "normal behavior" for those being evaluated in the personnel vetting process might not apply and that personnel risk models using those baselines might need to be recalibrated to account for pandemic-induced shifts. Without official guidance for how to account for these changes, investigators might struggle to make sense of relevant information, and adjudicators might struggle in making consistent decisions, which could increase backlogs or security risks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 27, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1199985
Entities
People
- Douglas Yeung
- Sangeeta C. Ahluwalia
- Sarah Zelazny
- Sina Beaghley
Organizations
- RAND Corporation