2014 YEAR END REPORT 

CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SECURITY EXCELLENCE

Defense Security Service | Center for Development of Security Excellence | 938 Elkridge Landing Rd | Linthicum, MD 21090
CDSE STUDENT LOCATIONS

38%

25%

12%

9%

8%

3%

5%

North America

Europe/Eurasia

Central/South America

Near East

East Asia and Pacific Islands

South and Central Asia

Africa

38%

25%

12%

9%

8%

5%

3%

Percentages by region of student population who 

are remotely accessing CDSE products
4 Center for Development of Security Excellence

The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) continued the tradition of 

leading the charge for security readiness of the DoD and industry workforce in Fiscal 

Year 2014 (FY14). Through continued implementation of the Security Education 

Development (SPēD) Program, CDSE provided critical support and workforce readiness 

through delivery of security awareness, education, training, and certification.

Making education, training, and certification available worldwide is critical to meeting real-world 

demands faced by the Federal Government and keeping the nation’s workforce ready to minimize 

risk through security readiness. CDSE continues to leverage technology for access to information 

and tools when and where the workforce needs them regardless of location or time zone. This 

year’s release of mobile Toolkits, increase in virtual instructor-led training and education offerings, 

and increase of commercial testing sites for the SPēD Certification Program to over 1,000 

locations are just a few of the technology-related successes you will read about in 

this report. 

We continue towards the professionalization of the security workforce, and increasing the 

level of security readiness for the total force. I am proud to present this year’s report of DSS 

CDSE accomplishments.

Stanley L. Sims

Director, Defense Security Service

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
www.cdse.edu 5

We at CDSE are pleased to present our fifth Year End Report. This year we have focused 

on building connections within the Department of Defense (DoD) and federal agency 

security communities and have continued the development of security products and 

services to improve the readiness of our security workforce. We have also successfully 

hosted the first Virtual DoD Security Conference.

Kevin J. Jones

Director, CDSE

Sincerely,

A major development this year was reissuance of the DoD Instruction 3305.13, “DoD Security 

Training.” The instruction was first issued on December 17, 2008 and established policy, 

standards, and procedures to conduct DoD security education, training, and professional 

development. This policy was reissued on February 13, 2014 with a new title: “DoD Security 

Education, Training, and Certification.” The terms “education” and “certification” have been added 

to all relevant areas of the policy. The revision signifies commitment to a holistic approach to 

professionalization of the security workforce to increase readiness of those who protect national 

security information, people, operations, and resources.

During FY14, CDSE made great strides in connecting to federal agencies. Building bridges with 

agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), we set the foundation for 

improving security interoperability and transportability of security professional skills. DHS and 

FBI are leveraging CDSE programs to professionalize their security workforce.

CDSE is committed to supporting security professionals’ increasing access to security knowledge 

resources when and how they need them. In the pages herein you will find multiple examples 

of this year’s efforts, including the increased availability of products available through Open 

eLearning and the first of its kind Facility Security Officer (FSO) Toolkit available for use on 

mobile devices. As proud recipients of the Woodbridge Award of Excellence from the National 

Classification Management Society (NCMS), we can attest to having high quality, relevant 

products.

We hope you will find this report informative and glean from its pages our dedication to 

providing security professionals state-of-the-art tools to strengthen their knowledge and better 

protect national security.

Denise D. Humphrey

Deputy Director, CDSE

A MESSAGE FROM THE FRONT OFFICE
Provide the DoD with a security center of excellence for the 

professionalization of the security community and be the 

premier provider of security education and training for the 

DoD and industry under the National Industrial Security 

Program (NISP). The CDSE provides development, 

delivery, and exchange of security knowledge to ensure 

a high-performing workforce capable of addressing 

our Nation’s security challenges.

To be the premier provider and center of 

excellence for security education, training, and 

professionalization for the DoD and industry 

under the NISP.

MISSION

VISION
MAKING CONNECTIONS

9 Community Connections

9 First Virtual DoD Security Conference

9 First Virtual Annual Curriculum 

Review Meeting

10 Strengthening Standards

10 Release of DoD Security Skill Standards 

 (DS3) Version 8.1

10 Synchronizing Programs

11 Renewing and Establishing Accreditations 

11 Council on Occupational Education 

 (COE) Renewal

11 ACE Credit Recommendations of 

 CDSE Courses

EDUCATION

12 First CDSE Education Certificates Awarded

13 Education Course Completion Growth

TRAINING

14 Accessible 24/7 

14 CDSE Mobile Toolkits

15 New Shorts 

16 New Courses at CDSE

18 CDSE Webinars

18 CDSE Open eLearning Courses

19 International Engagements

19 CDSE Virtual Instructor-led Training

CERTIFICATION

20 National Commission for Certifying 

 Agencies (NCCA) Accreditation

21 Certification Maintenance 

21 Certification Indexing 

22 Physical Security Certification (PSC)

22 Industrial Security Oversight 

 Certification (ISOC)

23 SPēD Competency Preparatory Tools

AWARDS

25 Donald B. Woodbridge Award 

25 National Counterintelligence 

 Executive Awards 

26 Award Winning Training 

 Products
CDSE BY THENUMBERS 1

588

37,265 64,146

181,135 485,249

14,203

30 172

VIRTUAL DoD SECURITY CONFERENCE

CERTIFICATIONS TO OBTAIN 

NATIONAL-LEVEL 

ACCREDITATION

CERTIFICANTS WITH MULTIPLE 

SPēD CERTIFICATIONS

PDUs EARNED

VISITS TO SECURITY SHORTS

VISITS TO TOOLKITS COURSE COMPLETIONS

PERSONNEL REGISTERED FOR

CDSE WEBINARS

CDSE COURSES WITH 

ACE CREDIT 

RECOMMENDATIONS

EDUCATION

COURSE COMPLETIONS

2

8 Center for Development of Security Excellence
MAKING CONNECTIONS

www.cdse.edu 9

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

FIRST VIRTUAL DOD SECURITY 

CONFERENCE 

On September 25, 2014, CDSE hosted its 

inaugural Virtual DoD Security Conference. 

Mr. Stan Sims, DSS Director, kicked off the 

event providing his vision of DoD’s security 

education, training, and certification future 

to over 1,000 registered civilian and military 

personnel from around the globe. Rather 

than travelling to a central location, the online 

platform enabled attendees and speakers to 

participate regardless of physical location. 

Due to budget and travel constraints, the 

DoD Security Conference had been on hiatus 

since 2011. With the advent and increasing 

popularity of CDSE webinars, CDSE ventured 

forward with a virtual conference using a 

Collaborative Online Platform (COP). The 

speakers and participants embraced the 

ability to communicate and share information 

worldwide. Participation in the virtual 

conference doubled. 

The conference theme was “Countering 

Today’s Security Threats.” Though hosted and 

facilitated by CDSE, the DoD Security Training 

Council (DSTC) teamed to select session topics 

representing the community’s needs. Topics 

included Insider Threat Programs, Status of the 

DoD 5200.2-R, Security Professional Education 

Development (SPēD) Certification, Facility 

Clearances and the DD Form 254, Incident 

Reporting, Continuous Evaluation Program, 

and the New Federal Investigative Standards.

Presenters represented a wide variety of 

offices and expertise, including CDSE, DSS 

Headquarters, DSS Facility Clearance Branch, 

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense 

for Intelligence, DoD Central Adjudication 

Facility, Department of the Army, and Office of 

Personnel Management. 

The majority of post-conference survey 

respondents stated they would attend a 

virtual conference in the future, and an 

even larger percentage would recommend 

this format to colleagues.

FIRST VIRTUAL ANNUAL CURRICULUM 

REVIEW MEETING

On August 26 to 28, 2014, CDSE hosted its 

first Virtual Curriculum Review Meeting. CDSE 

annually hosts a curriculum meeting to share 

accomplishments and discuss proposed 

changes. This year’s meeting was conducted 

on a virtual platform. Attendees participated 

via a COP in a series of virtual meetings and 

were able to discuss their organizations’ 

security education and training needs. These 

meetings provided opportunity to interact 

with CDSE Curriculum Managers and staff 

directly from the attendee’s desktop or mobile 

device. This meeting was an overall success 

with 126 in attendance and positive feedback 

from participants regarding presentation 

on the virtual platform. Many participants 

commented they attended more sessions 

than previous years due to the virtual format.

“My folks in CONUS 

and OCONUS were 

very grateful for 

this opportunity, 

as many of them 

have never had the 

chance to take part 

in a DoD security 

conference. This 

was a great first 

effort -- even down 

to the chats during 

the breaks and the 

commercials.” 

Joy Assent, Chief, 

Security Division, DLA 

Intelligence 

78% of respondents to a poll in 

the virtual lobby indicated this 

was their first virtual conference.

78%

22%

NO

YES
10 Center for Development of Security Excellence

MAKING CONNECTIONS

STRENGTHENING STANDARDS

SYNCHRONIZING PROGRAMS

RELEASE OF DOD SECURITY SKILL 

STANDARDS (DS3) VERSION 8.1 

The DS3 is composed of the DoD security 

community’s expectations of security 

professionals. It outlines tasks associated 

with key roles and responsibilities critical to 

industrial, information, personnel, physical, 

and general security. The DS3 is considered 

the backbone providing the framework to 

identify security education and training 

requirements while providing the blueprint 

for high-stakes SPēD certifications. 

In FY14, CDSE met with several federal 

groups, organizations, and agencies who 

have expressed interest in leveraging 

CDSE programs in their own workforce 

development efforts. The meetings represent 

the development of a synchronized 

approach to improving readiness, increasing 

transportability of credentials among federal 

groups, closing gaps in security posture, and 

ultimately improving mission delivery. 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and 

the FBI will be leveraging SPēD Certifications 

and the DoD Personnel Security Adjudicator 

Professional Certification (APC) for their 

security workforces. Both agencies actively 

participated in recent beta testing of the APC, 

deepening the collaboration of personnel 

security adjudicators throughout the Federal 

Government. 

In the latest update of the DS3, CDSE 

partnered with the DSTC to reformat and 

strengthen its use for security professionals 

by associating the security topics with 

competency levels. The three competency 

levels are Fundamental, Application, and 

Integration. These are levels of expertise 

required within the security profession.

Representatives from Japan and Kazakhstan 

also met with CDSE in FY14 to gain knowledge 

of security workforce professionalization 

strategies and potentially use CDSE as a model 

for developing similar structures.

“DHS Office of the Chief Security Officer is 

proud to partner with CDSE to establish 

common certification standards to 

professionalize its workforce. DHS Office 

of the Chief Security Officer and the 

DHS Chief Security Officer Council have 

included this partnership in the DHS 

Security Enterprise Strategic Framework. 

Most recently, DHS was proud to 

participate in the Adjudicator Professional 

Certification (APC) beta program and 

has had five of their Adjudicators receive 

certifications.”

Darryl Wortman, 

Branch Chief, Security Training, 

Administrative Security Division Department of 

Homeland Security

DS3 punctuates what a 

security professional needs to 

know and what they should 

be able to do.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SECURITY SKILL STANDARDS 

Version 2014.8.1 

1
MAKING CONNECTIONS

www.cdse.edu 11

RENEWING AND ESTABLISHING ACCREDITATIONS

COUNCIL ON OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION 

(COE) RENEWAL 

CDSE initially earned COE accreditation in 

2003. This accreditation affirms that CDSE 

meets the highest quality and integrity 

standards for providing education and 

training. 

In FY14, CDSE was reaffirmed accreditation. 

The process involved providing evidence of 

compliance with the same standards needed 

for initial accreditation. To compile evidence, 

CDSE conducted an extensive self-study and 

synthesized results into a report with multiple 

exhibits. A reaffirmation team from COE then 

visited CDSE to review the report, exhibits, and 

meet with senior leaders. The team validated 

compliance with COE standards and awarded 

continued accreditation through 2020. 

ACE CREDIT RECOMMENDATIONS 

OF CDSE COURSES

In FY14, five education courses and two 

security training courses were granted 

American Council on Education (ACE) college 

credit recommendations. 

A total of 30 CDSE courses and curricula 

have received ACE credit recommendations. 

ACE credit recommendations allow security 

professionals to transfer credit in order 

to meet bachelor’s or master’s degree 

requirements at a college or university.

Graduate Level, 3 semester hours

ED507 Managing a DoD Installation 

Security Program

ED511 Leadership in DoD Security

ED512

Effective Communication in 

DoD Security

ED513 Security in the DoD Acquisition 

Process

ED514 Cybersecurity and the Oversight 

of Information System Security

Undergraduate, upper division, 

3 semester hours

GS109 Antiterrorism Officer (ATO) 

Level II

PS301 DoD Advanced Personnel Security 

Adjudications
In August 2014, LT Tetyana Muirhead, a U.S. Navy Nurse, earned her Certificates in Security Leadership and in Security (Generalist) and Mr. 

Dustin Frazier, a Dept. of the Army civilian Security Specialist, earned his Certificate in Security (Generalist). Pictured at the Certificates 

presentation are, left to right: Mr. Stephen Ulate, Dept. of the Navy, Deputy Director, DUSN (P) Security Directorate; LT Muirhead; Mr. Gerry 

Turnbow (SES), Dept. of the Army, Director, Counterintelligence, Human Intelligence, Disclosure and Security; Mr. Frazier; Mr. Kevin Jones, 

Director, CDSE; and Mr. Wayne Lund, CDSE, Division Chief, Education Division.

12 Center for Development of Security Excellence

EDUCATION

FIRST CDSE EDUCATION CERTIFICATES AWARDED
www.cdse.edu 13

EDUCATION

EDUCATION COURSE COMPLETION GROWTH

In FY14, CDSE awarded multiple Education 

Certificates to students from the Air Force, 

Army, Navy, and the National Geospatial 

Intelligence Agency (NGA). Education 

Certificates are awarded to individuals who 

complete four education courses (12 graduate 

credits) in an area of concentration. Each 

course within the Certificate programs has 

received ACE credit recommendations. 

PERCENTAGE INCREASE

150%

200%

250%

300%

FY12 FY13 FY14

100%

0%

50%

212

Since Education courses were first launched 

in FY12 and FY13, course completions have 

been steadily growing, and completions 

have increased 281%. Students come from 

a wide range of ranks from the DoD, other 

federal agencies, and the military services. 

The courses and Certificate programs 

prepare personnel for senior leadership and 

management positions in DoD security. 

Some personnel who have completed 

Education courses attribute opportunities 

and advancement in their careers to the 

knowledge gained as CDSE students. 

D

E

FENSE SECU

U N I TE D STAT E S 

100%

159%

281%
14 Center for Development of Security Excellence

ACCESSIBLE 24/7

During FY14, CDSE continued to increase offerings of online training tools available to security 

personnel 24/7. The tools are accessible on the public website at cdse.edu without logging in 

or registering.

CDSE MOBILE TOOLKITS

In response to needs associated with specific 

security roles, CDSE has assembled and 

released several toolkits. These toolkits 

combine job aids, briefings, templates, and 

resources related to a specific security role.

The toolkits have been overwhelmingly 

successful; there were more than 181,135 

visits in FY14. CDSE is enhancing toolkit 

functionality and transforming them into 

mobile versions. In the mobile format, the 

toolkits accommodate the demanding pace 

of a mobile workforce due to the ability to be 

loaded and accessed from any Smartphone, 

iPad, or other Android/Apple 

compatible device.

Cybersecurity

Facility Security Officers (FSOs)

Information Security

Information System Security Managers 

(ISSMs)

Insider Threat

Personnel Security Adjudicators

Physical Security

Security Education and Training 

Awareness (SETA) 

“The FSO Toolkit 

delivers a central 

location for quickly 

researching data or 

looking for training 

material. I use the 

[Toolkit] as a ready 

training tool when 

I am meeting with 

staff and they have 

questions about 

which courses are 

available to them 

through the CDSE.” 

Sheryl Daniels, Restricted 

Security Manager, Northrop 

Grumman Aerospace Systems

TRAINING
www.cdse.edu 15

TRAINING

ACCESSIBLE 24/7

NEW SHORTS

CDSE has produced a number of training shorts, most of which are 10 minutes or less. These 

shorts allow for a refresh of knowledge of a critical topic or quick access to information needed to 

complete a job. In 2014, CDSE released the following shorts:

ACTIVE SHOOTER 

Helps to 

determine the 

most reasonable 

response to protect yourself and the lives of 

others around you, given a scenario about an 

active shooter incident.

ADVERSE 

INFORMATION 

REPORTING

Provides 

information regarding adverse information 

reporting responsibilities. The short provides 

the opportunity to evaluate information and 

behaviors to determine if an incident report 

is appropriate, and identifies when and how 

adverse information should be reported.

HAND CARRIAGE 

PLAN 

Provides an 

opportunity to 

test knowledge 

by identifying the correct procedures 

when preparing and executing a transfer of 

classified information to a foreign entity under 

a Hand Carriage Plan after reviewing NISPOM 

Chapter 10 and the Multinational Industrial 

Security Working Group (MISWG) Document 

1, Arrangements for the International Hand 

Carriage of Classified Documents, Equipment, 

and/or Components.

PROCURING 

GSA APPROVED 

CONTAINERS

Delivers guidance 

on procuring new and/or used GSA security 

containers for the protection of classified 

information. In addition, includes best 

practices and a useful job aid that can be 

printed for future reference.

SPECIAL ACCESS 

PROGRAM (SAP) 

MARKINGS

Focuses on ability 

to recognize and apply control markings 

to DoD SAP Information as set forth in the 

5205.07, Volume 4, Special Access Program 

(SAP) Security Manual: Marking. This short will 

examine the special marking considerations 

for SAP information. 

SPECIAL ACCESS 

PROGRAM (SAP) 

NOMINATION 

PROCESS 

Provides information that helps participants 

understand the standardized security 

management process. This process applies 

enhanced security procedures to determine 

personnel suitability for access to DoD SAPs.

The active shooter 

short includes a 

downloadable fillable 

form and step-bystep guidance for 

completion. In FY14, 

the short had 6,907 

page visits.
16 Center for Development of Security Excellence

ACCESSIBLE 24/7

TRAINING

NEW COURSES AT CDSE

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

The Relationship between 

Counterintelligence and 

Security

Explains how Counterintelligence (CI) is an essential 

component of a comprehensive security program; covers 

the relationship between CI and Security, the role of risk 

management in a security program, how to use threat 

information, and the essential elements of an effective 

CI program.

Sensitizing Facility 

Employees to 

Counterintelligence 

Concerns

Provides Facility Security Officers (FSOs) with an 

understanding of targeted key, cleared defense 

contract facility communities/employees, identifies 

the potential vulnerabilities within functional areas so 

FSOs can communicate with employees and prioritize 

countermeasures, and gives employees an awareness of 

foreign entities’ collection methods.

CYBERSECURITY

Introduction to Risk 

Management Framework 

(RMF)

Introduces DoD’s RMF and Cybersecurity policies, the current 

state of Cybersecurity within DoD, and the six steps of 

the RMF.

GENERAL SECURITY

DoD Security Specialist 

Course (SSC) – Virtual 

Instructor-led Training 

(VILT)

Provides an introduction to common DoD security practices 

in the Industrial Security, Personnel Security, Information 

Security, Physical Security disciplines, and their relationships.

INDUSTRIAL SECURITY

DSS Security Rating 

Process

Provides an overview of the standardized DSS process 

for assigning a security rating using the DSS Security 

Rating Matrix.

http://www.cdse.edu/documents/cdse/CoursesProducts.pdf For listings of all courses 

and products, go to: 
www.cdse.edu 17

ACCESSIBLE 24/7

TRAINING

INFORMATION SECURITY 

Derivative Classification 

Refresher 

Refreshes derivative classification duties and responsibilities 

to include avoidance of over-classification, principles of 

derivative classification, classification prohibitions and 

limitations, classification levels, security classification 

guidance, identification and markings, information sharing, 

duration of classification, classification challenges, and 

security incidents and sanctions.

Unauthorized Disclosure 

of Classified Information 

for DoD and Industry

Provides an overview of unauthorized disclosure, including 

specific types of unauthorized disclosure and some common 

misconceptions about unauthorized disclosure. Also 

discusses the types of damage caused by unauthorized 

disclosure and the various sanctions if caught engaging in 

unauthorized disclosure.

PERSONNEL SECURITY

DoD Advanced Personnel 

Security Adjudications 

Provides an in-depth study of adjudication policy guidelines 

and the basis for and application of due process in 

unfavorable personnel security determinations.

PHYSICAL SECURITY

Electronic Security Systems Provides comprehensive knowledge of Electronic Security 

Systems (ESS), the subsystems that comprise an ESS, 

the minimum requirements for specific areas requiring 

protection, and how to design an ESS for specific areas.

Exterior Security Lighting Provides a basic overview of exterior security lighting to 

include definition, purpose, planning considerations, and 

application for the protection of DoD assets.

SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (SCI)

SCIF Physical Security 

Virtual

Provides the skills needed to evaluate a SCIF to ensure it 

meets SCIF policies. The student can practice skills in a 

virtual exercise.
18 Center for Development of Security Excellence

ACCESSIBLE 24/7

CDSE WEBINARS 

In FY14, over 14,000 personnel registered for 

CDSE webinars. These 30-minute webinar 

sessions provide security personnel with 

updated or added knowledge within a 

wide range of security functions, to include 

Industrial Security, Counterintelligence, 

Information Security, Physical Security, 

Personnel Security, Cybersecurity, and Special 

Access Programs (SAP).

Rather than providing participants with a 

static, one-sided presentation, live webinars 

allow interaction between presenters and 

participants. Poll questions are posed 

throughout the webinar and participants can 

ask questions or provide comments to both 

presenter and other participants. 

Webinars are recorded and can be accessed 

on the CDSE website or on the CDSE YouTube 

channel. Personnel can watch the webinars 

and download associated job aids 

and resources. 

CDSE OPEN ELEARNING COURSES

CDSE launched an Open eLearning course 

initiative to meet the growing need for 

on-demand security training for DoD and 

Industry. CDSE has taken its most frequently 

accessed courses from the Security Training, 

Education, and Professionalization Portal 

(STEPP) and placed them on a CDSE Open 

eLearning Website. CDSE recommends using 

the CDSE Open eLearning website only if users 

need to take annual security training or 

refresher courses.

These inclusive courses contain all necessary 

materials, including final assessments and 

certificates. Students can complete the course 

and exam seamlessly and print a Certificate of 

Completion as a record for their organization/

institution. Students must print or save the 

course completion certificate or they must 

take the course again; no record of course 

completion is maintained by CDSE. 

TRAINING

http://train.cdse.edu/
www.cdse.edu 19

TRAINING

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS

CDSE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING

In FY14, CDSE provided international on-site, 

instructor-led training. Two CDSE instructors 

travelled to Canberra, Australia to deliver two 

SAP courses to 28 Australian Department of 

Defence employees from April 1 to 9, 2014. 

This was the culmination of a coordinated 

In response to reduced travel budgets 

across DoD, CDSE has developed training 

classes hosted in a Collaborative Learning 

Environment (CLE). Students in these 

Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT) courses 

participate in virtual discussions, complete 

readings, and submit assignments on their 

own time while having the same amount or 

more interaction with an instructor than 

they may experience in a traditional 

instructor-led course. 

In FY14, CDSE created a VILT course for 

its flagship course, the DoD Security 

Specialist Course (DoD SSC). This course is 

recommended for most security professionals 

and addresses industrial, personnel, 

information, and physical security disciplines. 

The Department of the Navy submitted a 

special request for CDSE to conduct the 

DoD SSC at the Washington Navy Yard in 

FY14. Competing priorities prevented 

conducting the instructor-led course during 

FY14; however, CDSE was able to offer the 

training during the desired timeframe by beta 

testing the SSC VILT with Washington Navy 

Yard participants. 

The VILT presentation as an alternative to 

the seven day instructor-led course offered 

several benefits. The group of 15 participants 

could continue their duty assignments at the 

Washington Navy Yard while participating in 

the class rather than collectively participating 

for seven uninterrupted days. All participants 

successfully completed the DoD SSC VILT 

beta. Participants expressed satisfaction with 

the course content and found the online VILT 

platform positively supported their learning. 

process with the endorsement of the U.S./

Australian Counsel to fulfill a request from the 

Australian Department of Defence for the U.S. 

to provide training assistance. The FY14 visit 

was the third successful training visit by CDSE 

instructors to Australia.
20 Center for Development of Security Excellence

CERTIFICATION

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CERTIFYING 

AGENCIES (NCCA) ACCREDITATION

On January 16, 2014, the DoD Security Asset 

Protection Professional Certification (SAPPC) 

became the second Federal Government 

professional certification to obtain nationallevel accreditation from the National 

Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). 

The extensive NCCA application package 

included statements and evidence to support 

compliance with comprehensive standards, 

covering all aspects of the SAPPC program 

including governance, administration, 

assessment development, and recertification. 

SAPPC is the second of three core 

certifications under the Security Professional 

Education Development (SPēD) Certification 

Program approved and conferred by the 

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. 

The SPēD Certification Program is based 

on functions performed and requirements 

developed under DoD Instruction 3305.13, 

“DoD Security Education, Training, and 

Certification.”

Accreditation by the NCCA places both 

the Security Fundamentals Professional 

Certification and SAPPC on par with other 

professional and vocational organizations. 

Accreditation publicly confirms the program 

meets comprehensive quality standards.
www.cdse.edu 21

CERTIFICATION

CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE

CERTIFICATION INDEXING

The DSTC approved SPēD Certification 

maintenance rules, roles, processes, and 

procedures in October 2013. Following 

the approval, CDSE launched the SPēD 

Certification Maintenance website in 

January 2014. CDSE leveraged the contract 

with Pearson VUE testing to provide SPēD 

certification holders an online tool to input 

and track their certification maintenance 

activities. All certification holders have two 

CDSE hosted a Certification Indexing 

Workshop bringing together 18 DoD and 

federal agencies. The workshop provided an 

interactive forum outlining a process known 

as Locate, Examine, Align, and Designate 

(LEAD) used by the DoD Security Community 

years from their conferral date to earn 100 

Professional Development Units (PDU). A 

webinar was presented to explain how to 

use the online tool along with information 

on certification maintenance procedures and 

processes. The additional tools include a PDU 

calculator, course listing, and a spreadsheet 

listing resources available to attain PDUs. 

Recordings can be accessed on the 

cdse.edu website.

to identify, assess, and index security positions 

for SPēD certifications. Additionally, the forum 

allowed participants to share information, 

tools, and lessons learned culminating with 

several DoD Components briefing their 

current indexing actions. 

CDSE hosted a workshop 

focusing on the LEAD process 

used to index security 

professionals’ position 

descriptions to certifications 

and the critical role of human 

resource personnel.
22 Center for Development of Security Excellence

CERTIFICATION

PHYSICAL SECURITY CERTIFICATION (PSC)

The PSC was released on May 14, 2014 at 

commercial testing centers worldwide. The 

PSC is a specialty certification within the 

SPēD Certification Program for security 

professionals who perform physical security 

functions. The assessment focuses on the 

topic areas of installation and physical access 

control; physical security for conventional 

arms, ammunitions, and explosives; key and 

lock control; storage of classified information; 

and physical security planning and plan 

implementation.

INDUSTRIAL SECURITY OVERSIGHT CERTIFICATION (ISOC)

The ISOC was released on March 12, 2014 

at commercial testing centers worldwide. 

The ISOC is a specialty certification within 

the SPēD Certification Program for security 

professionals who perform oversight of 

industry under the National Industrial Security 

Program (NISP). The assessment focuses 

on the topic areas of information security, 

classification management, incident response, 

information assurance/cybersecurity, 

personnel security, physical security, 

industrial security, general security, the NISP, 

foundational concepts in facility security and 

clearance, general safeguard requirements, 

facility surveys, and inspections.

Commercial Testing Site Exams for five certifications are available at over 

1,100 sites, including testing centers at DoD bases across the U.S. and at 

numerous DoD OCONUS locations and theaters of operation. 
www.cdse.edu 23

CERTIFICATION

SP D COMPETENCY PREPARATORY TOOLS

In FY14, CDSE added an online suite of tools to help security professionals succeed in their 

quest for SPēD certifications. The tools are currently available for those seeking Security 

Fundamentals and Security Asset Protection Certifications, with more to come for FY15. The 

tools assist candidates in assessing and gaining knowledge of core competencies associated with 

the assessment levels.

Experience Checklist 

Candidates are presented with a series 

of probing questions to evaluate their 

experience level in each topic area of the 

assessment. Once the experience checklist is 

completed, candidates will be able to view the 

Learning Resource Guide which will help them 

find additional resources (courses and other 

materials) to help increase their 

knowledge level.

Knowledge Test

This is a self-assessment of candidates’ 

knowledge in each competency area. 

Candidates answer a series of shortanswer questions. After each response, the 

knowledge test displays an associated master 

answer describing the complete answer in 

detail. Candidates can compare their answer 

with the master answer to determine if 

they have the knowledge they need to be 

successful on the assessment. Finally, after 

completing the questions, the candidate is 

provided with a review sheet broken down by 

security discipline. It maps competencies from 

the questions to policy and provides resources 

available to attain the knowledge needed. 

e 

http://www.cdse.edu/certification/prepare.html Competency Preparatory Tools

Practice Test 

This tool gives candidates the experience of 

sitting for the assessment. It presents sample 

questions to familiarize candidates with the 

type, difficulty, and format of questions they 

should expect. 
24 Center for Development of Security Excellence
www.cdse.edu 25

AWARDS

DONALD B. WOODBRIDGE AWARD

NATIONAL COUNTERINTELLIGENCE EXECUTIVE AWARDS

Lieutenant General (Retired) 

James R. Clapper, Director 

of National Intelligence, 

presents the 2014 National 

Counterintelligence Executive 

Annual Education/Training Team 

Award to CDSE. Accepting for 

CDSE is Mr. Kevin Jones, Director, 

and standing to the right is Mr. 

William (Bill) Evanina, National 

Counterintelligence Executive.

In June 2014, the National Classification 

Management Society (NCMS) recognized 

CDSE at its 50th Annual Training Seminar. 

During the President’s Dinner, Leonard Moss, 

NCMS President, presented the Donald B. 

Woodbridge award to Kevin Jones, Director, 

CDSE. The award is named for Donald B. 

Woodbridge, past president of NCMS, and 

is the highest honor NCMS bestows for 

CDSE, in collaboration with the DSS 

Counterintelligence (CI) Directorate, 

distinguished itself in an exemplary manner 

through the successful integration of CI 

Awareness in multiple training modules 

presented at CDSE. To meet the priority 

training needs of the community, the CDSE CI 

Curriculum Program designed and presented 

numerous new training courses and 

presentations, training over 43,000 security 

professionals on CI topics and issues during 

2013. The program has significantly increased 

threat awareness and reporting in the security 

community and has resulted in timely 

identification and mitigation of CI and 

security vulnerabilities. 

In addition, CDSE also received the 

following awards:

outstanding contributions to the profession 

of classification management/information 

security. 

NCMS is one of the largest organizations 

of Industrial Security Professionals and 

represents a significant part of the CDSE 

student population.

DIA Annual DoD 

Counterintelligence 

Training and Education 

Award

National 

Counterintelligence 

Executive Annual 

Education/Training Award 

National 

Counterintelligence 

Executive Annual 

Education/Training Award

INDIVIDUAL AWARD INDIVIDUAL AWARD TEAM AWARD
26 Center for Development of Security Excellence

AWARDS

AWARD WINNING TRAINING PRODUCTS

Seven CDSE training products have won multiple Omni and Horizon Awards.

The Relationship between 

Counterintelligence and 

Security

Unauthorized Disclosure 

of Classified Information 

for DoD and Industry

Derivative Classification 

Refresher

Omni, Silver 

Education

Omni, Bronze 

Education

Omni, Bronze 

Education

Omni, Silver 

Government

Omni, Bronze 

Government

Omni, Silver 

Government

Marking in the Electronic 

Environment

GSA Approved Containers Insider Threat Awareness CI Foreign Travel Briefing

Omni, Silver 

Education

Omni, Silver 

Education

Omni, Gold 

Education

Omni, Silver 

Education

Omni, Silver 

Government

Omni, Silver 

Government

Omni, Gold 

Government

Omni, Silver 

Government

Horizon, Bronze 

Education

Horizon, Bronze 

Education

Horizon, Silver 

Government

Horizon, Silver 

Government

Horizon, Bronze 

Government

Horizon, Bronze 

Government

Horizon, Silver 

Government

Horizon, Silver 

Government

The Omni Awards recognize outstanding 

media productions that engage, empower, 

and enlighten. Awards are given in the fields 

of Film & Video, Animation & Effects, and 

Website Design.

The Horizon Interactive Awards is a 

prestigious, international competition 

recognizing outstanding achievement among 

interactive media producers. The competition 

recognizes and awards the best websites, 

videos, online advertising, print media, and 

mobile applications.
www.cdse.edu 27

The editorial content of this publication was prepared, edited, and approved by the Director, Center for Development 

of Security Excellence. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of 

Defense. To comment, contact the DSS Public Affairs Office at (571) 305-6751 or email dsspa@dss.mil.
LEARN. PERFORM. PROTECT.

Visit us at 

www.cdse.edu

Center for Development of Security Excellence

Learn. Perform. Protect.