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Personnel security and counter-sabotage

The illustration shows a businessman examining a block of wood in which a single building block - as a potential weak point - has a red color

Personnel security and counter-sabotage is an important task of the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) and serves to protect classified material. The term “classified material” refers to sensitive information and matters the disclosure of which may pose a risk to or damage the security or the interests of the Federation or the federal states.

Any person who performs tasks of a sensitive nature and thus has access to classified material or works in sensitive parts of vital or defence-relevant facilities therefore has to undergo security vetting. BfV conducts vetting procedures for public service and private sector staff. The purpose of security vetting is to prevent any security risks.

A security risk exists if there are doubts about the reliability of a person who works or is to work in a sensitive area. This may be the case where the security vetting procedure identifies concerns regarding a person’s reliability (for example because of past criminal offences). If a person is not committed to the free democratic basic order and thus opposes the fundamental values of the constitution, he/she will not be able to take on sensitive duties either. There is also a security risk if a person is in danger of being approached or recruited by foreign intelligence services or by a terrorist or criminal organisation.