SCIF accreditation is the formal approval of a facility for classified processing by the cognizant Accrediting Official, based on ICD-705, the Fixed Facility Checklist, and the body of evidence. Salian Defense assembles the package and walks it through the AO directly, so the facility is ready to sign, not handed over with a wish of good luck.
SCIF accreditation is the formal approval of a facility to process, store, or discuss Sensitive Compartmented Information, granted by the cognizant Accrediting Official (AO) based on ICD-705, the Fixed Facility Checklist, and the body of evidence. Accreditation means the AO has determined the facility meets the physical and technical standards for the protection level it will host.
The contractor's security requirements flow from the contract and the DD-254, within the authority of the Cognizant Security Authority (CSA). Salian Defense assembles the evidence and works the package with the AO directly, then sustains the accreditation for the life of the program.
Accreditation is earned across the build, not at the end of it. The table below maps each step to who owns it and what it produces, so the body of evidence is complete and defensible when the AO inspects the space.
| Step | What happens | Primary output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Requirement and authority | Identify the cognizant AO or CSA, the protection level, and the security requirements that flow from the contract and DD-254. | Confirmed authority and protection level |
| 2. Concept approval | Submit the design and Construction Security Plan for AO concept approval before construction begins. | Approved concept and CSP |
| 3. Construction security | Build under construction security oversight, install sound attenuation, and where required install and test RF and TEMPEST shielding. | Compliant as-built space, test results |
| 4. Body of evidence | Complete the Fixed Facility Checklist and assemble drawings, IDS and access-control documentation, and the CSP record. | Fixed Facility Checklist package |
| 5. Inspection and sign-off | The AO inspects against ICD-705, resolves findings, establishes co-use agreements where needed, and grants accreditation. | Accreditation and any co-use memorandum |
| 6. Maintain | Sustain through self-inspections, configuration management, and re-accreditation as the facility or its use changes. | Continued accreditation |
Steps overlap in practice and the specific roles vary by Cognizant Security Authority. Standards and process are general; nothing on this page is program-specific.
Wall, floor, and ceiling assemblies, doors, and penetrations built to ICD-705 so the perimeter resists surreptitious and forced entry to the standard the protection level requires.
Acoustic protection to the required Sound Group so that classified discussion is not audible outside the perimeter. Amplified-sound areas carry a higher standard than normal-conversation areas.
Intrusion detection systems, access control, and alarm response documented and tested. Closed-storage facilities carry stricter detection and response requirements than working spaces.
Where the threat assessment calls for it, TEMPEST countermeasures and RF shielding are installed and verified by measurement, and the test results join the body of evidence.
Salian Defense does not hand over a binder and step back. We assemble the body of evidence, complete the Fixed Facility Checklist, and stay in the room for the inspection and AO sign-off, whether the space is a new build or an existing facility that needs to reach accreditation. The Scope intake is the start: a short, unclassified set of questions that maps your path. Nothing classified is required.