Lifestyle Questions and file-sharing

[Zarathustra]

Do any agencies ask relevant questions during the polygraph relating to filesharing or copyright infringements? Also, is filesharing a disqualifier for attaining a security clearance or employment with any federal agencies?

[LungDragon]

While I don't know if any agencies ask or if it is a dis-qualifier for employment, I do know a fare amount about "filesharing".
Depending upon how they would word such questions and what means you obtained files, it wouldn't necessarily be "illegal activity". Last time I checked the law isn't perfectly clear about different filesharing methods and what constitutes copyright infrigment. Sure copying a dvd is illegal, selling any unauthorized copies is as well. But simply dowloading torrents doesn't constitute infringement by itself.

I know the city and state jobs here don't ask anything of that nature, but I would think a federal agency would and I suppose it would depend on what security clearance you are applying for.

[George W. Maschke]

Do any agencies ask relevant questions during the polygraph relating to filesharing or copyright infringements? Also, is filesharing a disqualifier for attaining a security clearance or employment with any federal agencies?

No, there are no relevant questions about filesharing or copyright infringement on federal full-scope (or, for that matter, counterintelligence-scope) polygraph examinations. In fact, in the counterintelligence-scope Test for Espionage and Sabotage, violation of a software copyright may be the subject of a directed-lie control question.

Illegal filesharing is not an automatic disqualifier for attaining a security clearance or employment. However, admissions of substantial illegal activity of any kind may result in a denial and a referral to law enforcement.

[abcde]

So then tell me this:  On the Information Technology Section of the new SF-86, it asks:  "In the last 7 years, have you introduced, removed, or used hardware, software, or media in connection with any information technology system without authorization, when specifically prohibited by rules, procedures, guidelines, or regulations?"

Wouldn't "introducing media" include downloading copyrighted material?

On a related question, how do they check for this?  To they attempt to trace your ISP?  I don't see how much information about *virtual* activities can be gained from interviewing neighbors.

[George W. Maschke]

Wouldn't "introducing media" include downloading copyrighted material?

No. In this context, "media" means physical devices on which data is stored, for example, a diskette, a DVD, or a thumb drive. An example of such unauthorized introducing of media would be backing up one's office data on a personally owned external hard drive when the employer's policy is that backups are to be made only to the organization's file server.

On a related question, how do they check for this?  To they attempt to trace your ISP?  I don't see how much information about *virtual* activities can be gained from interviewing neighbors.

It's virtually impossible to check. I've seen no indication that background investigations include seeking information on an individual's internet service provider (ISP) or assigned IP address(es). Unless a past employer has disciplined the individual for improper use of an information system and mentions it to a background investigator when asked, there is virtually no way of ascertaining such.