In the economy, there are facilities whose impairment poses serious risks to the life or health of

• the life or health of large sections of the population
• public safety or order, or
• the defense readiness of the Bundeswehr and allied armed forces.

Persons who carry out security-sensitive activities there must undergo a security check in preventive personnel sabotage protection before taking up their work.

The following are affected:

• Companies that are responsible for setting up or operating the digital radio system for authorities and organizations with security tasks
• Companies commissioned by the Federal Information Technology Center (ITZBund) to set up or operate federal information and communication technology
• Companies commissioned with the development or operation of foreign information and communication technology
• Telecommunications companies that have to maintain transmission paths and telecommunications services for services under the Postal and Telecommunications Security Act
• Control centers of electricity transmission system operators and selected electricity distribution system operators
• Companies that operate compressor stations and import stations for gas measurement and pressure reduction of imported gas volumes at network interconnection points in the gas network between a network operator abroad and a network operator in Germany
• Companies directly involved in the construction, maintenance or repair of defense vehicles, defense equipment or naval vessels
• Incident companies of the upper class or equivalent operating areas (only if they are not adequately protected against unauthorized access by organizational or technical measures and this is documented in the security report)
• Railroad control centers
• Dangerous goods companies with security plans in accordance with subsection 1.10.3.2 ADR, RID or ADN
• Service providers who are to work for the companies listed above at their security-sensitive locations (e.g. cleaning companies, craft firms)

It is not a security-sensitive activity in the economy if companies send personnel to

• institutions established under public law, such as ministries, the German Bundestag or the German Bundesbank, or
• military security areas, such as air bases, barracks or naval arsenals.

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) is generally responsible for security checks in the non-public sector.

Companies whose personnel work in connection with the BOS digital radio at security-sensitive locations of the federal government have the security check carried out by the Federal Agency for the Digital Radio of Authorities and Organizations with Security Tasks (BDBOS).

The security check is intended to individually assess whether a person can be assigned a security-sensitive activity at a security-sensitive location. Or whether there is a security risk that would prevent such an activity.

To this end, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) takes the following measures as a participating authority in the security clearance procedure:

• security-related assessment of the information in the security declaration, taking into account the findings of the federal and state constitutional protection authorities
• unrestricted information from the Federal Central Criminal Register and the Central Commercial Register
• Inquiries to
  • the Central Register of Public Prosecutors,
  • the Federal Criminal Police Office
  • the Federal Police and
  • the federal intelligence services
• where necessary
  • Inquiries to
    • the Central Register of Foreigners,
    • foreign security authorities and
    • other appropriate bodies if security-relevant findings require this and questioning of the person concerned is not sufficient or the questioning conflicts with interests worthy of protection
  • Inspection of publicly visible websites and the publicly visible part of social networks
  • Interview with the data subject in the event of security-relevant findings.

Security risks exist if the following indications actually exist after the review:

• Doubts about the necessary reliability of the person concerned in the performance of their security-sensitive activities,
• a particular threat, in particular the concern of blackmailability, in the event of possible attempts to initiate or recruit by criminal organizations, extremist or terrorist organizations, or
• doubts that the person concerned is committed to the free democratic basic order within the meaning of the Basic Law and is prepared to stand up for its preservation at all times.

At the request of the competent authority, the security declaration is updated or rechecked every 5 years in turn.

A security clearance can only be waived if

• recognition of another check is possible, for example background checks under aviation security or nuclear law or extended security checks in personnel security or
• the requirements of the final statutory exceptions are met, for example in the case of a short-term assignment of no more than 4 weeks at a security-sensitive location, provided that the person who has not been vetted is permanently accompanied by a vetted person.