Many people want to work in the cyber security field, but they’re worried about the background check and drug tests that may be part of the process to get hired. It’s important to know up front what things someone has done in the past that might keep them from getting a job in cyber security. Perhaps the most common background check question asked by applicants is about whether or not they have used drugs in the past.
Cyber Security jobs & Drug Test
In other words, do people who work in cyber security have to take drugs? People who want to work for the government don’t usually get hired if they’ve used marijuana or other illegal drugs in the last three years, no matter what state law says. However, most jobs in the private sector don’t require drug tests unless they are part of a government contract.
Let’s look at what jobs you might be able to get if you’ve used drugs in the past.Many people want to work in the cyber security field, but they’re worried about the background check and drug tests that may be part of the process to get hired. It’s important to know up front what things someone has done in the past that might keep them from getting a job in cyber security. Perhaps the most common background check question asked by applicants is about whether or not they have used drugs in the past.
In other words, do people who work in cyber security have to take drugs? People who want to work for the government don’t usually get hired if they’ve used marijuana or other illegal drugs in the last three years, no matter what state law says. However, most jobs in the private sector don’t require drug tests unless they are part of a government contract.
Let’s look at what jobs you might be able to get if you’ve used drugs in the past.
Cyber Security Jobs and Drug Testing
Drug testing in cybersecurity employment is more likely to be requested by the federal government than by private businesses. According to global stats, but more than 80% of federal cybersecurity jobs explicitly demand a drug test. That’s around 5% to 6% of the total number of cybersecurity job listings.
Government jobs: Still just saying no to Drug Test
People who want to work for the NSA and other defence agencies have to go through a full background check now. Background checks like these don’t just look at criminal records like misdemeanours and felonies. They also look at things like the applicant’s finances, alcohol use, and reputation.
This is what these agencies are looking for: Any part of an applicant’s life or background that could be seen as dishonest. This also leaves the applicant open to compromise or bribery from an outside group. For example, if an enemy knows that you’re having money problems, this could be used against you to make you leak information.
In this background check, there is a polygraph and other types of questions about past and current drug use that are part of the process. This will also one day include a drug test. The NSA and other government agencies say they have no tolerance for drug use. They would not consider anyone who has used marijuana in the last three years or any other illegal drug in the last ten.
People in your state might not be able to do this.
In the last few years, there has been a big change in the law when it comes to recreational marijuana. In the last few years, a lot of states have either made marijuana legal for medical use, or made it legal for recreational use, too. In addition, there are a lot of states and places where it’s illegal to use marijuana, but they don’t enforce it. How does the NSA feel about marijuana use for people who live in these states?
It doesn’t make a difference. The NSA says that even if you live in a state where marijuana is legal, you can’t apply to the NSA if you use it. There’s a link to the NSA’s policy on substance use that you can look at.
Is there anything else government does?
Other government agencies, such as the FBI, say they do the same thing. However, they have said in the past that they have a hard time finding qualified cyber security workers because of their no-weed policy. This is why they say this. A change in policy could happen in the future, but it could be a long time before that happens. If that happens, it could be a decade or more before the policy is changed again. Please click here for the FBI’s rules on substance use.
The background check: what to do
There are a lot of things to think about when you’re going through a background check for a job or an internship. You might be wondering how to answer questions about your past substance use. The most important rule is not to lie. There is a good chance that you will be fired if you lie about anything, even if the truth turns out to be different from what you said.
I’ve heard it said before that these agencies know that you’re human and that at some point you’ve done something questionable or illegal on a small scale. If you lie and say that you haven’t done anything like that, they think you’re lying and think you’re lying. Everyone who has told me about the background check process says to be honest.
Opportunities for private sector cybersecurity are available.
The good news for people who have used drugs in the past is that most private sector cyber security employers don’t do drug tests. It is common for employers to say that they have the right to randomly test employees in their employment paperwork or in their employee manual. In many cases, that policy is there to give them options if they need to, but it doesn’t always work.
Most private-sector cyber security employers who don’t work with or contract with the federal government seem to expect you to do a good job and don’t want to do a lot of background checks or drug tests unless your work is or becomes a problem.
There are a lot of reasons why this is the way it is. First, drug testing takes a lot of time and money for the employer, and it doesn’t help build trust between the employee and the employer or make the workplace more pleasant for everyone.
As we said before, the laws and public opinion about marijuana use have changed a lot, and employers are following suit. Employers are having so much trouble finding good cyber security workers that they don’t need to be too strict with their hiring processes. As many cyber security jobs are outsourced to other states where drug laws are different, it’s become even more difficult to enforce any kind of policy like this for private sector employers because it’s so hard to do that.
Important things to think about
People with substance use in their past can still find employment in cyber security in the private sector. Lying on a background check will automatically disqualify you. Private sector employers typically do not drug test, but most reserve the right to do so in order to address an issue.
