Interesting stuff, Pop, but Booz Allen doesn't do background investigations for high-level security clearances, and it doesn't approve or disapprove them. Considering what Snowden had access to, I'd guess he had to have had a top secret clearance plus a SIGINT compartmented clearance. Unless things have changed an awful lot in the couple decades since I got my clearances, Snowden filled out a multi-page form and gave all sorts of details about his birthplace, residences, schools, jobs, etc. Once the forms were in the hands of the government it took several months for the background investigation to complete. You'd find that agents had talked to your parents, teachers, neighbors, employers and friends. Since we now know a bit about his background it's incredible that he was able to get any sort of clearance, much less top-secret, SIGINT. Somebody in the government really screwed up, or else things have gotten a hell of a lot slacker in the past few years.