HSES.es

Consultancy · Defence · Industrial security · Madrid

Facility Security Clearance

We assist companies, public bodies and institutions in obtaining and maintaining the Facility Security Clearance (FSC — in Spanish, HSES): the design of Restricted Areas (ZAR) and Protected Administrative Areas (ZAP), the drafting of the Facility Security Statement (FASE) and Protection Plans, and the accreditation of ICT systems.

In compliance with the regulations of the Delegated Authority for the Security of Classified Information, across the national, NATO, EU and ESA frameworks.

Years of experience
35+ Years of experience
Core sectors
8 Core sectors
Regulatory frameworks
4 Frameworks · ES · NATO · EU · ESA

01 · Why FSC

Specialists in Classified Information with more than three decades of experience.

01

Full specialisation

We are not a generalist security consultancy. We work exclusively in the field of security clearances and their entire ecosystem: ZAR/ZAP, the FASE, Protection Plans and ICT security applied to classified CIS systems.

02

Real operational experience

We assist contractors across the aerospace, naval, defence, security, critical infrastructure, industrial, surveillance and ICT sectors. We know the Authority's real timelines, its inspection criteria and the requirements of the supervisory bodies.

03

Complete regulatory coverage

We operate across the full set of security regulatory frameworks: the Spanish classification levels (Difusión Limitada, Confidencial, Reservado and Secreto — DL, C, R, S), with their NATO, EU and ESA equivalents, as well as any applicable complementary regulation.

02 · Services

We cover the entire clearance lifecycle

Five coordinated areas of work. A single point of contact.

  • 01

    Obtaining the FSC

    End-to-end assistance throughout the process of obtaining the Facility Security Clearance (FSC), from the preliminary analysis stage to the resolution by the competent Authority.

  • 02

    ZAR / ZAP

    Design, implementation and adaptation of Restricted Areas (ZAR) and Protected Administrative Areas (ZAP), in accordance with the national industrial security regulations.

  • 03

    CIS accreditation

    Accreditation of Classified Information Systems (CIS) and adaptation to the ICT security requirements applicable to classified industrial security environments.

  • 04

    Documentation

    We develop all the documentation required by the Authority: the FASE, Protection Plans, TEMPEST documentation and the records associated with the entire FSC lifecycle.

  • 05

    Training

    Training, awareness and instruction programmes for cleared personnel, Heads of Security, Security Officers, their deputies and custodians of classified information.

03 · How we work

Four phases. End-to-end control and complete documentary traceability.

  • 01

    Assessment

    We assess the contractual scope, the level of clearance required and the applicable regulatory framework across national, NATO, EU and ESA environments.

  • 02

    Documentary design

    We develop the Protection Plan, internal manuals, operating procedures and the records required by the Authority, aligned with the inspection and compliance criteria.

  • 03

    Implementation and support

    Implementation of the ZAR/ZAP, deployment of physical, electronic and ICT measures, staff training and preparation for inspection processes.

  • 04

    Maintenance and review

    Periodic internal audits, updates to the FASE and the Protection Plan whenever the scope changes, and continued support throughout the entire term of the clearance.

04 · Sectors

Experience applied in regulated and classified environments

  • Aerospace — manufacturers, MRO and on-board systems

  • Land defence — subsystems, weapons manufacturing facilities and critical communications

  • Dual-use industry

  • Naval — shipyards, combat systems and on-board electronics

  • Classified ICT environments — cipher systems, crypto, secure networks and CIS platforms

  • Defence supply chain — Tier 2 and Tier 3 contractors and subcontractors

  • Critical infrastructure protection

  • Security and Intelligence

05 · Trust

“A security clearance is not the end of the process, but the beginning of a permanent obligation to control, update and protect classified information.”

Pedro Sebastián Hidalgo · Director of HSES

06 · Initial assessment

Initial clearance assessment

We assess the scope of your requirement, the applicable regulatory obligations, the estimated timelines and the capabilities needed to approach the FSC process with assurance and traceability.