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Wednesday 6th May 2026
HEADLINE: WorkSec Highlights Personnel Security Governance Risks as First Charges Laid Under SAMS Act
Adelaide, South Australia – WorkSec, a leader in personnel security and DISP compliance solutions, is urging Defence supply-chain organisations to reassess their personnel security governance following the first criminal charges laid under the Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets (SAMS) Act.
Last month, the Australian Federal Police laid the first-ever charges under the legislation against a South Australian Army Reservist for allegedly performing work for a foreign military without authorisation.
With penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment now being enforced, what was once a theoretical risk has become an immediate and operational issue for Defence industry participants – particularly those that rely on ex-Defence expertise to deliver capability.
Under the SAMS Act, the legal obligation to seek foreign work authorisation rests with individuals, including former Defence personnel and Australian citizens or permanent residents, who provide certain military-related training to foreign entities. However, employers remain exposed to significant operational, contractual and reputational risk if they lack visibility over how those individual obligations interact with their workforce and business activities.
For WorkSec Managing Director Stuart Rainsford, this distinction is critical.
“The SAMS Act doesn’t create a new corporate offence, but it does change the personnel risk landscape for Defence businesses,” Mr Rainsford said.
“If you employ Defence-experienced people, you need confidence that your organisation understands where individual restrictions may apply and that your workforce is structured and supported in a way that doesn’t inadvertently expose your people – or your contracts – to serious risk.”
Mr Rainsford noted that many Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)-accredited organisations assume that existing security clearance processes are sufficient, even though the SAMS Act operates separately from, and in addition to, traditional security clearance and DISP requirements.
“While security clearances are granted at a point in time, they rely on continuous sponsorship and governance to remain effective. The SAMS Act extends the risk horizon further, focusing on future conduct once individuals transition out of Defence,” he said.
“That’s a governance challenge, not just a vetting outcome.”
As DISP membership increasingly becomes a prerequisite for Defence work, small-to-medium enterprises are grappling with complex personnel security expectations without the in-house capability to manage them effectively.
In response, WorkSec has partnered with the Australian Defence Industry Network (AIDN) to provide members with access to specialist Security Officer as a Service (SOaaS), Baseline/NV1/NV2 security clearance sponsorship, and workforce screening solutions designed to strengthen personnel security governance across the Defence supply chain.
According to Mr Rainsford, the initiative is about ensuring Defence businesses have the governance frameworks required to support Australia’s sovereign capability objectives at a time of heightened global security risk.
“Our role is not to provide legal advice, but to help organisations understand the questions they need to be asking about their workforce – particularly when employing ex-Defence specialists – and to ensure those questions are answered through proper governance rather than guesswork,” he said.
“For Defence SMEs, the message is simple: if your business depends on Defence experience, you need visibility over personnel-related risks that sit outside the traditional clearance system.”
About WorkSec
WorkSec is an Australian-owned, DISP Level 3-accredited security firm specialising in personnel security, security clearance sponsorship, and compliance governance. Operating at Essential 8 Maturity Level 2, WorkSec provides the infrastructure and expertise required to build and maintain a “Trusted Workforce” for government and defence contractors.
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