CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING TAMPER INDICATING DEVICES AND METHODOLOGIES USED FOR TESTING AND SELECTION

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Safeguards and Security Technology Group uses seven evaluation criteria for tamper indicating device (TID) selection, comprising three performance criteria: operational and environmental durability, ease of use, and vulnerability; and four administrative criteria: cost, versatility, safety, and training. The weighting of these factors is highly application specific. Some high-risk applications may place primary emphasis on vulnerability. Applications with very challenging environments may place more emphasis on environmental durability, and other applications may take a more balanced view with cost and versatility being significant concerns in the selection process. Beyond the weighting of these criteria, the specifics to which a TID is evaluated will always be dependent on the intended application and the environment (including physical, operational, and administrative) in which the TID will be used. This paper addresses the criteria for TID evaluation, typical operational and environmental tests that may be applicable, and how the results can be compared and used to select an appropriate TID for a specific application.