Lessons learned from a Nuclear Security Insider Threat Exercise

Nuclear security is not only based on legislation, regulations, policies, education and training but depends strongly on nuclear security culture. Nuclear security culture plays an important role in ensuring that individuals, organizations and institutions remain vigilant and that sustained measures are taken to prevent and combat the threat of sabotage or using nuclear or radioactive material for malicious acts. The threat could be an insider or outsider. The insider has authorized access to protected areas, has knowledge of the facility and therfore has more opportunities to select the most vulnerable target and the best time to accomplish the malicious acts. The insider constitutes a critical problem because we have no tests or processes to identify him. Nuclear Security Culture and the Insider Threat are best learned through experience. Culture is inherently difficult to teach and is best learned through exercices by the trainees. In this regard, the U.S. Department of State’s Partnership for Nuclear Security (PNS) organized a Nuclear Security Insider Threat Table Top Exercise (NSITE-TTX) in conjunction with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in July 2013 for an international group of educators and nuclear professionals which aims to better understand the many inter-related pieces of : Physical security, Personnel management, Material management, Policy and procedures and Risk management through simulation of events that stregthen or weaken the nuclear security. This communication describes the lessons learned from this TTX which was a good method to learn what an effective/ineffective nuclear security culture might look like. It provides a better understanding of the complexity of facility operations and the roles of each one working within the facility. It stimulates thought, discussion, and assits the participants to determine the most effective policies and procedures for their countries or facilities.