MC&A - The First Line of Defense against the Insider

Theft of nuclear material by a facility insider is a recognized threat to nuclear security. An insider could take advantage of knowledge of facility systems and access to nuclear material to subvert the systems that are designed to protect against theft. This paper addresses the role that material control and accounting (MC&A) plays in reducing the insider threat and the importance of an enhanced MC&A system to detecting and deterring the insider, with emphasis on the control aspect of MC&A.