Year
2015
Abstract
The Department of Energy (DOE) establishes safeguards and security policy to delineate requirements for the protection of national security assets, including classified information, special nuclear material, and unique physical resources. Assets within the Department are located in many different configurations in many different environments and may present different protection requirements. The DOE safeguards and security policy establishes baseline protection requirements consistent with national policy and good security practices, however there are cases in which standard protection measures may not only be inefficient but actually are less effective than other measures. The DOE has recognized this potential and has, in some cases, structured its policies to allow innovative approaches to safeguards and security to allow local experts to implement cost-effective alternative protection measures. This paper will examine the challenges such an approach presents to those charged with overseeing and ensuring the adequacy of protection and confirming that the DOE remains in compliance with national requirements. Some examples of the potential application of innovative protection measures will be discussed and the oversight challenges associated with these approaches will be identified.