High-Risk Radioactive Sources: Cradle-to-Grave Physical Protection

Recent acts of terrorism worldwide have highlighted the need tosecure dangerous materials to prevent their acquisition for maliciouspurposes. Some of these materials are high-risk radioactivesources that are used for cancer treatment, oil extraction, foodirradiation, and many other purposes. While these sources are safeif used properly, the potential for their theft and eventual use inradiological terrorist attacks is real. This paper discusses specialphysical protection systems that are currently used to safeguardnuclear facilities and ways to apply and adapt some of their componentsto radioactive sources at various stages of their life-cycle.