Front Lines of Nuclear Security

An act of nuclear terrorism anywhere in the world would be a global humanitarian, economic, and political catastrophe. While nobody knows which terrorist group will be the next to pursue a nuclear weapon or attempt to sabotage a nuclear power plant, we do know that terrorists or criminals would need to target one of the hundreds of nuclear facilities around the world. This is why the most effective strategy for preventing nuclear terrorism is to ensure strong and sustainable security for all weapons-usable nuclear materials and major nuclear facilities. Nuclear operators must foster organizational cultures that produce well-trained staff—from senior executive leadership to guard forces—dedicated to strong and sustainable nuclear security, and motivated to vigilantly watch for potential threats and vulnerabilities. Despite all of the attention to nuclear security in recent years, little is understood about how to actually accomplish these goals.

The “Front Lines of Nuclear Security” seeks to learn from experience, understand organizational dynamics and challenges, draw lessons for enhanced implementation of nuclear security, and work with governments and operators to get those lessons implemented.