NNSA’s Office of Global Material Security co-hosted an event with Belgium’s Agency for Nuclear Control at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Conference on Nuclear Security to raise awareness about insider threat mitigation.
National Nuclear Security Administration
May 31, 2024
minute read time
On May 21, 2024, NNSA’s Office of Global Material Security co-hosted an event with Belgium’s Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS) to raise awareness about the threat insiders can potentially pose to nuclear security.
The event highlighted past and future work under the International Working Group (IWG) of Information Circular 908 (INFCIRC/908) Joint Statement on Mitigating Insider Threats and included opening remarks from Belgian Ambassador Caroline Vermeulen and FANC Director General Pascale Absil. The event premiered a video highlighting the working group’s recent progress and accomplishments, including the first-of-its kind INFCIRC/908 International Practitioner Workshop for Insider Threat Mitigation at Nuclear & Radiological Facilities, the Second International Symposium on Mitigating Insider Threats, and the addition of seven subscribing states.
“We have made great progress in building this community,” said Corey Hinderstein, NNSA’s Acting Principal Deputy Administrator. “We have the expertise, tools, and a strong commitment to mitigate insider threats at radiological and nuclear facilities. I applaud your efforts in working to create a more secure world, and I look forward to hearing more about the continuation of this work.”
Slovenia, Switzerland, and Lithuania were introduced as the newest subscribers to the INFCIRC since 2020, and panelists shared the benefits and encouraged other states to subscribe. The IWG Steering Committee shared outcomes and themes from the March 2024 International Threat Mitigation Symposium that determined the future direction of the IWG, including impacts from new technology, human factors considerations, global trends, and events.
The event concluded with an announcement of Revision 1 to INFCIRC/908, which reaffirms the activities of the IWG as a community of practice and encourages regional activities to share best practices and lessons learned for insider threat mitigation in nuclear security. Revision 1 provides additional opportunities through the IWG for countries to showcase their expertise and experiences in implementing inside threat mitigation measures at regional or international engagements.
Given the success of this year’s event, the IWG and its Steering Committee plan to develop a program of work that will aid the community of practice in insider threat mitigation in effort to increase the number of subscribers.