Authentication of radiation measurement systems for nonproliferation

Radiation measurement systems are central to the affirmation of compliance with a variety of agreements related to arms-control and non-proliferation. Authentication is the process by which the Monitoring Party gains appropriate confidence that the information reported by a monitoring system accurately reflects the true state of the monitored item. Authentication utilizes a set of tools to provide evidence that a system performs its required and defined tasks. These tools include: functional testing using trusted unclassified calibration sources, evaluation of documentation including the software, evaluation of hardware, random selection of hardware and software, and usage of tamper indicating devices. Procedures for carrying out authentication are central to the successful implementation of the complex process of authenticating systems throughout their lifecycle. The lifecycle of a system can be divided into the elements of design, fabrication, installation, and operations. Radiation measurement systems are being built for use in the Russian Federation that will be the subject of US authentication activities.