Speaking to an audience at the Savannah River nuclear site in Aiken, S.C., Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced plans for widespread security upgrades to better protect U.S. nuclear weapon laboratories from potential terrorist attacks. According to Secretary Abraham, the plans include:

• Consolidating nuclear material. Reduce the number of facilities that require the highest levels of protection.
• Enhancing protective forces. Create a specialized security unit to guard facilities, with training and capabilities similar to military special forces units.
• Federalization. Federalizing DOE security forces, many of which are now contractor personnel.
• Protecting sensitive information. Expand performance testing of information systems to identify actual and potential vulnerabilities to cyber threats.
• Keyless security environment. Replace centuries old technology that relies on the use of mechanical keys with new technologies.

"We must make certain changes," Abraham said. "We must adapt to a world that changed three Septembers ago," he added.

For full article by Marina Malenic, reporter for the Global Security Newswire, see story on the web at: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0504/0501004gsn1.htm