Unauthorized Act

Any action that has not been authorized and approved by proper authority. In the context of the Nuclear Explosive Surety Standards, an unauthorized act is one that is not sanctioned as part of an approved nuclear explosive operation or associated activity, but which could affect a nuclear explosive or main charge high explosive part in a nuclear explosive area. Unauthorized acts may be characterized as deliberate or unintended, and as either malevolent or non-malevolent.

(1) From a NES perspective, an unauthorized act is of interest if performed without intent to compromise nuclear explosive surety (i.e. non-malevolent). This includes cognitive errors (errors of omission or commission) and accidental or inadvertent acts.

(2) From a use control perspective, an unauthorized act is of interest if it is both deliberate and malevolent. More specifically, one performed with intent to create an unauthorized nuclear explosive detonation or to gain unauthorized control of a nuclear explosive.