Audit Report: IG-0579

The Department of Energy's national laboratories have diverse missions that range from national
defense to fundamental research in the physical sciences. Each year, the laboratories host
thousands of visitors and assignees from foreign countries, many of whom are researchers from
local laboratories and educational institutions. Long-term assignments enable foreign nationals to
participate in a broad range of unclassified activities. The Department and its international
partners benefit from the exchange of information that results from the visits and assignments
because they foster open communication, stimulate ideas, and enhance research.
Along with the benefits, however, foreign visits and the resulting exchange of information also
raise certain security risks. These risks need to be effectively managed by the Department and its
contractors in the interest of national security. This was emphasized in the 2002 Hamre
Commission Report, in which it was noted that our adversaries might use unclassified activities –
such as those undertaken by visitors and assignees – to gain access to classified activities. We
conducted this review to determine whether controls over foreign visits and assignments at
selected national laboratories were adequate or operating as intended.
As noted on page 2 of this memorandum, the Deputy Secretary, in a December 17, 2002,
response to a draft of this report, initiated a number of steps to address the issues raised during the
audit.