Charles D. Ferguson
Scientific Consultant, Fellow for Science and Technology, The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism
William Potter
Founding Director, The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
A new book from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) warns that substandard security at nuclear facilities in Russia, Pakistan, and Central Asia increases the risk of terrorists seizing highly enriched uranium to make crude, but devastating, nuclear explosives. It urges the United States and its international partners to take immediate steps to prevent the most catastrophic forms of nuclear terrorism and to reduce the consequences of the most likely nuclear terror attacks.
Stay Informed
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats.
More on
2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index
The 2026 NTI Nuclear Security Index proposes an agenda for a new era of leadership at a moment when the risk environment leaves no room for complacency.
The NTI Nuclear Security Index
The NTI Index is recognized as the premier resource and tool for evaluating global nuclear and radiological security.
2023 NTI Nuclear Security Index
“The bottom line is that the countries and areas with the greatest responsibility for protecting the world from a catastrophic act of nuclear terrorism are derelict in their duty,” the 2023 NTI Index reports.
Glossary
- Highly enriched uranium (HEU)
- Highly enriched uranium (HEU): Refers to uranium with a concentration of more than 20% of the isotope U-235. Achieved via the process of enrichment. See entry for enriched uranium.