A Santa Barbara laboratory that helps safeguard America’s nuclear arsenal mishandled classified information in a security failure that received the Department of Energy’s highest severity rating. Its operator now faces a $196,350 federal penalty.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation October 16 to Mission Support and Test Services, LLC, which manages and operates the Special Technologies Laboratory on Ekwill Street.
One finding received a Severity Level I designation, reserved for violations involving actual harm or a high potential for harm to national security. Investigators also identified two Level II violations and one Level III violation. Officials have not publicly identified the information involved or confirmed whether anyone accessed it without authorization.
The laboratory develops testing and measurement technologies supporting the reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons. Its work also includes detecting foreign nuclear weapons programs and combining sensors with artificial intelligence to identify unusual activity and protect critical systems.
With roots on the Central Coast stretching back more than six decades, the lab regularly participates in Santa Barbara’s technology community and co-sponsored the local TechTopia summit in 2023.
In setting the proposed penalty, federal officials weighed the violations’ security significance and weaknesses in a contractor’s security program, while also crediting any corrective actions. The Special Technologies Laboratory can contest the findings or seek a reduced penalty. Federal rules allow 30 calendar days after receipt of the notice to respond.
