1. How is biosecurity different from biosafety?
Biosafety
"Keeping bad bugs from good people"
- Includes containment principles, techniques, and procedures that prevent unintentional exposure to pathogens or toxins, or their accidental release
- Term used consistently across human, animal, and plant health sectors
- International standards are not mandatory; regulations set at the local level or by laboratories
Biosecurity
"Keeping bad people from bad bugs"
- Includes measures designed to prevent and prepare for the deliberate misuse of biological agents or biotechnology
- Term different in human, animal, and plant health sectors
- Domain of the arms control, security, or intelligence communities; regulations set at the national or international level
Both Concepts:
- Aim to keep dangerous pathogens properly contained by authorized users to prevent injury, loss of life, or damage to the environment
- Include hiring and training scientists and other personnel who understand the importance of biosafety and biosecurity procedures
- Include training programs as part of partnerships between developed and developing countries
- Contain overlapping and complementary requirements with international instruments, such as the International Health Regulations (IHR)
2. What does effective biosecurity require?
& Diagnostics Personnel Security Physical & Material
Security Preparedness, Mitigation, &
Emergency Response
Obtaining data on potential threats and analyzing the risk of an incident to determine the value of additional security measures. This includes:
- Registration and licensing of facilities that work with dangerous biological agents
- Monitoring the development and trade of dual-use technologies
- Intelligence operations to identify individuals and groups interested in biological terrorism
Monitoring and investigating natural, accidental, and deliberate outbreaks of disease. This includes:
- Building capacity in the human, animal, and agricultural sectors to detect and diagnose infectious diseases
- Information sharing among public health authorities and between governments when an unusual pattern of disease is detected
Ensuring that only appropriate personnel have access to pathogens and that they do not abuse that access. This includes:
- Background checks on laboratory personnel
- Oversight of life sciences research to reduce risks posed by dual-use research of concern
- Training and education for scientists to help them understand the security implications of their research and counter insider threats
Prevent the removal of material for non-official purposes. This includes:
- Protective measures to deter and thwart unauthorized access to materials
- Accounting practices to document the type, quantity, and location of materials
- Controls on transfers of dangerous pathogens
Planning for how to respond to disease outbreaks and epidemics in the event preventive measures fail. This includes:
- Developing policies that detail decision-making procedures and the roles and responsibilities of relevant agencies and law enforcement entities in emergency situations
- Putting in place effective communication systems
- Ensuring diagnostic laboratories are adequately supplied
- Developing treatments and treatment protocols
3. What is the role of governments in biosecurity?
National governments are responsible for setting, regulating, and enforcing policies for how scientific research is conducted. When developing such regulations, it is important to consult with and incorporate the views of the scientific community to ensure that regulations provide increased security without unduly impinging upon continued scientific progress.
Creating and implementing biosecurity policies is complex and involves a large number of stakeholders. For example, in the U.S. numerous federal agencies are responsible for different elements of biosecurity.
4. How is the international community cooperating on biosecurity?
Individual states have historically determined their own policies in conjunction with their respective scientific establishments. In recent years, however, states have begun to acknowledge that any breakdown in biosecurity may have transnational ramifications, and international organizations and other cooperative initiatives strengthen biosecurity and lay the groundwork to counter biological threats.
Photo Credit
Header Image: Video surveillance camera. Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr.