Operational Security
It seems a bit out of order to discuss this topic first, however, as the cliché states: “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Moving forward without communicating the import of good security practices is an act of folly
Without question, Operational Security is the cornerstone of everything in an Operative’s life. It is the sole safeguard from having entire operations and long-established relationships from unraveling. It must be constant, and unrelenting. Small mistakes bring about larger missteps, the results of which can be personally and professionally catastrophic.
When operating with a team, it is the duty of each individual Operative on the reservation to determine the extent to which the operational security measures are being followed within the OPSEC “program”.
On the modern battlefield, nearly 80% of all intelligence gathered in support of operations is gathered from what are referred to as “open source” or “unclassified / public” information available. Information from newspapers, internet sites, social media, etc. in its aggregate can become very valuable when compiled by an army of analysts.
In the war between the sexes, it’s commonplace today for any person you come into contact with to “google” or “facebook” you immediately as part of their initial assessment.
Consider this: if you were putting a prized and loved pet up for adoption and a potential new owner came by to meet with the animal before formalizing the adoption, before the age of the internet, you’d have nothing at your disposal to verify their way of life, what their home and friends looked like, etc. Today, in less than five minutes, it’s possible to extrapolate all of those data points by performing a google and social media search given only their email address.
In today’s night scene, it’s become customary to exchange contact information via smartphone technology. Promoters and staff charged with selling “tables” keep in touch with their regular clientele keep contact and build their popular image by utilizing social networking via smartphone media as well.
If you think for a second that the woman in the red dress at the end of the bar is going anywhere with you after just meeting without her friends vetting you out like Sparky’s new owners before his adoption on their smart phones, you’re quite mistaken.
Given these common practices the OPSEC “program” must be constantly evaluated to ensure that the proper measures prescribed by the program are observed. The program managed by our central resources constantly reevaluates the methodologies we advise for securing yourself.
As new technologies present new threats to any cover, alias, or avatar you may develop for the field, this office will keep abreast of them as they change. However, for team operations, a case-by-case OPSEC evaluation must be performed.
In practice, both concepts are applied simultaneously. However, for purposes of instruction and regulation, they have been separated.
Operational Security is the process followed by Operatives and Operational Groups that is employed to identify and safeguard critical information relating to plans, coverts, sources and methods to determine if actions can be observed and acted upon by adversaries. It is used to protect a friendly network or individual Operatives from leaking useful information and / or reduce the ability of adversaries to exploit critical information.
Critical Elements of Information Requiring Safeguard:
- Current and Future Operations
- Movement Plans
- Usernames and Passwords
- Operational Planning Methodologies
- Entry and Exit Strategies
- Methods of Encryption
- Capabilities and Limitations
- Targeting Information
- Addresses and Phone Lists
- Budget Information
- NOC Lists
- VIP & HVT Movements
