Operational Security (OPSEC)
is a basic strategy for keeping any “potential” adversaries from discovering
your critical information. This protects you and all of your activities. Any
activities you are planning, that may be in a stage of partial completion or
that may have already been completed could be placed at risk if you fail to
observe a few simple and basic rules concerning OPSEC.
Successful OPSEC procedures
depend on three major factors...simplicity, secrecy and sustainability. You
will be able to reach your goals quicker and in a more secure manner with less
risk by maintaining your OPSEC. Those seeking to take advantage of you will be
seeking information about you, your family and your activities for their own
purposes.
The Three Major
Factors for establishing OPSEC:
1. Simplicity -
Your OPSEC procedures should
be designed with a simple set of rules that can be easily followed in order to maintain
your security. All family members should be able to follow and observe your
OPSEC guidelines with a minimum of instruction. Complex or more difficult
procedures are often harder to establish and may be difficult to enact properly
in order to maintain higher levels of security.
2. Secrecy -
OPSEC will help you maintain an effective
level of secrecy in order for you to reach your goals in an effective manner
without endangering your security. The most important thing of this aspect of
OPSEC is that specific and detailed information about your activities should be
kept on a “need to know basis only”. The more people that know about an
activity; there is less of a chance of you being able to keep that activity private.
3. Sustainability
-
Any plans for your OPSEC
must be capable of being sustained continuously at all levels. All family
members, young, old and in between, should understand the importance of not
revealing vital information about your activities or resources. In this regard,
only those persons whom you completely trust and could rely on to maintain your
security should be included in your security plans.
Here are some simple guidelines for maintaining your security:
OPSEC Guidelines
for Preppers
1. Never discuss
or release “detailed” information.
2. Keep
information on a “need to know” basis.
3. Use a high
level of trust to sustain your security levels.
You can discuss the different aspects of
prepping without revealing the full details about your activities. Having a
nice conversation is one thing but trying to establish “bragging rights” is a
different thing altogether. Don’t let your passion for prepping cloud your
judgment to the point of endangering your family and your security by revealing
too much about yourself, your family or your activities.
It is unfortunate that there
are those persons who will readily seek to take advantage of other people. If
they sense any weakness on your part, they will most certainly try to use that
to their advantage. There will also be those that will panic easily in a crisis
and this will cause many people to act in an irrational manner.
Got OPSEC?
Staying above the water
line!
