Operations Security, most often known by its acronym OPSEC, is a valuable methodology that protects critical (or, in certain circles, Classified or private) information by tracking and protecting the publicly available (or, sometimes, Unclassified) information.
As a mindset, OPSEC has been practiced for thousands of years. When Sun Tzu wrote in ‘The Art of War’ (6th Century BC China), “Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move”, he was describing an early understanding of OPSEC. When George Washington said, “Even minutiae (small matters) should have a place in our collection, for things of a seemingly trifling nature, when enjoined with others of a more serious cast, may lead to a valuable conclusion”, he, too, was demonstrating a solid understanding of what we now call “OPSEC”.
As a formalized process, OPSEC originated in the Vietnam War, when the “Purple Dragon” team was formed in order to determine how enemy forces were obtaining advanced information regarding US military operations. At this, they were very successful, and OPSEC soon propagated informally into other military functions within Vietnam, and eventually the United States mainland.
On January 22, 1988, the nature of OPSEC in the United States changed forever. On that date, then-president Ronald Reagan, due to the diligent work of key members of the original Purple Dragon team, signed National Security Decision Directive Number 298 (more commonly referred to as NSDD 298), which for the first time formalized OPSEC as a National program. In addition, NSDD 298 directed the creation of a National OPSEC entity, which was to be called (and is to this day) the Interagency OPSEC Support Staff, or the IOSS. The IOSS was tasked with, and has succeeded in, becoming the Nation’s foremost experts in OPSEC, and charged with preserving and developing the official standards, policies and methodologies of Operations Security.
Today, largely thanks to the work of the IOSS, OPSEC has taken a sort of life of its own, and grown into something that’s recognized across the Nation, and across multiple disciplines and categories. It’s come from being a strictly military methodology into one that’s used with equal effectiveness within the government, corporate, civilian and even personal sectors. Other groups have also grown to support the mission of the IOSS, and to help develop the OPSEC discipline, and to help equip professionals in the field. One such group is the Operations Security Professional’s Association (OSPA). OSPA specializes in the development of OPSEC training material, online OPSEC training and other tools and resources.
One can never measure, or even possibly know, how many lives have been saved due to OPSEC, but the soldier in combat depends on it every day. One can never know how many corporate dollars and livelihoods have been saved by applying OPSEC to the business sector, but the employee depends on it for their job. OPSEC has uses in an incredibly wide assortment of fields and situations, including law enforcement, domestic violence outreach, facilities security and more. In reality, one is unable to find any situation or enterprise that could not be benefited by it. OPSEC can be inexpensive or costly, fun or deadly serious- but it is always an effective tool in your security arsenal.
The Operations Security Professional’s Association (OSPA) is a tax exempt Non-profit organization dedicated to improving awareness of Operations Security procedures, as well as building cohesion amongst its members. OSPA members work together behind the scenes to further the discipline, as well as creating and sharing information on a wide range of subjects, such as information security, OPSEC briefings, Security Briefings, OPSEC program management Online OPSEC Training and more.
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