OPSEC: Operational Security

Every click, every search, every post, they all leave traces. Most of us walk through our digital lives assuming we’re invisible, when in reality, we’re constantly broadcasting.

Good OPSEC (Operational Security) isn’t delusional. It’s awareness. It’s taking control before someone else does.

Whether you’re a startup founder protecting your business ideas, a professional handling sensitive client data, or simply someone who values their privacy, OPSEC matters to you.

OPSEC History

OPSEC began during the Vietnam War in 1966, when Admiral Ulysses Sharp noticed U.S. operations were failing because sensitive information was leaking to the enemy. The solution? A special team called Operation Purple Dragon, which included personnel from the National Security Agency and Department of Defense.

What they discovered was sobering: the enemy wasn’t using sophisticated spy networks or breaking complex codes. They were simply paying attention to unprotected information that was hiding in plain sight.

The Purple Dragon team’s work was so effective that in 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive 298, establishing OPSEC as a national program. What started as a military necessity became a blueprint for protecting information everywhere, from government agencies to private companies to individuals like us.

OPSEC & Chess

OPSEC is like chess, but with real consequences. In chess, you can study your opponent’s patterns, anticipate their moves, and adjust your strategy. One blunder, even after playing brilliantly for an hour, can end the game instantly.

OPSEC works the same way, except when you lose, you don’t get to reset the board.

Here’s what makes it harder: your opponents (whether they are cybercriminals, competitors, or malicious actors) don’t face penalties when they fail. They learn, adjust, and try again. They’ve been refining their methods for years, decades even. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to protect your information while getting your actual work done.

The asymmetry is real. But understanding it is the first advantage.

The OPSEC Cycle

The OPSEC process consists of five critical steps: identification of critical information, analysis of threats, analysis of vulnerabilities, assessment of risks, and application of appropriate countermeasures.

Let’s break it down without the jargons:

1. Analyze the Threat

Before defending, understand who or what you’re defending against. Identify potential enemies like hackers, insiders, or competitors and learn how they operate. You can’t block what you haven’t observed.

2. Identify Critical Information

Not everything you handle is equally important. Pinpoint the data, plans, or communications that could harm your mission or privacy if exposed. Focus your energy on what truly needs protection.

3. Analyze Vulnerabilities

Every system has cracks outdated software, careless sharing, predictable habits. Map where leaks could occur, whether through technology, people, or processes. Awareness of your weak points is half the battle.

4. Assess the Risk

Once vulnerabilities are known, measure their impact. Which ones could cause real damage? How likely are they to be exploited? This is where you prioritize some risks need fixing now, others can wait.

5. Apply Countermeasures

Turn strategy into action. Encrypt data, limit access, implement need-to-know policies, and train people to recognize manipulation attempts. The best countermeasures are the ones that blend seamlessly into daily work.

6. Assess Effectiveness

Security isn’t static. Review and refine your defenses regularly. What worked yesterday might fail tomorrow. Test, adapt, and evolve that’s how OPSEC stays ahead of evolving threats.

The Golden Rules

In digital spaces, communications can be intercepted or monitored depending on your threat model and the protections you use. Trust is earned slowly and lost instantly.

• Protect your identifiers. Email addresses, IP addresses, Phone numbers, usernames, anything that can trace back to you deserves protection.
  

• Think before you share. That innocent detail about your weekend plans? To someone analyzing patterns, it might reveal when your house would be empty.
  

• Encrypt what matters. If you wouldn’t say it on a billboard, encrypt it before sending or storing.
  

• Stay consistent. A clean, professional digital presence means fewer mistakes and fewer traces.
  

OPSEC vs. Security Culture

Here’s something people often miss: OPSEC and security culture are different, and you need both.

The OPSEC process is identify critical information → analyze threats → analyze vulnerabilities → assess risks → apply countermeasures. Tools like

VPNs and encryption are examples of countermeasures you might choose after going through this process.

Security culture is human. It’s about who you trust, how you communicate about sensitive topics, and whether your team actually follows security practices. It’s the ecosystem around your work.

For example, you can run every communication through encrypted channels, but if someone on your team casually mentions your project details at a coffee shop, your technical OPSEC doesn’t matter. On the other hand, trust checks won’t save you if your devices are quietly leaking metadata behind the scenes.

Both layers protect you. Neglect either or that’s where the compromise happens.

Some Myths to clear up

A. “OPSEC is only for military or government” Wrong. Anyone with information worth protecting needs OPSEC. That includes businesses, nonprofits, students, and private individuals.

B. “OPSEC is just cybersecurity” Cybersecurity is part of OPSEC, not all of it. True OPSEC also covers physical security (like who can access your office), social engineering risks (like phishing), and human behavior (like oversharing).

C. “OPSEC is a one-time setup” Threats evolve. Your defenses should too. OPSEC is a continuous practice, not a checkbox.

D. “OPSEC requires expensive tools” Not really. Smart OPSEC focuses on what actually matters. Awareness and planning can beat expensive software.

E. “I’m too small to be a target” Attackers don’t discriminate. Small businesses, individuals, and students all have valuable data whether it’s personal information, financial details, or simply access to larger networks.

Making It Real

OPSEC isn’t about living in fear or locking yourself away from the digital world. It’s about being intentional. It’s about understanding that in our connected world, information has value and that value makes it a target.

Start small:

• Review your social media privacy settings

• Stop reusing passwords

• Think twice before posting location or schedule details

• Have honest conversations with your team about what information is sensitive

• Update software regularly

• Use encryption for sensitive communications

Check Your Exposure:

• Visit Have I Been Pwned to see if your accounts were breached

• Use ExifTool to remove metadata from photos before sharing online

• Search your username with Sherlock to see where your identity appears

Team and Business:

• Have honest conversations about what information is sensitive

• Update software regularly

• Use encryption for sensitive communications

• Run security audits with tools like Shodan to see what’s visible about your network

The threats are real, but they’re manageable when you’re paying attention. OPSEC gives you the framework to think systematically about protection instead of reacting to problems after they happen.

Because in this game, the best defense is thinking like your opponent before they think of you.

See you next Thursday! I’ve got something special to share, something that means a lot to me. Stay tuned.