Operations security (OPSEC) is a security and risk management process that aims to prevent sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. It is a systematic and proven process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by enemy intelligence, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be used against friendly forces, and then executes selected measures that eliminate or reduce adversary exploitation of friendly critical information.
OPSEC was developed as a methodology during the Vietnam War when U.S. Navy Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp established the Purple Dragon team to find out how the enemy obtained information on military operations before those operations took place. Since then, OPSEC has been adopted by many organizations and sectors to safeguard sensitive information in various contexts beyond the military.
The five-step OPSEC process includes the following:
- Identify sensitive data
- Threat Assessment
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Risk Assessment
- Application of appropriate countermeasures
OPSEC encourages IT and security managers to view their operations and systems from the perspective of a potential attacker. It includes analytical activities and processes like behavior monitoring, social media monitoring, and security best practices.
OPSEC is important because it helps organizations protect their most sensitive data and prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. It provides a different way of approaching cybersecurity and encourages organizations to closely assess the security risks they face and spot potential vulnerabilities that a typical data security approach may not.
