OPSEC: Why Operational Security Is Of Extreme Importance

There I was. Standing next to an acquaintance at a party, listening to him brag about his cache of supplies to a group of people he hardly knew.

"I've got enough supplies in my shelter to last me a couple months when the shit hits the fan," he boasted. "Nobody is more prepared than me."

"Where's your shelter at?" an owlish man in his mid-forties asked.

"No one will ever find it," my acquaintance answered. "The only door to it is under the rug in the tool shed out back behind my house."

I couldn't help myself at this point.

"What happens if this location is compromised and you can't use it?" I asked.

"I'm prepared for that situation. I've got a fully-stocked cabin a stone's throw away."

An elderly gentleman piped in, "You mean the one out past Baker Road where your father and I used to hunt?"

"That's the one."

I don't know how well the people in the group knew the gentleman doing all the talking, but one thing's for sure. If there's ever an emergency situation that requires hunkering down, he's going to have a lot of people knocking at the door of his little shelter and at least one person headed for the cabin.

This is a situation where a little Operations Security (OPSEC) would have gone a long way.

OPSEC is an important part of any bug out plan. In terms of bugging out, it refers to examining your plan to identify potential weaknesses. It seeks to take preemptive action against any identified weaknesses to ensure your hard work can't be exploited or used against you.

There's a 5-step process to implementing Operational Security:

 
  1. Identify Critical Information. Critical information is information you don't want others to have. This should include who you're taking with you, where you're going, what supplies you have and where the supplies are kept.
  2. Analysis of Threats. Look for potential adversaries. This should include neighbors and people who may stumble across your cache or destination and seek to claim it as their own. The biggest threat is someone finding out where you are and what you have and deciding they want to attempt to take it from you.
  3. Analysis of Vulnerabilities. Is there anyone who you're taking with you who knows enough to compromise your entire operation? Could you be seen moving supplies to your safe spot? What are the chances of someone stumbling across it?
  4. Assessment of Risk. Identify the risks and plan countermeasures. Choose the best countermeasure for each situation you've identified.
  5. Application of Measures. Apply the countermeasures. If the risk hasn't yet been realized or is minimal, place the countermeasure in your future plans.

There it is in a nutshell—OPSEC. Applying OPSEC allows you to identify potential risks and take action before the risk is realized. This is one of the key components of a successful bug out plan.

Let's look at an example of OPSEC in use.

You've identified the threat that someone may want to break into your home and take your supplies in the event of an emergency.

You identify the following vulnerabilities:

         Neighbors who have taken note of all the supplies you're bringing into your home.
         Friends and family who know what you've got stockpiled.
         Workers who may inadvertently stumble upon your cache while doing work in and around your house.

You determine all three of these vulnerabilities could seriously compromise your ability to survive in an emergency because people could come calling, some of whom may be unfriendly.

You decide to implement the following OPSEC measures:

         Gradually move items into your stockpile. Don't get any big deliveries that will get your neighbor's attention.
         Secure your stockpile in an area of your house where there's no outside access. This will allow you to guard your stockpile.
         Protect your stockpile from prying eyes. Blackout any windows in the room where your stockpile is stored to prevent it from accidentally being seen.
         Never speak of your stockpile to anyone, even those you might want to bring along. If you've got kids, they have to be taught from a young age not to talk about your cache.
         Keep weapons on hand, along with ample ammunition so you can protect your stockpile if the need arises.
         Set up a back-up stockpile at an alternate location in case your current location and stockpile become inaccessible.

If you've implemented good OPSEC, you'll never need to use the weapons you've included in your stockpile. Nobody will know what you have on hand, so they won't come calling to get their piece of the pie.