When I was an OPSEC Program Manager in the military I can’t tell you how much I appreciated when the boss called me in and told me that the “secret” deployment was in two days and they needed me to give the OPSEC okay to the plan.  Yeah, that was always fun - and rewarding too.  And then while I was in the corporate world I really enjoyed being told by a corporate honcho that the new product will be released tomorrow and do I want to look over the press releases that have already been sent out.  You know…just to make sure they’re all OK from a security perspective.  Ahhhhh, good times - good times.  That always made the job worthwhile for me.  I mean, what can bring more job satisfaction than knowing that you’re being brought into a mission or project at the precise moment that anything you might do will be a total waste of time?  Boy, it doesn’t get much better than that.  Assuming you have caught all the sarcasm that’s dripping off these words then I guess you’ve been there - done that - got the t-shirt - wore it - washed it - gave it to the “Poor OPSECers Fund Drive” - claimed it on your taxes.

     But when should OPSEC be put into our processes or our missions?  Is it during the planning phase?  It is sandwiched between planning and execution?  Does it happen during market research?  Does it come after product release or deployment?  Boy, this is a complicated decision.  So many factors, issues and considerations.  So many things to deliberate, considerate, cogitate, meditate and contemplate.  Seriously, there are just too many variables for me to answer that question.  Except maybe this way…OPSEC begins at birth!

     Every concept, idea or plan has an inception.  And from there it has a defined life cycle.  OPSEC must be considered in every step of the life cycle.  We don’t wait until our children are five years old and then start to protect them.  We don’t wait a year before we buy car insurance and we don’t wait until we’re wheels up before we start to add in some OPSEC.

     Now, I understand that if you’re a regular reader of this blog you most likely are a fairly seasoned OPSECer and you’re probably hip to this little pearl of insight.  So your challenge now is to educate your leadership and develop ways to ensure that you, as the OPSEC Manager, get invited to all those planning meetings that you’ve been missing.  So get out there and bang down some doors.  You need to be there - OPSEC needs to be there.  Make it so.

Keep the Faith!

Revelator