13. January 2009 by Layne.

Today I got yet another call from a long time OPSEC Program Manager saying that they had to foreclose on his OPSEC program. Rising OPSEC costs with no foreseable returns has buried many an OPSEC program recently. I know you’ve read the news accounts and experts from around the country are calling this an OPSEC recession or perhaps even an OPSEC depression. More to the point, an OPSEC depression that resembles - and may even be worse - than the Great OPSEC Depression of the late 70’s.

I guess to fully understand the problem we need to deal with exactly how we define recession and depression. In Operations Security, the term recession generally describes the reduction of the gross OPSEC product (GOP) for at least two quarters. The standard dictionary definition is “a period of reduced OPSEC activity.” The United States-based National Bureau of OPSEC Research (NBOR) defines OPSEC recession as: “a significant decline in OPSEC activity spread across the country, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in a lack of real OPSEC growth.” But does that accurately describe the current state of OPSEC affairs or do we need a stronger description? Perhaps this will do: An OPSEC depression is a sustained, long downturn in OPSEC. It is more severe than a recession, which is seen as a normal downturn in the OPSEC cycle. Considered a rare but extreme form of recession, a depression is characterized by abnormal increases in threat, vulnerabilities, risk, restriction of countermeasures, as well as highly volatile relative OPSEC value fluctuations, mostly devaluations. Yeah, that sounds more like it but I say to you that all is not lost…not yet at least.

What OPSEC needs right now is a stimulous package. Passage of an OPSEC Stimulous package by the Interagency OPSEC Stimulous Syndicate (IOSS) could be a critical step in OPSECs recovery, but as important as it is, it’s only the beginning of what I think all of you understand is going to be a long and difficult process of turning our OPSEC around. The current proposed stimulous package features nearly 20 dollars for renewable OPSEC and 11 bucks to modernize the Operations Security Professionals Association (OSPA) — steps former OSPA Ombudsman Bob Bitchen warmly endorsed weeks ago as a downpayment on the strategy for fighting OPSEC change. Supporters of the measure denied this amounted to diluting OPSEC, which had alarmed major OPSEC groups like OSPA.

Much of the justification for IOSS intervention in the form of the Stimulous Package comes from the assertion by many outside our community that OPSEC has failed. One OPSEC manager scoffed at this idea. “OPSEC programs are working fine, but they’re giving people answers that they don’t like, so people cry OPSEC failure.” Vulnerability and risk are high? That’s because program managers are afraid of a prolonged OPSEC depression. And well they should be.

To understand how the things went awry this time, go back a couple of decades, to a time when you could walk up to your OPSEC Manager and speak to someone who knew your name, your vulnerabilities and kept a record of your countermeasures. OPSEC was a simpler affair, and a no-nonsense one: If you didn’t write a CIL, understand your threat, identify vulnerabilites, assess risk then you didn’t get effective countermeasures. We all did our job and risk was lowered across the board. But lately falling interest in OPSEC and reliance on technology has lowered the impact any one OPSEC Manager can have on an organization, program or combat situation. We all wanted a piece of the OPSEC dream and by doing that, we forgot about the risks.

Most of the words above were borrowed from current news stories about the tough economic times this country is facing and while I tried to have some fun with it I found myself at the end without a viable point. And then I reread what I had written and it jumped out at me right there at the end - it’s all about the risk folks. Stay focused on lowering the risk to your unit, organization, mission or combat op and everything else will work itself out. Keep fighting the good fight and remember to always…

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix

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13. January 2009 by Layne.

Ladies and Gentlemen I’ve been getting lazy lately. Sorry about not updating more often. As the National OPSEC Conference in about a month away I suspect I’ll become more and more inspired. Until then I wanted to share something that the President of OSPA shared with the membership. Enjoy…

“So what’s so important about OPSEC, anyways?”

You may have heard that more than once. Some of you tell me that you hear it nearly every day. Those of you that are receiving this already know the answer- that’s why you’ve signed up to this mailing list. Some of you have even seen it firsthand.

We all know the story- about the Vietnam Purple Dragon Team, and how they determined the reason that the enemy was able to gain advance knowledge of missions and operations. On a higher level, OPSEC was developed to maintain mission secrecy and, thus, the advantage in combat. But to the individual soldier, it’s much more personal than that. OPSEC was there to save their lives and get them home again. To them, OPSEC was a way to help make sure that they wouldn’t die because of something that was simply beyond their control- be it their buddy with a big mouth or the letter home that was found in the trash.

OPSEC saves lives today. OPSEC is still there for the soldier as s/he is suiting up for a midnight raid. Or getting ready to jump (out of a perfectly good airplane, mind you) into hostile territory. OPSEC isn’t a box to check or a program to get out of the way- OPSEC is that almost ‘mystical’ thing that helps ensure that “our boys and girls” on the front lines are not put into harm’s way needlessly.

But, of course, today OPSEC goes much deeper than that. OPSEC is in every Government agency because it applies and helps ensure our overall safety as a Nation (and multiple Nations at that!). And, what’s more, OPSEC is gaining a foot hold in corporations, communities, and even families as a way to save lives and livelihoods- to preserve safety and profits alike. So the next time that someone asks you, “What’s so important about OPSEC, anyways?”, you can look them square in the eye and tell them, “Everything.”

Keep up the good fight.

Chris Cox
OSPA, President

“In My Life” - The Beatles

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