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Vacation

20 April 2012 by Revelator.

Pop Quiz time fellow OPSECers:

Q: Which of the following is the BEST example of an out-of-office statement for your work email?

A: I’m not in. Don’t know where I’m going. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Don’t know when I’m coming back - and neither do you. OPSEC Baby! I will be checking email daily.

B: I am currently out of the office for 14 glorious days. I finally got my vacation approved and I’m taking the little woman, Junior and baby girl to the Atlantis Resort (and casino!!). For any security issues don’t even think about contacting me! Instead, please contact Regional Security Manager Susie Smith at (555)-555-1234. BTW: she is also the SAP coordinator. Assuming I actually come back to work (ha-ha) all emails will be addressed on my return.

C: I am currently out of the office. If you need immediate assistance please contact Joe Smith at (555)-555-1234.

D: I am on travel until the first of next month. I’m attending a classified conference which means I won’t have my laptop during the conference (8am - 5pm each day). I can’t even check during lunch so I’ll be leaving my laptop in my hotel room but I promise to get back to you after 5pm. If you really need to contact me call the Springfield Marriott and ask for me (room 209), Steve Jones (room 426) or Joey Smith (room 427) and they’ll put you through. For those of you working on Project Nighttrain - I won’t have access to JWICS or SIPR until I get back so don’t bother sending anything to those accounts. Have a great day.

Assuming I don’t have to actually give you the correct answer I surely hope you get the point. What you put in your out-of-office statement - or your voicemail message - must be free of sensitive information. This also speaks to need-to-know. There are a multitude of reasons why this is important and a multitude of ways an adversary could exploit your information - suffice to say that you need to heed this advice. Keep your out-of-office email statements and your voicemail recordings short and to the point. Don’t include any information that doesn’t absolutely need to be there.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

Vacation - The Go-Go’s

Posted in Critical Information, Awareness, Countermeasures, Vulnerabilities, Conferences, General OPSEC | Print | 2 Comments »

Who Wrote The Book Of Love

5 February 2010 by Revelator.

While reading “Hour Game” by David Baldacci I came upon a narrative that screemed OPSEC better than anything I’ve read or seen on TV lately. Never under estimate the threat - in any situation…

He watched the old couple totter out of the supermarket and ease into their Mercedes station wagon. He wrote down the license plate number. He would run it later on the Internet and get their home address. They were doing their own shopping, so they probably had no live-in help or grown children nearby. The make of the care was relatively new, so they weren’t surviving solely on Social Security. The man wore a cap with the logo of the local country club. That was another potential gold mine of information he might later tap.

He sat back and waited patiently. More prospects were sure to come in the busy shopping center. He could consume all he wanted without ever once taking out his wallet.

A few minutes later an attractive woman in her thirties came out of a pharmacy carrying a large bag. His gaze swung to her, his homicidal antennae twitching with interest. The woman stopped at the ATM next to the pharmacy, withdrew some cash and then committed what should have been classified as a mortal sin for the new century: she tossed the receipt into the trash before climbing into a bright red Chrysler Sebring convertible. Her vanity plate read “DEH JD.”

He quickly translated that to be her initials and the fact that she was a lawyer, the “JD” standing for Juris Doctor. Her clothes told him she was fastidious about her appearance. The tan on her arms, face and legs was deep. If she was a practicing lawyer, she probably had just come back from vacation or else had visited the tanning booth over the winter. She was very fit-looking, her calves particularly well developed. His gaze had fixed on the gold anklet she wore on her left leg as she climbed in her car. That was intriguing, he thought.

She had a current-year American Bar Association bumper sticker, so the odds were she was still practicing law. And she was also single - there was no wedding ring on her finger. And right next to the ABA bumper sticker was a parking permit for a very expensive gated residential development about two miles from here. He nodded appreciatively. These stickers were very informative.

He parked, got out of the Bug, walked over to the trash can, made a show of throwing something away and in the same motion plucked out the ATM receipt. The woman really should have known better. She might as well have tossed her personal tax return in the trash. She was now naked, completely open to any probing he wanted to do.

When he got back to his car, he looked a the name on the account: D. Hinson. He’d look her up in the phone book later. And she’d also be in the business listings, so he’d know which law firm in town she worked at. That would him two potential targets. Banks had started leaving off some of the numbers of the account because they knew their customers stupidly disposed of their receipts where they were easy picking for people like him.

He kept trolling under the warming sun. What a nice day it was shaping up to be. He reclined slightly in his seat only to perk up when off to his right a soccer mom started loading groceries in her van. He wasn’t guessing there: she wore a T-shirt that announced her status. An infant rode in the car seat in the rear. A green bumper sticker announced that the woman was the mom of an honor roll student at Wrightsburg Middle School for the current school year.

Good to know, he thought: seventh or eighth grader and an infant. He pulled into the space next to the van and waited. The woman took the cart back to the front of the store, leaving the baby completely unguarded.

He got out of the Bug, leaned into the van’s open driver’s side window and smiled at the baby, who grinned back, chortling. The interior of the van was messy. Probably so was the woman’s house. If they had an alarm system, they probably never turned it on. Probably forgot to lock all the doors and windows too. It was a wonder to him that the crime rate in the country wasn’t far higher what with millions of idiots like here staggering blindly through life.

An algebra book was in the backseat; the middle school child’s, no doubt. Next to it was a children’s picture book, so there was at least a third child. This deduction was confirmed by the presence of a pair of grass-stained tennis shoes in the rear floorboard; they looked to be those of a five- or six-year-old boy.

He glanced in the passenger seat. There is was: a People magazine. He looked up. The woman had just slammed the cart back into the rack and had now paused to talk to someone coming out of the store. He reached in and drew the magazine toward him. Name and home address were on the mailing label. He already had her home phone number. She’d helpfully put it on the For Sale sign on the window of her van.

Another bingo. Her keys were in the ignition. He placed a piece of soft putty over the ones that looked like house keys, taking quick impressions. It made the breaking in and entering part a lot easier when you didn’t have to “break” when you “entered.”

A final home run. Her cell phone was in its holder. He looked up. She was still gabbing away. Had he been so inclined he could have killed the kid, stolen all her groceries and torched the car, and the woman would never even know it until someone started screaming at the flames shooting into the sky. He glanced around. People were far too busy with their lives to notice him.

He snatched the phone, hit the main screen button and got her cell phone number. The he accessed her phone book, took a digital camera the size of his middle finger from his pocket and snapped pictures of screen after screen until he had all the names and phone numbers in her directory. He returned the phone, waved bye-bye to baby and slipped back into his car.

He went over his list. He had her name, home address and the fact that she had a least three kids and was married. The mailing block had been addressed to both Jean and Harold Robinson. He also had her home phone number, cell phone number and the names and numbers of a host of others important to her as well as impressions of her house keys.

She and her lovely family belong to me now.

Keep the Faith
Revelator

Who Wrote The Book Of Love - The Monotones

Posted in Risk, Critical Information, Awareness, Vulnerabilities, Threat, Family OPSEC, Analysis, General OPSEC | Print | No Comments »

Tell It Like It Is

18 December 2009 by Revelator.

This is just unfreakingbelievable!

Hackers steal SKorean-US military secrets By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer Kwang-tae Kim, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 18, 7:19 am ET

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s military said Friday it was investigating a hacking attack that netted secret defense plans with the United States and may have been carried out by North Korea.

The suspected hacking occurred late last month when a South Korean officer failed to remove a USB device when he switched a military computer from a restricted-access intranet to the Internet, Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.

The USB device contained a summary of plans for military operations by South Korean and U.S. troops in case of war on the Korean peninsula. Won said the stolen document was not a full text of the operational plans, but an 11-page file used to brief military officials. He said it did not contain critical information.

Pardon? Did I read that wrong? Let me check…”He said it did not contain critical information.” Nope - I read it right. Still can’t believe it. I mean, are you kidding me? An 11 page Executive Summary of our South Korean defense plans (OPLAN 5027) contains no sensitive information? Am I dead? Did I go to OPSEC hell and not get greeted by the demon of OPSEC? I’ve met this demon before - his name is Ignorance - so I’m pretty sure I would know him if he was greeting me at the gates of OPSEC hell. Perhaps this is a dream? Damn it people - just saying something isn’t so does not make it not so. Sure that’s a horrible sentence but let me show one that is far worse: “He said it did not contain critical information.” See? Much worse.

And don’t give me that nonsense that denying it had critical information is our way of not confirming to the North Koreans that it did indeed contain sensitive information. You know who says stuff like that? People who don’t understand the adversary. To be so blind as to think that North Korea doesn’t have a damn good idea of what is essentially contained in OPLAN 5027 is the height of ignorance. Especially since you can find older versions of OPLAN 5027 in all it’s classified glory on the internet.

I’ll grant that the 11 page summary may have been unclassified but there is no way I’m going to grant it didn’t contain critical information. Unless the only definition you have of critical information is anything that’s classified - and we know that’s just not true. Too bad not everybody understands that these days.

Thanks to my good friend Kirk for letting me know about this.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville

Posted in Risk, Critical Information, BS, Vulnerabilities, Threat, Media, WWW, Computer Intrusions | Print | No Comments »

I Am The Walrus (revisited)

21 July 2009 by Revelator.

In yesterdays blog I listed a series of questions that I had hoped to have answered once I received my security clearance. I also stated that I didn’t ever get the answers to most of those. Well, it turns out that one of my faithful readers actually has the answers and is kind enough to share them with the rest of us. Because of the nature of the information and the sensitivity of the sources I cannot provide his/her name - suffice to say that he/she is known to many of you. Enjoy…

Revelator: Hope this helps…

Who really killed Kennedy?
- LBJ.

Did we land on the moon or was that all filmed in a soundstage in Burbank?
- We landed. Myth busters just proved it last night.

What is really going on in Area 51?
- It’s part of the current ‘Air Force Partying System’ - the Air Force had too many wild parties and broke the stereo systems in Areas 1 thru 50.

Is Elvis still alive?
- Yes he is. I just asked him.

Is there really a Hanger 18 and/or a Project Bluebook?
- Yes. It’s between Hangars 17 and 19. Yes. It was a joke. Or joke book.

Is there actually a government warehouse for freaky secret stuff? And if so, is the Arc of The Covenant there?
- Yes. It’s called the Pentagon. And no - God has more sense than to leave his scribbled down notes with a bunch of idiots.

Just who/what the hell is/are the Illuminati?
- Started out as a bunch of free-thinkers in Bavaria circa 1776. Recent Wanna-be’s took the name and supposedly comprise the New World Order…good luck to them.

Are we alone?
- No. If you need proof, just call 555-1212.

Who are the “Nine Unknown Men?”
- No one knows. That’s why we call them ‘Unknown’. But I think at least one’s named ‘Bob’.

Do the Grays really exist - and if they are running the world shouldn’t they be doing a better job of it?
- Yes they do. And yes, they should be; they need all the help they can get. Please call 8675…309. Ask for ‘Jenny’.

What the hell is going on in the Bermuda Triangle - and if it’s so jacked up there why do boats and planes still go there?
- Scientists determined that it’s a weather thing. A confluence of location and jet streams. Boats still go there because of what they saw on either the Adam’s Family movie or Unsolved Mysteries.

Where is Sasquatch and why do we never see more than one at a time?
- He resides at the Holladay Park Plaza, a Portland, Ore. assisted living center. You never see more than one at a time because he’s the only one. He’s classified as a cryptid.

Was that really a weather balloon in Roswell?
- Yes. But they were inadvertently popped by a gang of extra-terrestrials who were subsequently shot down and dismembered by some angry scientists who were really counting on getting that weather data.

What’s up with Stonehenge?
- A grouping of really big rocks which are the property of the English Crown and not the reigning monarch. It’s a place of burial; a domain of the dead.

And what about the Nazca Lines in Peru? Is this “Chariots of the Gods” stuff true?
- Just animal doodles on a large scale. A precursor to crop circles.
- Of course it’s true. It’s how we got Energizer batteries and keep our razor blades sharp.

And now you know…the rest of the story.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

Posted in BS, Critical Information, General OPSEC | Print | No Comments »

I Am The Walrus

20 July 2009 by Revelator.

Way back in 1978 I started the process for my Department of Defense security clearance. I’ve had this thing for long about 32 years now so I’m fairly versed in how we handle, store, transmit, disseminate, and otherwise protect classified information. But I must say that as an 18 year-old waiting on my clearance I was pretty damn naive.

I actually thought that once I got my clearance I would be able to see all the Top Secret information the government had on file. I was pumped! I was finally gonna get the answers to some of the nagging questions that my government wouldn’t share with those so unfortunate as to not be cleared.

Here is my list of things I wanted to know:

Who really killed Kennedy?
Did we land on the moon or was that all filmed in a soundstage in Burbank?
What is really going on in Area 51?
Is Elvis still alive?
Is there really a Hanger 18 and/or a Project Bluebook?
Is there actually a government warehouse for freaky secret stuff? And if so, is the Arc of The Covenant there?
Just who/what the hell is/are the Illuminati?
Are we alone?
Who are the “Nine Unknown Men?”
Did Jesus have a wife?
Do the Greys really exist - and if they are running the world shouldn’t they be doing a better job of it?
Is Paul McCartney dead?
What the hell is going on in the Bermuda Triangle - and if it’s so jacked up there why do boats and planes still go there?
Where is Sasquatch and why do we never see more than one at a time?
Was that really a weather balloon in Roswell?
What’s up with Stonehenge?
Is Yoko Ono the Antichrist?
And what about the Nazca Lines in Peru? Is this “Chariots of the Gods” stuff true?

As you may know, or certainly must have guessed, I didn’t find the answers I was seeking once I got my clearance. Well, that’s not entirely true…I have been to Area 51 (didn’t see one stinking alien) and it looks like Paul is alive and well and I’m pretty sure Yoko Ono is not the Antichrist though I have no evidence to back that up either way. But the fact remains that once I got my clearance there was very little classified information that the government would let me get my hands on.

For those of you who have never had a clearance you may be asking why this is; three simple words - Need To Know. I didn’t have the Need to Know any of the information I was seeking (if it even exists - which I doubt).

Most of us understand and properly use Need to Know when dealing with classified information but I ask you now - how are you with unclassified information? Do you still apply Need to Know principles when someone asks you for unclassified sensitive or critical information? If someone you work with were to ask you to let them read a “For Official Use Only” document would you give it to them without much thought?

Sadly, most of us would. I mean, it’s unclassified for Heavens sake. If it was worthy of protection someone would have made it classified wouldn’t they? And therein lies our problem. A good number of us don’t really think anything unclassified requires any type of protection. Well, if that were true may I be so bold as to suggest that we don’t need OPSEC.

If we’re not going to bother seeing “For Official Use Only” or “Sensitive But Unclassified” or “Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information” or “Law Enforcement Sensitive” or “Sensitive Homeland Security Information” or “Administratively Controlled Information” or “Security Sensitive Information” or “Critical Infrastructure Information” or “Personally Identifiable Information” or “Controlled Unclassified Information” as information requiring protection then why bother with any of these identifiers?

Back to the point: Need to Know needs to be applied to unclassified sensitive information (in all its forms) in the same way we apply it to classified information. If coworkers Bob or Janet want to see that “For Official Use Only” document then you need to verify that they have a Need to Know the information - that they need this information to do their job. And if you can’t verify that then you can’t let Bob or Janet see the information.

Pretty simple really.

And I hate to be the one to break this to you but yeah…Elvis is dead. Sorry man.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

“I Am The Walrus” - The Beatles

Posted in Critical Information, General OPSEC | Print | No Comments »

Miss You

9 July 2009 by Layne.

Hey Baby!!

I sure miss you and the kids!!!!!!!!! XOXOXOXOX I know I’ve only been here two weeks but OMG do I miss you guys. I want to be back home so bad it hurts. I miss wrestling with Dylan and (don’t tell any of my boys this) but I really do miss Shelby’s tea parties (please tell her again that daddy is sorry he broke her chair). And do I have to even go into the things I miss about you? Especially after that last email I sent!! There are times when missing you guys really gets to me but I’ve been lucky so far and have been able to find places where I can be alone. To paraphrase Tom Hanks - “There’s no crying in war!”

Thank God I’ve got my blog so I can keep the whole family up to speed about what I’m doing. I know everyone is worried about me but hopefully if they know what I’m up to they won’t worry as much. In yestersay’s blog I tried to tell them everything I could about what what I was doing in Mosul. I know it’s on the news and all over the Internet but as usual they got it all wrong - they reported we were there just to quell some uprising but we were really there trying to capture an Al Queda bad guy who was in the area. We missed him but we’re going back tonight (in about an hour actually). We’ve got some info from a cousin of his that he’s hiding out in a Mosque near the park in Central Mosul. He was tipped off last night but I think we’ll get him this time - as long as everyone keeps their damn mouths shut! Keeping a secret around here is harder than keeping your brother off Meth (how is he doing by the way?)

And can you please tell everyone that I’m doing my best to keep up with the tweets. It’s just kind of hard when you’re rolling down the highway on your way to attack a target and you’re worried about an IED blowing your ass off. I’ll do my best but please ask everyone to understand if they don’t get up to the minute tweets from me. I’m trying to kill bad guys here and tweeting may not be the first thing on my mind.

And can you tell Dad not to call me on the cell every time he hears that someone died over here - it’s getting kind of annoying. Between the tweets, the MySpace page, the blog and my daily emails - I would think that would be enough information for the whole blessed family.

Hey, I was thinking the other night about getting you that new car…Baby, if you just absolutely can’t live without a new Mini then I guess when I get back we can get one for you. I know me being over here is very hard on you so I figure it’s the least I can do. You (and the kids) are the reason I’m over here babe. I want Dylan and Shelby to know that at least one time their daddy stood up for something that was important to him - and to his country. And I’ll never tell dad this but when I put on my uniform and I see the name he gave me on it I feel that I’m carrying him with me. I know that even though he’s not much on words I know he’s proud of me and yes, even that he loves me. When I get home I’m just gonna tell him I love him and I don’t care if he says it back - I just have to say it one time - so he knows.

I’ve got to get to the mission brief now baby. Hug Dylan and Shelby for me and tell them that daddy will be home soon. I’ll twitter when we’re done and email you as soon as I get back. I have to email you - there is something important I want to tell you about - it’s great news so don’t worry but I don’t have time now to tell you - gotta run. I love you with all my heart Angel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EPILOGUE: This was Private Lindmarks last email. His unit was ambushed that night as they approached the mosque in Mosul. No one knows how the information got to the opposing force. What we do know is that 17 soldiers lost their lives that night, 9 wives were widowed and 12 children will never see their father (and one mother) ever again.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

Miss You - The Rolling Stones

Post Script - This story is a fictional account of something I hope never happens.
Rev

Posted in Critical Information | Print | 1 Comment »

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

19 September 2008 by Revelator.

2 = 4. Wait a minute - no it doesn’t; 2 + 2 = 4. Yeah, that’s better. See how that makes sense? We took one thing (2) and added it to another thing (2) to get the new thing (4). Now, I must be fair and say that while the above is true, so also is this; 4 = 4. But that is a given isn’t it? I mean, even if we can’t add we can see that one thing is always equal to itself. So where am I going with this? You can’t answer that question can you? No you can’t. So far all I’ve given you the first “2″ but I’ve yet to give you the other “2″ so there is no way you can deduce “4″ and know just what the hell I’m trying to say. Know what I mean? I didn’t think so…and I don’t blame you.

Perhaps this will help… Last week my wife asked me this question; “Do we have any plans for Saturday?” To which I replied; “Nope.” and went back to watching the Huntington Beach Bad Boy wail on some poor guy with more tattoo’s than skills. But not before I pondered for a brief moment the nature of her question. The possible answers were many and varied so without further thought I disregarded the question.

Saturday night came and my wife had thrown me a wonderful surprise party. When she asked her question earlier in the week I unknowingly had the first “2″ but I never knew there was another “2″ so there was no way of knowing that “4″ was coming on Saturday night.

Such is not the case with hostile intelligence collectors. When a bad guy sees the first “2″ his natural inclination is to ask himself; “2 + what = 4?” And so begins the collection effort that could very well determine the other “2″. Had I been the least bit curious about my wife’s question I could have asked her a series of questions that may have turned up the info required for me to deduce the “4″ - that she was throwing me a surprise party.

Likewise, when an intelligence collector sees the event calendar of an organization on their web site (2) and subsequently sees a military exercise schedule that ties the two together on yet another web site (2)…well, it’s easy to see how he determines that this organization will be participating in the exercise (4). Unfortunately for us this means that we have now revealed critical information about when and where we will be performing, testing or exercising our mission and we’ve also focused his future collection efforts against us. On the Good/Bad scale, this is what us old OPSEC pro’s call “bad.”

Always understand that we do not operate in vacuums. What we say as well as what we publish can have far reaching negative effects. Now, while we can’t always protect the other “2″ we can do our level best to make sure that our “2″ doesn’t get seen, read, or heard so that the bad guy doesn’t ever get the “4″ we’re ultimately trying to protect.

Keep the Faith!
Revelator

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2

Posted in Critical Information, Risk, Vulnerabilities, Threat | Print | No Comments »

Welcome To The Jungle

30 May 2008 by Revelator.

Firewall and system probing, Network File Systems application attacks, email attacks, vendor default password attacks, spoofing, sniffing, fragmentation and splicing attacks. Where will it all end? Since this is clearly our biggest security concern why can’t we fix it? Why aren’t we throwing all our money, manpower and technical abilities at this problem? Computer crimes cost us $32 million is 2006. Boy, I’ll tell you what - somebody better do something quick. Unless the computer isn’t our biggest security concern…

But if (as I imply) the computer isn’t the biggest threat to the security of our organization or mission, then what is? Here’s a clue - look above. Didn’t you read all that stuff in the first paragraph? Of course the computer is the biggest threat to the security of your organization/mission. Or is it…

Well, duh. The computer and it’s evil spawn the INTERNET is just teeming with demon hackers who are trying to either crash or rape your system every minute of every day. It’s all over the news! Technology is killing security. Punks who were born with Playskool See-n-Hack starter laptop kits are wreaking havoc all over the technosphere. What’s an OPSEC Program Manager to do? Hell, you’re not the IT Security dude. You know nothing of firewalls, routers and DMZ’s. Face it partner - you’re screwed. Unless…I mean, unless the computer is not the biggest threat to the security of your organization/mission…

And here we are again. What is, and will remain, the biggest threat to security in your organization is the person in the next cubicle, or the next stall, or the next chair, or sitting across from you at lunch asking you to pass the pink or yellow package that really isn’t sugar but will kill you just as fast. Humans…whattaya gonna do?

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been allowed into “secure” facilities by people who should have known better. And you would be surprised how many buildings you can waltz right through when you’re wearing a UPS uniform and carrying a couple of boxes. You can have the best physical security money can buy for your building but if smokers leave the back door propped open for convenience…establish a great password policy but if your people write their passwords down…carefully screen all information you put on your web page but if Marketing feels the need to publicize…

The old saying is that we spend 80% of our security money protecting ourselves from outside threats while, in truth, 80% of our threat comes from within your own organization. The next time you head over to the fridge to see if anyone has left a Klondike bar without a name on it take a look around - you are surrounded by people who will unmaliciously give away sensitive information at the drop of a hat. They don’t mean to by the way. They just haven’t been properly educated about how NOT to inadvertently give away sensitive and critical information. That’s your job - now get to it!

Keep the Faith!

Revelator

Posted in Risk, Countermeasures, Critical Information, Vulnerabilities, Threat, Program Management, WWW, Computer Intrusions | Print | 2 Comments »

Revolution # 9

9 May 2008 by Revelator.

That’s right - Internet blogging is indeed the 9th revolution. I’ve done all the research and historians have succinctly reported that out of all the revolutions throughout history blogging is the 9th. That or I made all that up just so I could continue my recent habit of song titles as blog titles - you’re call. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine…

From the Wikipedia Blog page: A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

Current estimates say there are in the neighborhood of 15 - 20 million blogs out there for your enjoyment. Teenagers have created the majority of blogs. Blogs are currently the province of the young, with 92.4% created by people under the age of 30. Half of bloggers are between the ages of 13 and 19. Following this age group, 39.6% of bloggers are between the ages of 20 and 29. (http://www.caslon.com.au/weblogprofile1.htm)

If you are even marginally in touch you’ve no doubt heard of the problems the military has had with military based, military support and personal blogs of military throughout the blogosphere. Thousands of bloggers are putting information out there that from an OPSEC, or even a common sense perspective, should not be there. On the plus side, the majority of these blogs are now espousing OPSEC and demanding that sensitive information not be put in comments on the blog. Certainly this is a very good thing and while we’ve still got some problems out there it is good for an old OPSECer to see that the problem is correcting itself. Here are some examples:

“The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops’ online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say. “ By Noah Shachtman

Operational Security: If you know where a soldier is deployed, the return date, or any other information, please never give this information out to anyone, ever. The enemy loves to search for pieces of the puzzle of how to hurt us any way they can. Never post last name, location, contact information, unit details, morale status or even rank of someone you know who’s deployed. In today’s world of terrorism, this is especially important. http://www.honorguardbugler.com/2008/04/notes-on-opsec.html

I think it’s worth reminding OmniNerd users (many of whom have military affiliations through service, family or acquaintance) to be cognizant of the information posted. OmniNerd received a news post on 5 August from the Army of the Mujahideen containing links to graphic videos depicting death and violence to US service members. This means OmniNerd’s content was profiled by terrorists either for the user base or the types of hosted discussions. While initially rejected, I posted the content here to serve as a reminder of who may be reading your posts and the threat still facing Western states. http://www.omninerd.com/blogs/OPSEC_Awareness

OPSEC is the reason that organizations like Soldiers Angels or Anysoldier.com don’t just post the addresses of deployed soldiers for everyone in the blogosphere to see. You have to join those organizations and be approved by them, to receive addresses. OPSEC is the reason that I did not post the address of my fiancee’s son on this blog, when he deployed. The people who wish to support him (and our unending Thanks! to all those great folks who have been sending him letters and care packages! are people I know, and feel comfortable giving his address. OPSEC is the reason that Soldiers Angels says “Please do not post the name, etc. of your soldier, without his permission.” And it’s the reason that I usually redact the identifying information from any part of a note I receive that I do repost on here. Http://journals.aol.com/kasee267/SupportingtheTroops/entries/2008/01/28/just-a-reminder…opsec/1542

And finally: We’ve had quite a bit of OPSEC violation on the community recently. Just a reminder that you just can’t post dates, times, travels, discuss particulars about weapons, locations, etc. here. There ARE people out there who join communities like this to gather information. Don’t kid yourself. Will it get someone killed? You don’t know. The safest bet is just don’t do it. If you’re not sure if you should say it, err on the side of caution and just don’t say it. So here’s a basic list of what not to say or do:

DON’T post specific dates your SO goes on deployment, leaves for R&R, redeploys, PCS’s, or moves from one place to the next.

DON’T post specifics discussing weaponology, though that has not been an issue here, I’m just saying.

DON’T post where your husband is stationed if he is in a combat zone (i.e. what base he’s at in Iraq or Afghanistan).

DON’T post the times your husband will be in transit from base to base in a combat zone, or travel times, period.

DO black out or otherwise blur nameplace, unit and branch patches if posting pictures.

Those are the main infractions.

FROM HERE ON OUT I WILL DELETE WITHOUT WARNING ANY POST THAT VIOLATES OPSEC TERMS.

I’m tired of reminding people. Call me bitchy, I don’t care. Read and follow the rules. http://community.livejournal.com/militarylove/706293.html

Keep the Faith!

Revelator

Posted in Critical Information, WWW, Family OPSEC | Print | No Comments »

Let’s Take The Porsche

8 December 2007 by Revelator.

Why is it that people who own nice cars always refer to them by make and/or model? “Lunch? I would love to - we can take the Mercedes.” “Why yes, this is good coffee. I stopped there in my Beemer on the way to work.” “What? We lose our contract in 8 days!? You know, my Escalade seats 8.” What you never hear is; “Lunch? I would love to - we can take the Gremlin.”

Here are some more things I’m getting tired of hearing… “My daughter Epiphany goes to THE Ohio State.” “My wife Honoria, the one who does IT security for IBM; I think she’s seeing someone else.” I mean, if I had a dime for everytime I heard that one…

And what’s with all the stickers on cars these days? I really don’t care that Tad and Muffy play on the soccer team, are chartruese belts in sushi-do, go to Dolly Parton Middle School, play the clarinet in the fourth grade marching band and improvisational jazz quartet OR that you are a member of the Royal Order of Buffaloes, think that baby seals are depressed and/or socially repressed about global warming or that I can’t blame you cuz you voted for McGovern. And by the way, if I was horny I doubt I would honk just to let you know.

Ok, now I must find the OPSEC in this… People these days are way too eager to share personal information. They won’t give you their Social Security Account Number (that is readily available from, oh - I don’t know; 17, 505 sources) without a writ of habeas corpus but you can’t get them to shut up about everything else in their self-important lives. Now, I’m no criminal nor do I portray one on TV, but I am a student of the threat and know that each bit of personal information collected can and will be used against you in a very bad way.

I’ve raised four kids and each of them grew up just fine without covering my vehicle with stickers about their accomplishments. And some people actually like me in spite of the fact that I’ve never offered to drive anyone to lunch in my dented eight year old Dodge Truck. I did use my alarm combo/ATM Pin/code for work/birthdate/every password on every internet site I’ve ever registered for as my personalized liscense plate number - but we’ll just keep that between us friends.

Keep the Faith!

Revelator

Posted in Critical Information, Family OPSEC | Print | No Comments »

Archive for the Critical Information Category

Vacation

Who Wrote The Book Of Love

Tell It Like It Is

I Am The Walrus (revisited)

I Am The Walrus

Miss You

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Welcome To The Jungle

Revolution # 9

Let’s Take The Porsche