14. August 2008 by Chris.Cox.

There was a time when Operations Security, or OPSEC, was a military tool used to secure Military functions. This is rapidly no longer becoming the case.

OPSEC is the process used to deny an adversary (an enemy in the Military, a competitor in the corporate world and a “bad guy” in the public eye) access to the information that they would need to accomplish their goals against you or your organization. For example, having a friend collect your mail and newspapers to hide the fact that you’re on vacation or keeping information out of the public press release that would allow a competitor to release a comparable product before your organization does.

In other words, every piece of information is like a “piece of the puzzle”, and should be protected whenever possible to avoid the completion of the puzzle.

More Corporations are realizing the role that OPSEC can play in their operations, and their bottom line. Corporate espionage is a repeated threat, and OPSEC has proven to be a low-cost addition to their existing security programs. All Federal contractors are required to integrate OPSEC into their business proposals, but many organizations are doing so voluntarily in other interactions. Examples include Raytheon, Consolidated Networks Corporation and H&R Block.

In addition to this, Schools,

No matter the organization, secrecy is occasionally required. An additional layer of security should be considered and implemented whenever possible.

Posted in OPSEC at home, schools, domestic violence | Print | 1 Comment »

26. June 2008 by Chris.Cox.

At one time in my life, I lived next to a “safe-house” for women and children effected by domestic violemce.

Immediately, there’s a problem with this. The problem is that I knew it. And if I knew it, so would a “bad guy”.

It would be counter-productive (and pretty stupid) for me to list the specific indicators that would cause a safe-house to stand out, but the pont is that simple precautions would have greatly increased the security for the residents.

For instance, all vehicles, whenever possible, should be unmarked and discreet and avoid government markings. Sometimes, of course, this is unavoidable, but frequent visits will raise the suspicion of neighbors. Also school-aged children, if they’re attending school, should be told (in a non-threatening or frightening manner!) what is okay to talk about, and subjects they should avoid. Addresses, schedules and security information are some examples of the latter!

Posted in domestic violence | Print | 1 Comment »