What is OPSEC?OPSEC (operations security) is a security and risk management process and strategy that classifies information, then determines what is required to protect sensitive information and prevent it from getting into the wrong hands. Show
OPSEC gets information technology (IT) and security managers to view their operations and systems as potential attackers would. OPSEC includes analytical activities and processes, such as social media monitoring, behavior monitoring and security best practices. OPSEC was developed as a methodology during the Vietnam War when U.S. Navy Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, established the Purple Dragon team to find out how the enemy obtained information on military operations before those operations took place. As a military term, OPSEC described strategies to prevent adversaries or potential adversaries from discovering critical operations-related data. This concept has spread from the military to other parts of the federal government, including the Department of Defense (DOD), to protect national security. As information management and protection have become important to success in the private sector, OPSEC measures are now common in business operations.
What are the 5 steps in OPSEC?The processes that make up operations security come down to these five steps: 1. Identify critical information. The first step is to determine what data would be particularly harmful to the organization if an adversary obtained it. This includes intellectual property, employees' or customers' personally identifiable information, financial statements, credit card data and product research. 2. Analyze threats. The next step is to identify who is a threat to the organization's critical information. There may be numerous adversaries who target different information, and companies must consider any competitors or hackers who might target the data. 3. Analyze vulnerabilities. In the vulnerability analysis stage, the organization examines potential weaknesses among the safeguards in place to protect critical information and identifies which ones leave it vulnerable. This step includes finding any potential lapses in physical and electronic processes designed to protect against the predetermined threats or areas where a lack of security awareness training leaves information open to attack. 4. Assess risks. The next step is to determine the threat level associated with each of the identified vulnerabilities. Companies rank the risks according to factors such as the chances a specific attack will occur and how damaging such an attack would be to operations. The higher the risk, the more pressing is the need to implement risk management 5. Apply appropriate countermeasures. The last step involves deploying an OPSEC plan that will reduce the risks. The best place to start is with the risks that are the biggest threat to operations. Potential security improvements include implementing additional hardware and training and developing new information governance Operations security best practicesOrganizations developing and implementing an end-to-end operations security program will want to follow these best practices:
OPSEC and risk managementOPSEC encourages managers to view operations and projects from the outside-in -- that is, from the perspective of competitors or enemies in order to identify weaknesses. If an organization can easily extract its own information while acting as an outsider, the odds are outside adversaries can as well. Completing regular risk assessments is key to identifying vulnerabilities. Risk management encompasses the ability to identify vulnerabilities and threats before they turn into real issues. OPSEC forces managers to do in-depth analyses into their operations and determine where sensitive data can be easily breached. By looking at operations from a bad actor's perspective, managers can spot vulnerabilities they might have missed and they can implement the right OPSEC processes to protect sensitive information. OPSEC trainingThe Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) is part of the DOD's Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency offers security training for military personnel and DOD employees and contractors. The group uses web-based e-learning formats to present its training programs. Areas covered in CDSE training include:
Occasional users of CDSE courses are taking them on the Security Awareness Hub website where students do not have to register. After the course, participants receive a certificate of completion. However, CDSE does not keep records of who completes the course. CDSE training is also available through its Security, Training, Education and Professionalization Portal, a learning management system portal for all of the organization's security courses. Students taking CDSE courses regularly use the portal, which tracks completion. It also provides a transcript that can then be used to request American Council on Education and continuing education credits. OPSEC strategies and processes are interrelated with the work of SecOps teams. Find out more about the role of SecOps and the security operations center in the enterprise. This was last updated in June 2021 Continue Reading About OPSEC (operations security)
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Which of the following should be the first step in developing an information security strategy?Steps to Create an Information Security Plan:. Step 1: Perform a Regulatory Review and Landscape. Your firm must first perform a regulatory review, as all businesses have requirement coming from oversight bodies. ... . Step 2: Specify Governance, Oversight & Responsibility. ... . Step 3: Take Inventory of Assets.. Which of the following steps should be taken first while implementing information security governance in an organization? Evaluation of third parties requesting connectivity.. Assessment of the adequacy of disaster recovery plans.. Final approval of information security policies.. Monitoring adherence to physical security controls.. What is the first step in establishing an information security program?the initial step in establishing an information security program is the: development and implementation of an information security standards manual.
Which is the first thing that should be determined by the information security manager when developing an information security program?The FIRST step in developing an information security management program is to: Options are : identify business risks that affect the organization. assign responsibility for the program.
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