By Cynthia Flores-Wilkin Garrison Operations Security program manager, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security

As a new school year begins, Families start to settle into new routines, students return to classrooms and first day photos are posted to social media accounts. While all these moments are worth celebrating and sharing, there is an important reminder for operations security (OPSEC) and why it is a year-round responsibility. Adversaries don’t take a summer break.

OPSEC is not about avoiding social media or even limiting Family memories. It is about making informed decisions before sharing information.

This school year, take a moment to think before you share:

• Avoid posting real-time locations or daily routines.
• Review privacy settings on social media accounts.
• Be mindful of what appears in backgrounds of photos.
• Teach children not to share personal information, schedules or Family details with strangers online.
• Remember that even small pieces of information can become valuable when combined with other publicly available details.

Understanding OPSEC and its process is essential to protecting information. OPSEC consists of a five-step process and provides a framework for the systematic and continuous process necessary to identify and protect critical information. The primary goal of OPSEC is to safeguard sensitive data, ensuring that it remains confidential and secure from unauthorized access or adversaries.

The five steps are:

• Identification of critical information — determine what information needs protection.
• Analysis of threats — identify the adversaries and how they can collect information.
• Analysis of vulnerabilities — analyze what critical information is being exposed.
• Assessment of risk — assess what protective measures should be implemented.
• Application of OPSEC measures — application of appropriate OPSEC measures that protect critical information.

Back to school means back to learning. Back to OPSEC means back to protecting what adversaries are trying to learn. OPSEC is a mindset and everyone’s responsibility. Think before you share.