OPSEC Awareness Program- tips and ideas

Awareness campaigns are one of the most important tools in the OPSEC Professional’s Arsenal. Ranging from an Army OPSEC Training Program to local Schools or community centers, the OPSEC Awareness program is an opportunity for creativity and employee involvement.

The following list provides ideas for elements of an OPSEC Awareness Program, assuming management support:

Use the company newsletter Placing regular articles in the company newsletter, such as short, attention getting mini-articles in a box are sure to grab the attention of readers. If you have an artist on hand, you can create a regular cartoon strip.

Naming and honoring the ‘OPSEC Employee of the Month (Quarter, Year, etc)’ The recognition, such as a plaque or a posted picture, would be a motivating factor, especially if you could get management support for some sort of reward.

Posting OPSEC Awareness posters Mounting eye-catching, relevant reminders in common areas help to get the message out. Rotate the posters frequently for maximum effect.

Use of the employee bulletin board Short reminders and tips should be rotated frequently.

Mailing inserts with paychecks The paycheck is one piece of mail that’s always opened. Chances are that any inserts are read, or at least glanced at.

Sending E-mail reminders Depending on management support, the OPSEC Manager or Officer may be able to send periodic reminders to a distribution list.

Use of security-related screen savers It’s possible to control screen savers via centralized management, especially in a large organization. Your IT department may be able to help you implement and rotate OPSEC screen savers, such as the one on the OSPA website.

A catchy character NNSA/NSO has the ‘Revelator’ and the ‘Security Health Professional’, and there’s always the Dice-Man. Don’t be afraid to do something that would stand out. If you stand out, so will your message.

Stickers Reminder stickers can be affixed to telephones (‘Is your caller who he says he is?’), trash cans (‘Should that be shredded?’), shredders (‘shredder full? Another shredder is located at…’), etc.

Computer login banners Banners can show an OPSEC reminder prior to logging in, and can be rotated as needed. The shorter the message, the more likely that it will be read. Note: This may not be possible in environments, such as DoD systems, which require a specific banner.

Performance reports and annual reviews Consider adding OPSEC Awareness as an item on performance reports and annual reviews, as specific to your organization.

Professional membership Offer employees membership in an OPSEC professional organization, such as OSPA (http://www.opsecprofessionals.org) or OPS (http://www.opsecsociety.org)

Electronic display Electronic message boards can be used in the cafeteria or common areas and display security reminders, tips or notices.

Fliers or brochures Fliers or brochures can be made available in conference rooms, break rooms, even rest rooms. Whatever gets the message out.

Gimmicks People love gimmicks. Consider OPSEC Messages in fortune cookies, keychains, toys, etc. Try to use items that will be used frequently and kept, such as pens or mousepads.

Now, a million OPSEC-points to anyone that’s done all of them.