Become an OPSEC Superstar!
When you think of the term “OPSEC Superstar”, there are probably a few specific individuals that stand out in your mind. Some of them may be humorous characters, while others might be quietly toiling away to keep their organizations safe.
You, too, can be an OPSEC superstar.
First, you need to know the material. When you hit that red carpet at OPSEC events, you’ll encounter some tough questions. And given the nature of OPSEC, most of the questions will rely on your opinion and experience, rather than facts and figures. For instance, an employee isn’t likely to come up to you asking, “Say, what’s the fourth step in the OPSEC Process?”, but you will most likely hear, “Is it ok to publish this?” more than once. Understanding not only the “concepts” of OPSEC, but also the “philosophies” of OPSEC will allow you to give an informed and relevant reply. Failing to understand the material will destroy your credibility.
You also need to know yourself. Know your teaching style or styles of communication. If you’re not a comedian, don’t rely on the jokes. If you’re a gifted artist, skip the built-in clipart in favor of custom art. Everyone has some sort of talent. The important part is to figure out how you can use yours in your OPSEC program.
To be a true OPSEC superstar, you need to be visible. This works on two different levels. You need to be visible (most importantly) within your organization as you deliver presentations, reminders, and generally make yourself available for questions and issues. The OPSEC Officer/Manager/Professional is a critical part of any organization, and successful ones utilize them heavily. You need also to be visible within the OPSEC community as a whole. This is not to suggest shameless self promotion, but networking, advocacy and mentorship. In a small, close-knit community like the OPSEC community, each is extremely important and highly attainable.
Equally important is to know your audience. OPSEC Awareness campaigns and material need to be tailored to the particular level of the addressees, including technical level and responsibilities. It makes no sense to overwhelm a delivery driver with the full weight of a CIL generation briefing, OPSEC history, etc. Focus on the most important OPSEC aspects for their job or areas of responsibilities, and build on that. That’s not to say that you have to maintain dozens of OPSEC orientation briefings, but you do need to focus on the “most important” areas for each group whenever possible.
Know OPSEC, know yourself, be active in the OPSEC community and know your audience. Meet each of those criteria, and you’re on your way to OPSEC fame and fortune.
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Based on a work at
www.opsecprofessionals.org.
