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OPSEC for Preppers Prior to Collapse

Monday, September 19, 2016 11:51

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(Before It's News)

opsec

We all like SEC, right? Head out of the gutters folks, it didn’t read SEX! SEC, short for security. As kids we found comfort in our homes with our families, maybe hiding under the covers or with a fave blankie. As we grow up, our concerns may focus on job security, financial security and general home security.

Now we are big boys and girls, preparing for TEOTWAWKI. Security takes on a whole new meaning when you have to fear armed marauders streaming down your driveway to take your preps, or worst. Your favorite blankie won’t help you.

The SHTF and you’re well prepper with all the guns, ammo, food and water a man could need. Well, guess what danger ranger… failure to abide by these guidelines will quickly make you a target. In this guide you will learn relatively simple SOP (standard operating procedures) for survival groups who’ve advanced their level of preparation. How can you avoid armed confrontations with the marauders? What should you do prior to the collapse event in order to keep your preps hidden from the world?

Rule Number One for Preppers: TELL NO ONE!

The Preppers Creed begins:

If you don’t talk, no one will hear and if no one else hears, no one else will know.

This post will focus on steps to implement prior to the collapse event. Much of the terminology is borrowed from the military but lets be real, after TEOTWAWKI, we will all be at war for survival.

OPSEC (operations security) is a military term for the protection of critical information deemed mission essential. OPSEC for preppers and survival groups means the exact same thing. Your survival group needs to protect itself to prevent the mission (which is survival) from being compromised. There are four OPSEC sub-elements you should actively be addressing:

COMSEC Communications Security – Internet SOP and Encrypting Data Transmissions
TRANSEC Transmission Security – Field Ops COMSEC Transmission Security Keys i.e. NATO SINCGARS/HAVEQUICK Equipped Radios
PERSEC Personal Security – Social Discussions
INFOSEC Information Security – Active Data Protection

OPSEC → COMSEC Communications Security

COMSEC encompasses internet, cellular/landline communication, and radio transmissions for the instance of prepping and survival group operations. Internet COMSEC inside the survival community is a very big deal. News flash sports fans, survival groups are an active target for DHS (Department of Homeland Security). According to DHS, the desire to defend your family is a threat to our country. You have to remember there are conspirators online who believe the same ideology. The biggest COMSEC threat is the information you volunteer on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Etc…

Recommended: So You Want to Keep Your Preps Secret

A sub-element of COMSEC is TRANSEC or transmission security between radios and between cellular devices. TRANSEC is typically applied in field operations, a more advanced form of prepping and survival training for COTM (communication on the move). Unit communication during a patrol requires TRANSEC to prevent detection, and eavesdropping. Failure to secure communication will pose a threat when SHTF. You never know who’s listening, focus on practicing secure COTM transmissions by:

Changing Radio Frequencies and Call Signs
Imposing Radio Silence
Authorization Codes
Communications Authentication
Cancelling/Altering Transmission Patterns
Classified Record Communication

OPSEC → PERSEC Personal Security

PERSEC is commonly used to inform service member relatives and friends, and can be applied to survival groups and preppers. PERSEC focuses the information you provide to personal friends and families about mission essential information. PERSEC compromise happens when you tell the wrong person you have 10,000 rounds of ammunition in your survival bunker. Looks like Johnny Badass knows where he’s going to re-supply.

Check out this page for more survival solutions tested by preppers and survivalists!

OPSEC → INFOSEC Information Security

INFOSEC applies to the protection of unauthorized access of information stored in hard drives, notebooks, personal devices, and etc. Such sensitive data in the survival field would include ordnance information, asset location, manuals and supply listings. If you must store information that is essential to your survival, be sure to store your data on an external hard drive that can’t be accessed by your network. Use the leap method to transfer the data from your personal computer to your external hard drive to prevent network connectivity.

These are all considerations of OPSEC for preppers that can be implemented prior to the collapse event. After TEOTWAWKI, when other factors like a grid down scenario come into play, OPSEC becomes less technology oriented.