(Disclaimer: The satirical story has been created purely for humor and entertainment purposes.)<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Operational security is paramount to the success of any military endeavor. As we\u2019ve entered the era of the internet, however, loose lips that sank ships have turned into geo-tagged Snapchats, TikToks, Facebook posts and tweets \u2014 now known as Xs. It\u2019s vital, according to every expert in the comment section of a military news article, that no one serving on active duty share anything at any time ever as it puts troops and national security at risk. When you are in the military, your personal security (PERSEC) choices are also a danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, the only real solution is to become a hermit once you sign your life away to Uncle Sam. Here are the best ways to practice OPSEC from a reclusive internet troll\u2019s standpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Get off the grid.<\/b> Buy a cabin in the woods… in cash. Tell no one where it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Don\u2019t bank. <\/b>Stuff all your money in your mattress. Bury gold bars in the back yard. Just don\u2019t forget to make yourself an encrypted treasure map so you know where to find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Chuck your cell phone into the sea. <\/b>Cellular comms can be infiltrated at any time. Moreover, cell phone use is a gateway to downloading social media apps. Try a rotary phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Hide your face. <\/b>There are cameras everywhere these days, including traffic lights. Try not to leave your house without a disguise. Consider investing in a floppy hat and some really big sunglasses so no one can recognize you. Ski masks are a no, however, as they may draw attention to you as a killer or a bank robber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Encrypt your comms. <\/b>When communicating with loved ones, preferably by mail, invent coded language (phrases, ciphers, keywords) only you and they know. Don\u2019t use real names or ranks ever. Never enclose photos. Paste together letters made from magazine cutouts like a kidnapper so no one can connect you to your own handwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Maintain an air of mystery. <\/b>Don\u2019t tell anyone what you do for a living. Being in the military should be a closely guarded secret. Say you \u201cwork for the government,\u201d but don\u2019t elaborate. Never speak of deployments \u2014 call them business trips instead. Don\u2019t let your loved ones display yellow ribbons, ask for prayers at church, or put military bumper stickers on their cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Blend in.<\/b> Keep a ghillie suit on hand at all times. Better yet, live in it. You\u2019ll get used to the smell… eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Be a recluse. <\/b>The above are all good suggestions, however, the truest way to practice OPSEC is to be a total loner. Don\u2019t have a family, never buy a car, grow your own food, and make your own clothes. Don\u2019t engage with anyone, but if you have to, don\u2019t tell them who you are. It\u2019s mission critical.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Maintaining OPSEC is mission critical.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":106999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-observation-post","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,68,12,26,13,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3271],"class_list":["post-73882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-military-culture","category-news","category-newsletters","category-off-duty","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"XQZPY5UPRVBDFNVHHAQA7JLE7Q","arc_canonical_url":"\/off-duty\/military-culture\/2023\/08\/22\/an-internet-trolls-guide-to-opsec\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"observation-post","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n