April 2014 - OPSEC Professionals Society

Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
April 2014-Page
The Operations Security Professionals Society, P. O. Box 150515, Alexandria, VA 22315-0515
1
www.OPSECSociety.org
Volume 1, Issue 8, April 2014
OPS Executive Board
PRESIDENT
Valerie Simpson, OCP
VICE PRESIDENT
William Pagan, OAP
SECRETARY
Daniel Phillips, OCP, PSP
TREASURER
Jeffrey Cooper
DIRECTORS
Jack Emanuelson, OCP
Gregory Hoffman
Lowell Little, Jr., OCP, CPP
John Peterson, III
Ernie Smith, Jr., OCP
Margaret Telfer, IOSS (H)
ADVISOR(S)
William Johnston, LCDR, USN (Ret.)
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Carla Gregor (H)
COMMUNICATIONS
Carla Gregor (H)
JJ Mickelson, OCP
Dan Phillips, OCP,
EDUCATION
Jeffrey Cooper (C)
Greg Howe, OCP
Anthony S. Matthews
JJ Mickelson, OCP
MEMBERSHIP
Bonnie Parti (C)
Jerome Avery
Scott Minchin
Carla Gregor (H)
MERCHANDISE
Carla Gregor (H)
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Samuel Crouse, OCP, Ph.D (C)
Jon Hermann, OCP
Patrick Geary, OCP
Arion Pattakos, OCP, CPP
Joseph Saul, OCP
Lowell Little, Jr., OCP, CPP
Bill Feidl, OCP
FINANCE
VACANT (C)
Stephanie Aaron, LTCOL, USAF(R)
Eddie Hall III, MAJ, USAF(Ret.)
NOMINATIONS
Thomas Boczar, LTCOL, USA
Alfred Crawford
BYLAWS REVIEW
Paul Kirchman (C)
Grant Merkel
Eddie Hall III, MAJ, USAF(Ret.)
Robert Sam Fisher
Award
By Lowell Little Jr, OCP, CPP
The OPSEC Professionals Society (OPS) has
selected George “Tom” Kerry, OCP, as the first
ever recipient of the Robert “Sam” Fisher Award.
The award is named for a founding member and
first president of OPS, an original Purple Dragon
team member, and the principle author of
Presidential Decision Directive 298. He was
selected from among impressive nominees
including active duty military and DoD civilian and
contractor personnel.
Tom Kerry’s OPSEC career spanned over 42
years, beginning as an Air Force officer during the
Vietnam War, where he became involved in
OPSEC analysis
of
B-52 and airborne
reconnaissance operations. After separating from
the Air Force, he served 22 years with the National
Security Agency (NSA) as an OPSEC analyst and
security program manager and finally as OPSEC
Technical Director. He worked for and alongside
Sam Fisher and mentored and inspired numerous
OPSEC analysts. His dedicated and tireless
OPSEC accomplishments throughout his career
stand prominently among those of all other living
practitioners, providing a model for emulation by
others. Some of his contributions to operations, as
he applied his OPSEC craft, will never be widely
known due to their highly sensitive nature;
however, they unquestionably were highly
successful and contributed immeasurably to
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
national security. A true expert in this unique and
necessary field, he is highly deserving of this award
for excellence in OPSEC.
April 2014-Page
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Manager at Newport News Ship Building. Cashena
is a Graduate of Old Dominion University.
David Coates, OCP, CMAS, is is the East Region
New IOSS-OPSEC Program
Fellow
Congratulations to Dan Phillips, OCP, PSP for
his selection by the Interagency OPSEC Support
Staff as an OPSEC Program Fellow.
Operations Security Officer with the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF)
Office of Operations Security, Threat Assessment
Branch (OPSEC-TAB).
He oversees OPSEC
policy and procedures for nine Field Divisions
conducting law enforcement activities in 15 States,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
OPS News
1
Robert Sam Fisher Award
1
New IOSS-OPSEC Program Fellow
2
Board of Director Nominations
2
Featured Article-The Challenges of Security at
The Sochi Olympics
2
Professional Certifications
5
Michael A. Sundock, U.S Army (Ret.) is a
civilian Security, Plans, and Operations Analyst
with the US Army Tank Automotive Research,
Development and Engineering Center. During
his distinguished and diverse military career
Mike took a break in military active duty to go
into the private practice of law and was also
the Assistant Attorney General of Alabama and
a Juvenile Court Judge.
Quick Guide to OCP and OAP and Ideas
for Articles and Papers -
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Michelle Stewart-Young has over 30 years’
Suggested Reading
6
The OPSEC Professionals Society - Committees
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experience in industrial, corporate and
international security.
She is currently an
Membership Renewals
7
Important Links
7
About OPS
8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Code of Professional Ethics
8
EMSOULTIONS OPSEC Coordinators Course
9
Industrial Contracts Manager/CSSO for Cisco
Systems, Inc., where she has held multiple
positions including as Facility Security Officer
during her 18-year tenure.
Board of Director Nominations
The following members have been nominated by
their peers to serve on the 2014-2016 OPS Board.
Elections will be held next month.
John McCarthy, CPP, US Army Ret. EM
Solutions OPSEC trainer and Manager is employed
by EMSolutions as a Program Protection Analyst.
He is a former Special Agent for the Federal
Aviation Administration, Federal Manager for the
U.S. Navy and Internal Revenue Service, and
retired U.S. Army reserve officer.
Cashena Mingo, OAP, IOSS Journeyman is
employed with the Department of the Navy. As the
Information Assurance Manager and OPSEC
The Challenges Of Security At
The Sochi Olympics
By Timothy W. Coleman
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are about to
open, but it will open in the shadow of lingering
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
terrorism fears for a reason -- the terrorists have
home field advantage
An estimated 1 billion people around the globe -roughly 15 percent of the world’s population -watched the opening ceremony of the 2008
Olympics in Beijing. The Olympic games are a
primetime media occasion of massive proportions.
Unfortunately, the global wall-to-wall news
coverage turns this historic event into an inviting
target for terrorists and agitators seeking to force a
captivated audience to pay attention to so-called
causes, grievances and issues that embrace
indiscriminate killing as a public relations platform.
The real threat of terrorism
The threat of terrorism, especially for the Olympics
in the Russian Federation, is not something to be
taken lightly. In the past few weeks, we have seen
an increase in terrorist activities in and around the
Olympics venue including two suicide bombings in
the neighboring city of Volgograd that killed 34
individuals, and an “uptick in threat reporting” about
potential security concerns for the Olympics,
according to statements made by US State
Department officials.
In fact, the State Department appears so
concerned that it recently recommended that US
athletes refrain from wearing their red-white-andblue Olympic uniforms while they’re out and about
in Sochi. The rationale is simple: it makes them
potential
targets
as
easily
identifiable
representatives of the United States.
April 2014-Page
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Precedence for concern
Acts of terrorism in many forms have, sadly,
transpired at numerous Olympic games. The 1972
Munich Olympic Games were the target of
Palestinian terrorists. The 1988 Seoul Olympic
Games were targeted in 1987 by North Korean
agents, who brought down an airplane to dissuade
nations and participants from attending. Closer to
home, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics were targeted by
a lone-wolf domestic terrorist.
Sochi context – The ‘Ring of Steel’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put much of
his personal -- and the Russian Federation’s -prestige on the line to secure the 2014 Sochi
Olympic games. Consequently, there is no question
that security concerns run high -- even a small
incident outside Russia’s proverbial “ring of steel”
could cause real-time security consternation that
would disrupt and stain Putin’s legacy, blemish the
Russian Federation’s reputation and become a
negative counterterrorism case study for all future
host countries to seriously consider.
The overarching challenge remains controlling the
large complex and the surrounding area which
Russian security forces are implementing what has
been termed the “ring of steel.” This designated
geographic space is similar to a security zone
where efforts and resources are deployed in large
numbers to limit risk, reduce vulnerabilities and
intervene if and when necessary.
Security zone resources
Categorizing targets
There are three basic categorical challenges for
Olympic security efforts in Sochi: protecting the
athletes, guarding the participating members of
official national delegations and safeguarding the
attending or proximate members of the general
public -- whether tourists or local nationals.
The targeting trifecta
Athletes, delegates and spectators represent the
targeting trifecta of terrorists. Each component, and
especially all three in cumulative context,
represents targets of opportunity due to venue
population density and the assured media-blitz
coverage of the smallest scale incident.
To support this Russian security zone, an
estimated 40,000 police officers will be on the
ground, accompanied by an additional 30,000
members of the armed forces. In supporting and
complimentary roles, security forces will be using
technology assets including comprehensive video
surveillance,
Internet
and
communications
monitoring, unmanned drones, sonar systems,
speedboats for maritime domain awareness and
other reconnaissance tools for the “ring of steel”
and adjoining areas of concern. Even so, it’s safe to
assume that additional measures will be taken that
are out-of-sight and out-of-mind for the average
attendee, which is the nature of a protective
security requirement.
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
April 2014-Page
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A similarly lucrative outcome resulted from the
1988 games in Seoul. In spite of the North Korean
airplane bombing in 1987, the success of the
Korean-hosted Olympics precipitated a dramatic
increase in the standard of living for South Koreans
across the board.
Security measures at access points
Sochi 2014 – fears linger for a reason
In order to minimize vulnerabilities brought on by the
sheer volume and size of an event like the Olympics
and the grounds created to host such incredible
competitions, Russian security forces will be
implementing significant access control measures,
inhibiting the unfettered movements of attendees.
Specifically, security forces have imposed travel and
transport restrictions within the “ring of steel” and will
be setting up checkpoints to ensure credential
verification of individuals.
According to the transcript of a January 24 briefing
by senior State Department officials, “there are
estimates that as many as 10,000 Americans may
attend the Olympic Games as spectators.”
US security zone parallels
An apt domestic parallel to the security concerns at
Olympic events is the US domestic event designation:
National Special Security Event (NSSE). The basic
thrust of a NSSE is that such events -- like the recent
Super Bowl -- are viewed as high-priority events of
domestic and/or international significance that warrant
increased security efforts. In such cases, holistic
security efforts focus on fusing local, state and federal
law enforcement, along with elements of national
security. In turn, NSSE-designated events are
afforded supplemental resources that enable security
efforts to ensure the protection and safety of event
operations, such as no fly-zone restrictions and other
more substantial security protocols of consequence.
The Olympic narrative of safety
Five years ago, no one had heard of Sochi. A
successful Olympics can turn the city and region into a
well-known tourist attraction and a huge moneymaking
destination for the Russian Federation.
In 1964, Japan was a poor country and Tokyo was still
trying to establish itself as an international tourist and
business destination of consequence. That summer,
the Olympics provided the vital economic and
geopolitical push that put it squarely on the map -- not
to mention it was the first Olympic games to be
internationally telecast.
From an American security perspective, the
terrorist threat to the Olympic games is the
Chechen militants and a localized decentralized
foe: the Caucasus Emirate who have had a gripe
against Russia for decades. Their intent is to strike
back against the state in any way they can. In turn,
targeting the games and its athletes is a perfect
opportunity.
It is also possible that these militants could team up
with Al Qaeda to perpetrate an attack that hits both
Russia and is spun as an overt strike against the
West. The reality is that the Sochi Olympics will
play out in the Chechen’s own backyard, thus it’s
important to recognize that this means they
maintain the home field advantage.
Russia’s challenges are numerous, especially as it
attempts to confront a very real terrorist threat.
While its “ring of steel” may be helpful, the legacy of
police corruption and the nation’s weak governance
structures within the judiciary pose a serious
problem and vulnerability. Its inability to prevent or
minimize the ripple effects of an attack outside its
security perimeter remains very real. The prospect
of an attack within the security cordon remains
ever-present. In the end, all it takes is one terrorist
to get through, to get by … and, ultimately, to get in
and cause devastating harm.
Timothy W. Coleman is a DC-based analyst, Editorat-Large for Homeland Security Today and he
serves as the Chief Operations Officer at the Lint
Center for National Security Studies.
This article was originally published on February 5,
2014 in Homeland Security Today. Reprinted with
permission.
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
Professional Certifications
Professional certification in OPSEC is a lot easier
than you think. One of the key benefits of the
OPSEC Professionals Society is the opportunity to
earn the professional standing as either an OPSEC
Certified Professional (OCP) or an OPSEC
Associate Professional (OAP). The authority to use
the OCP or the OAP proficiency designator after
your name provides colleagues and employers with
information about your level of proficiency in our
profession.
See the Certifications page on the
OPS website
Quick Guide to OCP and OAP
and Ideas for Articles and
Papers
One of the key benefits of OPSEC Professionals
Society is the opportunity to earn a professional
standing as either an OPSEC Certified
Professional (OCP) or an OPSEC Associate
Professional (OAP). The authority to use either
designator after your name informs colleagues and
employers about your level of proficiency in our
profession. Detailed requirements are located at:
http://www.opsecsociety.org/certifications.htm.
Be certain to pay close attention to the difference
between direct and indirect experience in the
application process. Before applying for any
program or award please review The Code of
Ethics
A. Do you want to become an OCP?
1. Do you have at least five years of OPSEC
experience (at least two years direct)?
2. Do you have four years of college credits or
additional OPSEC experience to substitute for
credits?
3. Do you have at least 48 hours of f training?
4. Submit an application to the PSC documenting
1, 2, and 3 above normal OPSEC
5. Submit the ten-page paper that conforms to the
Professional Standards Committee (PSC)
guidelines.
April 2014-Page
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6. Pay the application fee of $100.00
7. The PSC will then review your application and
paper. If approved by the PSC, you will be
awarded an OCP and have the right to put OCP
behind your name for three years. You must
recertify every three years (pay $30.00
recertification fee each time). For further details
see: Section I - OCP Certification
B. Has your OCP certification expired?
1. Has it been less than twelve (12) months? If so,
you may recertify with additional credits (1 for
each six month or prorated portion thereof). Pay
the fees as outlined on the OPS Website.
2. Has it expired twelve (12) months or more? If
so, submit a new application and new paper as
in Section A above.
For further details see:
Section II - OCP Recertification
Section III - OCP Recertification Credit
Schedule
Section IV - OCP Recertification Process
Lapse Policy
C. Do you want to become a Lifetime OCP?
1. Are you a Lifetime OPS member?
2. Have you been an OCP for six years (original
certification
plus
two
consecutive
recertifications)?
D. Do you want to become an OAP?
1. Are you a regular member of OPS in good
standing?
2. Do you have at least three years of OPSEC
experience (at least one year of direct)?
3. Do you have at least 20 hours of OPSEC
training?
4. Submit a letter to the PSC affirming 1, 2, and 3
above
5. Consider making a pledge to work on your OCP
certification and complete it in three years (optional)
6. Pay the application fee of $50.00
7. The PSC will then review your letter, training
and experience. If approved by the PSC, you
will be awarded an OAP and have the right to
put OAP behind your name for three years.
The OAP is renewable every three years;
however, re-affirmation as an OAP requires
another letter and $100.00 for three more
years.
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
For further details see: Section V - OAP
Certification
E. Ideas/Topics for Articles and OCP Papers
1. Why the OPSEC Process is Still Valid in
Today’s Vast Information Environment
2. Why We Do/Do Not Use OPSEC Where I Work
3. What is Critical Information – How Critical
Information and Indicators are Identified
4. What is More Important to Know - Threat or
Vulnerability and Why?
5. How to Balance Effectiveness and Efficiency in
Conducting an OPSEC Assessment
6. Challenges, Successes, and Failures of
Promoting an OPSEC Program within an
Organization
7. Preparing and Implementing an OPSEC Plan
8. The Validity of OPSEC in a Commercial
Environment
9. Using OPSEC in the Battle against Terrorism
10. Calculating
Costs
of
Implementing
Countermeasures and the Concept of Residual
Risk
11. Using Computers and Spreadsheets to
Calculate Risk in the OPSEC Process
12. The Challenges and Benefits of a Using a
Diverse, Team-Based Approach for OPSEC
Assessments
13. Research and Development Activities: OPSEC
Challenges, Successes and Failures
14. Why OPSEC Applies to the Special Access
Program World
15. Army, Navy, Air Force: OPSEC Differences or
Similarities
16. The Transportation Security Challenge: Why
OPSEC is Vital
17. Department of Energy OPSEC: A Short History
and Future Challenges
April 2014-Page
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Suggested Reading
Perfect Storm: The Operations Security
Support Division from SAVE to SAP
by LTC John “Greg” Howe, OCP, US Army (Ret.)
Available on the OPS website for $14 (includes
Shipping and Handling)
Email: [email protected]
or pay by PayPal at
http://opsecsociety.org/
ttp://www.emsolutionsinc.com/About-Us
OPS is pleased to partner with International
Association of Counterterrorism and Security
Professionals.
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
The OPSEC Professionals
Society — Committees
We have several active committees and we
encourage you to join one.
Membership & Communications:
Duties
include receive and process applications for
membership, to decide on eligibility of
prospective members subject to the review and
judgment of the Board of Directors and to
promote the increase of Society membership.
If you are interested in this committee, please
contact [email protected].
Revenue: Duties include to verify all Society
assets and liabilities, examine all records of the
Treasurer to insure that standard, basic
accounting procedures are being used, insure
that bills are being paid promptly and fully
identify the material or service provided, at or
near year-end, review expenditures in
relationship to the Annual Budget and make
recommendations for the next year’s budget
plan and examine such other records as the
Committee Chairman might deem necessary.
If you are interested in this committee, please
contact [email protected].
Education:
Duties include develop and
oversee the production and execution of
programs and seminars of interest to the
membership, as well as educational programs
for the benefit of government agencies and
private sector corporations.
If you are
interested in this
committee, please contact
[email protected].
Professional Standards: Are you interested in
promoting OPSEC professionalization? Do
you have an extra four to six hours a month?
Are you or do you intend to be certified as an
OPSEC professional? The OPS Standards
Committee provides an exceptional opportunity
to promote the practice of OPSEC. The
committee establishes and maintains defined
criteria necessary for professionalization. All
applicants are subjected to a review process to
April 2014-Page
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ensure consistency in the professionalization
process. Participation in this process is an
opportunity to create your legacy and help
create a heritage for generations of future
OPSEC practitioners. If you are interested in
this
committee,
please
contact
[email protected].
Membership Renewals
It’s
that time again, Please renew your
membership to continue to receive benefits
Attention Members! You can now download
the new membership renewal form online and
pay by credit card, and/or; you can now pay
your renewal dues via PayPal!! Go to the
Membership Renewal page:
http://www.opsecsociety.org/memrenewal.htm.
Corporate Membership
Corporation memberships are available for as
little as $500 which allows up to five individual
corporate memberships.
Membership also
includes advertising space in this newsletter
and the website. More information is available
in the corporate memberships fee schedule,
Important Links
Interagency OPSEC Support Staff
http://www.iad.gov/ioss/
Information Assurance Support
http://iase.disa.mil/eta/
National Counterintelligence Executive
http://www.ncix.gov/
US Patent Trademark Office
http://www.uspto.gov/
Newsletter of the OPSEC Professionals Society
ABOUT OPS
Our membership is comprised of United States
government, military, corporate and private
practice professionals and those of our nations
allies who specialize in the field of OPSEC,
Counterintelligence, and other related disciplines.
The society is governed in accordance with OPS By
Laws by a Board of Directors elected from among
the membership, and members staff committees
and various working groups in furtherance of the
OPS mission. National Officers are elected from
among members of the Board.
CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
and conduct for members of the
OPERATIONS SECURITY PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY
OPS Members Shall:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to
country above other loyalties.
continually strive to increase respect, confidence,
trust, and recognition of the profession in both the
public and private sectors.
demonstrate a personal commitment to
professionalism and diligence in the performance of
his/her duties.
not engage in any illegal or unethical conduct, or
any activity which would constitute a conflict of
interest.
exhibit the highest level of integrity in the
performance of all professional assignments and
exhibit the highest levels of professional competence.
not reveal or use information received in confidence
during a professional assignment without proper
authorization.
report all information obtained during the course of
an assignment accurately and completely.
continually strive to increase the professional
competence and effectiveness of those serving under
his/her direction.
refrain from gratuitously making adverse comments
about the work, knowledge, fitness, or other
qualifying aspect of another OPS member.
promote and encourage full compliance with these
standards within the entire profession.
April 2014-Page
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OPSEC PROFESSIONALS SOCIETY
PO Box 150515,
Alexandria, VA 22315-0515
Communications Committee- Newsletter
Dale Carter
Carla Gregor
Dan Phillips
Scott Mirchin
Contributor’s opinions and statements should not be considered
as an endorsement by the OPS.
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Points of Contact
OPSEC Professional Society National Executive Board:
President - [email protected]
Vice President - [email protected]
Secretary - [email protected]
Program and General Information
Inquiries regarding professional certifications (OAP, OCP) contact
our Professional Standards Committee
at: [email protected]
General questions and membership inquiries should be directed to:
[email protected]