The best way to defeat a terrorist … is to think like one Published June 26, 2008 By Victor Duckarmenn 21st Space Wing Operations Security program manager PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Operational security, or 'OPSEC' for short, is essential in providing peace of mind in the "war zone," both at home and abroad. OPSEC managers and coordinators, anti-terrorism officers, industrial and information security personnel have to take the opposing force view to increase their security. What value does being opposition forces (OPFOR) provide to the OPSEC community? OPSEC analysis is a skill set. To survive, it's key to adequately assess the threat, to know that the information surrounding your mission, if compromised, will deny you your objectives, and to know your real electronic, physical and administrative vulnerabilities. The protective measures you then create will be based on fact, and you can manage by fact rather than hunch or the educated guess. Thinking like your adversary in pre-mission planning allows you to counter their move to get into your decision making. You will know when to apply such measures as change of procedures, speed of execution, applying controls on controlled unclassified information, deception, increased general security, denial and disruption. Being the OPFOR in exercise planning allows you to evaluate OPSEC and the first responder, in the light of the objectives of detering, detecting and defending. Preparation must include all three elements in order to maintain a sound contingency plan and initial action plan in your incident management. Preparations deter. The Eagle Eyes program is in place for you to detect. You, as a first responder, either in command and control, fire, security, or medical, must defend. To deter, detect and defend, you must think like the terrorist you're trying to deter, detect and defend. The sum of deterrence and detection is defense. You have heard of "Red Team," major command inspectors, exercise evaluator team members and other OPFOR who create scenarios. Evaluate against those scenarios the requirements that are necessary for the execution of contingency plans from prevention to recovery. They play a role in OPFOR. The trusted agent terrorist is in the exercise as the OPFOR and the solution is to defeat the "bad guy." OPSEC is a critical skill set that is required before, during and after an exercise, inspection or the existence of a Red Team. OPSEC allows you to plan against the threat and take action in the application of measures to reduce the adversary's ability to "get into your head" and deny you your objective. Add OPSEC to planning and you will see the gaps we have in our deterrence, detection and defense. OPSEC is everyone's business. Make it yours to plan and think like the bad guy to make the critical play. OPSEC can mean the difference between success and mission failure. The mission comes first.