Stay Hidden, Stay Alive: An Intro to OPSEC

By Cade Shadowlight

Imagine a world where your nosy neighbor snitches about your stockpile, or a hacker drains your crypto wallet because you overshared online. That’s where Operational Security (OPSEC) comes in—a survival skill ripped from military playbooks, retooled for regular folks like us. Think of OPSEC as your personal cloaking device—keeping your life off the radar of anyone who doesn’t belong in it.

This isn’t about dodging spies—yet. It’s about keeping your life private from everyday threats now, and later when the grid goes dark. Here’s how to start.

Step 1: Identify Critical Information 

What information do we need to protect? What do we want to keep private? What could be used against us in some way?

Potential answers include:

• financial information
• social security numbers
• digital wallet keys
• passwords and PINs
• medical information
• political affiliation
• religious affiliation
• membership in certain organizations
• presence of valuables in the home (cash, gold, silver, antiques, guns, tools, electronics)
• purchases of large amounts of food or other supplies
• survival plans

Step 2: Identify Potential Threats 

Who really needs to know what information? Once you figure that out, realize that everyone else represents a potential threat to abuse or misuse the information, or even just unwittingly reveal it to those who might.   

Every street’s got a Karen on the HOA board, eyeing your bug-out gear and tallying your Amazon drops. Data brokers are constantly vacuuming up your online and IRL habits to sell to corporations. Local officials are weaponizing zoning laws against backyard chickens or even backyard gardens. Schools are questioning students about their parent's political views and other private information. Doctors are encouraged to ask about all sorts of non-medical information, including guns in the home and the mental health of family members. Then there’s the usual suspects—thieves, scammers, and that creep next door. 

Step 3: Identify Vulnerabilities

How do potential threats get our critical information?  The answer is we give it to them, most often without realizing it. 

Examples of how we give away our critical information:

• Over-sharing on social media is a major risk
• Your Discord chats, Venmo transactions, or Ring doorbell footage can all spill your secrets.
• Public conversations can be overheard by anyone nearby.
• Private conversations can be revealed, accidentally or on-purpose, by anyone involved.
• Your trash reveals your purchases, as well as financial and medical information.
• Nearby neighbors can physically see much of our activities and preparations. 
• Children, especially young children, tell EVERYTHING to their friends, schoolmates, teachers, neighbors, and other parents (even if you've told them not to).
• Smart phones log all calls and texts. Even in airplane mode, phones can be tracked with the right gear—think Stingrays or rogue cell towers.
• Affinity cards, credit/debit cards, even modern library cards log all activity, which is then available to the company, government officials with, and sometimes, without, warrants, and even hackers.

Step 4: Assess the Risks

What critical information is most important to protect? What threats are the most active? What vulnerabilities are the most likely to reveal private details?  

Some types of information are more critical than other types—meaning it can more easily or effectively be used against you. Your crypto keys are more critical than your Costco bulk rice purchase—hackers can ruin you faster than a gossip can snitch. Focus on locking down the big stuff first. Most of the time and effort of OPSEC should be aimed at protecting the most important information against the most realistic threats. It’s your call—what’s worth guarding with your life?

Step 5: Apply Countermeasures

This is probably why you came to this article, so let's go straight to some action steps.

Family/Tribe: Make sure everyone is on-board with what information is critical to protect, and why it is important to do so. Drill your crew like it’s a heist movie—code words for sensitive topics, and a ‘need-to-know’ vibe even at home.

Public Conversations:  Avoid public conversations or comments about critical information. This includes phone conversations in public. Remember, if you are in public anyone can eavesdrop—keep it zipped.

Social Media: Going dark is unrealistic, so go fake instead—use burner accounts with no ties to your real life, as I described in Ghosting Big Tech: The Burner Rebellion (article link). Even then, avoid over-sharing. Don't tag other people in pictures, and ask that they don't tag you.

Young Children: Be careful about what information you share with and around your children—they do have ears). Talk to them often about not to talk about outside the family. Make it a game: ‘Family secrets stay in the fort. Teach them to respond to questions, even from teachers, about the family's finances, religion, or politics by responding "I don't know," and "You'll have to ask Mommy or Daddy about that." 

Tech Hygiene: Ditch G-mail for ProtonMail or Tutanota. Wipe metadata from pics before posting. Dodge public WiFi. Realize that if you are emitting electronically, your use is being monitored, logged and stored. Keep your operating system and apps up-to-date. Used a privacy-enhanced browsers and search engines like Brave, Duck-Duck-Go, or StartPage. 

Physical OPSEC: Neighbors have eyes—privacy fences and heavy curtains help. Shred receipts, bills, and other documents after they are no longer needed. Break down boxes inside-out before trashing them. 

This article only scratches the surface. Future articles will expand on the topic. Stay connected by subscribing to the email list by clicking here. 

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