Building a culture of vigilance: Why OPSEC awareness matters

By Cynthia Flores-Wilkin, Operations Security program manager, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security

National Operations Security Awareness Month promotes a culture of vigilance, teaching individuals to recognize how small, seemingly innocent actions — such as social media posts or casual conversations — can be combined by adversaries to exploit vulnerabilities, threaten national security and jeopardize mission success.

May is now officially National Operations Security Awareness Month. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center officially moved the observance that focuses on safeguarding critical, unclassified information that could be exploited by adversaries to disrupt missions from January to May in 2025.

Here are five key reasons why National Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Month is important:

• Protecting critical information: The primary goal is to educate personnel on identifying “critical information;” small, sensitive details about missions, personnel or capabilities, which when combined, create a dangerous picture for enemies.
• Preventing adversary exploitation: It reinforces measures to deny enemies the ability to collect, analyze and exploit information through methods such as social media monitoring or spying.
• Integrating a proactive mindset: OPSEC is presented as a continuous process, not just a one-time policy, which helps employees, Soldiers and citizens develop a “habit of vigilance” in daily activities.
• Mitigating modern threats: Beyond physical security, the month focuses on cyber risks, social media usage and preventing accidental leaks that could risk personal safety, company reputation or government operations.
• Enhancing collective defense: The initiative empowers individuals to report unauthorized disclosures and understand their role in securing the wider organization, reducing the risks posed by human error.

During the month of May, take time to review the OPSEC cycle — identifying critical information, analyzing threats and vulnerabilities, assessing risk and implementing countermeasures. Identify critical information and get familiar with your organization’s critical information list. Use multi-factor authentication and password etiquette to prevent unauthorized access to accounts. Remember adversaries use phishing, QR code phishing and social media to trick individuals into revealing sensitive data.

When you apply OPSEC principles in your personal life, you are helping yourself and your family protect personal information, finances and safety. Fostering a “security is everyone's business” culture reinforces that OPSEC is everyone’s responsibility.