OPSEC policies protect critical AF information

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Robert Ellen
  • 90th Missile Wing
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  Hackers, identity thieves, scam artist, spies or whatever you want to call them, no longer rely solely on attacking the military head on. Because security has been strengthened with advances in technology, adversaries take the easier route of using social engineering to get information or access they want.

Instead of trying to hack into a network, a social engineer just picks up a staff directory, calls someone in the company, identifies themselves as Steve from accounting or Alice from the help desk, and tricks the person into giving out access passwords. Even easier, a hacker just sends out a mass e-mail with malicious software attached, and just waits for someone to take the bait and click on the infected attachment.

Social engineers don't break into facilities to steal information. They just go up to a dumpster next to the building and pull out 600 pieces of un-shredded paper that contains critical information. Some of the more experienced social engineers walk in the front door pretending to be someone else like a telephone repair man, and are given the keys to the communications room where data is transferred and stored.

Today, the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is information. It is highly effective when used against our enemy, but it is even deadlier when it is used against us. So, what do we do? Do we stop sending e-mails, lock all of the doors and disconnect the phone? No, that would make it impossible to complete our mission. You can protect our best weapon with a couple of simple habits: employ the 100 percent shred policy and verify everything need-to-know.

If you printed or wrote on a piece of paper or someone gave you something they printed or wrote on, run it through a cross-cut shredder when you no longer need it. Once the documents have been shredded, put them out for recycling.

The only un-shredded paper items that should be in the recycling bags are blank pieces of paper or documents cleared for public release, such as base papers, periodicals and chapel bulletins.

The waste basket by your desk should only have items such as food wrappers and tissues. If you shred daily or shred as you go, you won't have a huge pile of papers that will burn out the shredder.

Just because a piece of information is unclassified doesn't mean every person on and off base should have it. Verify the identity and need-to-know of callers requesting anything that is on your critical information list. Believe me, you can easily impersonate someone over the phone and get the information you want in just a few minutes. Also, verify the identity and need of anyone requesting access to critical areas. Wearing a hard hat, caring a tool bag or holding a clip board does not automatically give someone authorization to enter and wander a facility unattended.

Getting into and staying in the habit of shredding all paper products and verifying a person's need-to-know can protect F.E. Warren's critical information. You can apply the same habits in your personal life to protect your family's critical information at home as well.