U.S. Navy OPSEC

The OPSEC Process

Identify Critical Information
Information about friendly (U.S., allied, and/or coalition) activities, intentions, capabilities, or limitations an adversary seeks in order to gain a military, political, diplomatic, economic, or technological advantage. Simply put, any information that the “bad guy” wants and needs to do us harm or allows them to gain an advantage over us.
Identify Threats
A person, or group of people, whose objective differs with the friendly objective.
Identify Vulnerabilities
A weakness that the adversary can exploit.
Assess Risk
A measure of the potential degree to which protected information is subject to loss through adversary exploitation. Basically, this is the likelihood your information will be collected and acted on.
Apply Countermeasures
Anything that effectively negates or mitigates an adversary’s ability to exploit vulnerabilities.

Governing Documents

Program Manager/Officer

FAQs

What is the policy on disclosing a ship’s movement?
Generally, ships cannot disclose specific information on friendly force troop movement or size tactical deployments, and dispositions that would jeopardize OPSEC or lives. This would include unit designations and names of operations.

Information on any ongoing or future operations to include details of specific combat missions, bomb damage assessments, force movements, employment schedules, and current location of underway units (i.e. latitude and longitude) is considered confidential and can only be released to authorized individuals.
Who do I contact if I believe I might be a victim of phishing?
Contact your local information assurance manager and describe the suspected phishing event to them. Do not forward any phishing emails.
I’ve been assigned as my command’s OPSEC program manager, what next?
Service members who are assigned as an OPSEC program manager should attend the two-day OPSEC course offered by the Naval OPSEC Support Team. This course outlines all requirements for an OPSEC program and covers what program managers need to do to be successful.
What is my critical information?
Critical information is different for everyone. Your critical information is that which you have determined is critical to the success of your mission at a given time and if it were to fall into the hands of an adversary, could be used to cause significant negative impacts to the accomplishment of your mission. Determining your critical information is vital to your success as an OPSEC practitioner.
When do I need to conduct OPSEC assessments?
There are two types of OPSEC assessments:
- Internal OPSEC assessments must be conducted annually by the OPSEC program manager
- External OPSEC assessments must be conducted once every three years by an outside entity (i.e. your ISIC or an OPSEC support element such as the NOST)

Downloadable Products

Identity Management

Briefs

Command Indoc (2022)

Ombudsman_FRG (2022) Brief Template

OPSEC and Social Media (2022) Brief Template

Phishing (2022) Brief Template

USOPSEC 4.0 and IDM (2022-23) Brief

Wireless (2022) Brief Template

Get in Touch

Email: navy_opsec@us.navy.mil
Phone: 757-203-3656
YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/USNOPSEC

The Naval OPSEC Support Team (NOST)

The Naval OPSEC Support Team was established in 2005 as the Navy’s OPSEC support capability, tasked with providing program development, planning, training, assessments and surveys, and operational support throughout the service. The team accomplishes its mission through certification training and supporting U.S Naval and Joint Forces worldwide via the OPSEC program manager course, a one-stop-shop website, and reach-back support email addresses at navy_opsec@us.navy.mil and opsec@navy.smil.mil.

OPSEC COURSE
The Navy OPSEC Course certifies OPSEC officers and program managers. Courses are taught by certified instructors from Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California, and hosted world-wide in several fleet-concentrated areas.

Day 1: includes an introduction to OPSEC, theory and overview, identification of threat and critical information, analyzing vulnerabilities, assessing risk and applying countermeasures.
Day 2: includes operational exercises, standing up a program, conducting assessments, information operations integration, and OPSEC within social media.

To register for a course on the East Coast, Europe or in Middle East, please email navy_opsec@us.navy.mil; to register for a course on the West Coast, Hawaii or in the Far East, please email IWTG_SDNI_QUOTAS@navy.mil. Provide full name, command and DoDID number when registering; a welcome letter will be included in the response.

To request an unscheduled or ad hoc course, please email navy_opsec@us.navy.mil with proposed dates, location, justification and estimated cost for the traveler.

ALL LOCATIONS

JULY 2022
12 – 13 Jul           EWTG LANT Norfolk, VA
19 - 20 Jul Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey
19 – 20 Jul           MCB Quantico, VA
26 – 27 Jul Groton, CT

AUGUST 2022
02 – 03 Aug NIWTG, San Diego, CA
03 – 04 Aug        EWTG LANT Norfolk, VA
22 – 24 Aug        SOAC Groton (CLOSED)

SEPTEMBER 2022
13 – 14 Sep         EWTG LANT Norfolk, VA
14 – 15 Sep         Okinawa, Japan
20 – 21 Sep         Training Support Detachment, Yokosuka, Japan

STARTING FY 2023 Navy OPSEC Course schedule

OCTOBER 2022
04 – 05 Oct 22                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
04 – 05 Oct 22                 NIWTG San Diego
17 – 19 Oct 22                 SOAC (Closed)
18 – 19 Oct 22                 MCB LeJeune, NC
18 – 19 Oct 22                 Port Hueneme, CA
25 – 26 Oct 22                 NSA Annapolis, MD

NOVEMBER 2022
01 – 02 Nov 22                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
15 – 16 Nov 22                 Pearl Harbor, HI
17 – 18 Nov 22                 NS Mayport, FL

DECEMBER 2022
06 – 07 Dec 22                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
06 – 07 Dec 22                 NIWTG San Diego
12 – 14 Dec 22                 SOAC (Closed)

JANUARY 2023
18 – 19 Jan 23                  EWTG LANT Norfolk
24 – 25 Jan 23                  NCBC Gulfport, MS
26 – 27 Jan 23                  Pensacola, FL

FEBRUARY 2023
07 – 08 Feb 23                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
07 – 08 Feb 23                 NIWTG San Diego
14 – 15 Feb 23                 Rota, SP
27 Feb – 01 Mar 23 SOAC (Closed)

MARCH 2023
07 – 08 Mar 23                NSA Bahrain
14 – 15 Mar 23                SASEBO, Japan
14 – 15 Mar 23                Mechanicsburg, PA

APRIL 2023
04 – 05 Apr 23                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
04 – 05 Apr 23                 NIWTG San Diego
24 – 26 Apr 23                 SOAC (Closed)

MAY 2023
02 – 03 May 23                EWTG LANT Norfolk
09 – 10 May 23                Pearl Harbor, HI
18 – 19 May 23                NS Mayport, FL

JUNE 2023
06 – 07 Jun 23                  EWTG LANT Norfolk
06 – 07 Jun 23                  NIWTG San Diego
13 – 14 Jun 23                  Navy Region Northwest
26 – 28 Jun 23                  SOAC (Closed)
27 – 28 Jun 23                  Naval Base Guam

JULY 2023
11 – 12 Jul 23                   EWTG LANT Norfolk
18 – 19 Jul 23                   MCB Quantico, VA
18 – 19 Jul 23                   Naval Post Graduate School
25 – 26 Jul 23                   Groton, CT

AUGUST 2023
08 – 09 Aug 23                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
08 – 09 Aug 23                 NIWTG San Diego
21 – 23 Aug 23                 SOAC (Closed)

SEPTEMBER 2023
12 – 13 Sep 23                 EWTG LANT Norfolk
19 – 20 Sep 23                 Okinawa, Japan
26 – 27 Sep 23                 Yokosuka, Japan