OPERATIONAL SECURITY - (OPSEC) - RECOMMENDATION FOR PRESENTATION OF BRIEFING TO SECURITY COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82M00591R000100060008-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 19, 2005
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: August 24, 1978
• Content Type: MEMO

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DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Security Committee
MEMORANDUM TO: Mr. Robert W. Gambino
Chairman, Security Committee
THROUGH;
FROM:
Executive Secretary
Security Committee
staff em er
Security Committee
SUBJECT: Operational Security (OPSEC) - Recommendation
for Presentation of Briefing to Security Committee
1. This memorandum contains a recommerriition that the
Army be formally requested to present.an.OPSEC briefing to
the next or succeeding Security Committee meeting. My reasons
are as follows.
2. During my recent ADT tour with the 902nd MI Group,
I had occasion at the Group, Battalion, and Field Office
level to.observe.the current OPSEC concept utilized by the
Army for the past few years. Initially, I had the impression,
which is perhaps shared by others, that OPSEC was a new mili-
tary buzz word - this is not the case.
3. OPSEC is not a new concept. OPSEC was initiated as
a result of a JCS directive in 1974; however, it has not been
implemented-by other services to the extent that it has in
the Army. Basically, the concept as. developed by the Army
includes a multi-disciplined approach to security problems.
In other words, instead of separate physical security surveys,
counter-intelligence surveys, SIGSEC and COMSEC surveys, ELSEC
surveys, etc., all security services are conducted with a multi-
disciplined approach - usually a team composed of experts of
all security disciplines, Their reports are then made avail-
able to the Commander. The Army has been experiencing success
because-he has a greater degree of confidence in the results
of same. The security posture, therefore, at all echelons
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of command have. been improved, More emphasis is placed, as
a result, on the overall security threat and solution and
command.response,
4. QPSEC in the Army is covered by AR-530-1. An inter-
pretation of that philosophy as quoted by the Sixth U. S.
Army as follows:
OPSEC is a management philosophy and methodology
which includes the necessary and appropriate actions
a commander takes to deny an adversary information
about planning, ongoing,..or completed operations.
When properly applied, the process results in the
protection of military operations and activities
by identifying and eliminating or controlling
access to information. which is susceptible to
hostile exploitation. A commander thereby denies
an adversary a tactical or strategic advantage.
5. As you are aware, in the past, both civilian and
military departments have been guilty of conducting surveys
which really touched on only one aspect of the problem, i.e.
physical security, etc. The OPSEC philosophy tackles all
security problems within a multi-disciplined framework.Security
is thereby enhanced because the non-security command elements
involved are aware of the advantages of this appraoch and have
greater confidence in the security recommendations that result
from same.
6. I therefore strongly recommend that ACSI be requested
to provide a briefing to the next Security Committee group
on their concept and the utilization of OPSEC. It is suggested
that this briefing be conducted by the 902nd MI Group Com-
mander, Colonel Littlefield or his Chief of the Special Security
Detachment, LTC Keenan. I would be happy to make the necessary
arrangements if you approve of same. In this connection, it
is respectfully suggested that Merrill Kelly be contacted to
obtain his approval before any contact is made with the 902nd.
7. In conclusion, I an convinced that the Army procedure
with respect to OPSEC should be implemented by all DOD
components. I also respectfully suggest that civilian compo-
nents of the Intelligence Community could also benefit by the
introduction of this concept with some modifications.
25X1
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