What is Operational Security (OPSEC)?

Operational Security (OPSEC) is a term that originated with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. It refers to the practice of identifying and protecting sensitive information from being exposed to unauthorized users and potential attackers. OPSEC practices involve identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities related to an organization’s sensitive data and implementing countermeasures to protect them against potential exposure.

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The Importance of OPSEC

Data is many organizations’ most valuable asset. Companies commonly collect and hold a wide range of sensitive information, including customer data, intellectual property, and other sensitive company data.

The value of this data also makes it a primary target for cybercriminals. Many cyberattacks are focused on accessing and stealing sensitive data for use in other attacks or for sale on the Dark Web.

The primary goal of OPSEC is to enhance the security of an organization’s sensitive data. By proactively identifying and correcting vulnerabilities and developing defenses against potential threats, it reduces the risk faced by corporate data and systems.

What are the 5 steps in OPSEC?

OPSEC is a core part of security operations (SecOps) and an important duty of the security operations center (SOC). It is commonly broken up into a five-step process.

#1. Identify Critical Information

An OPSEC program is designed to protect an organization’s sensitive data against potential threats. To do so, it’s necessary to know what sensitive data the organization holds that requires protection. The first step in the OPSEC process is to identify the information that needs protection. This could include customer data, intellectual property, financial data, employee information, product research, and any other information that could cause harm to the organization if exposed and misused.

#2. Analyze Threats

After identifying the information to be protected, the next step is to identify potential threats to this data. These threats can originate from both inside and outside the organization. For example, a company may face threats to its data due to external cybercriminals; however, trusted insiders can put data at risk as well, intentionally or unintentionally. For example, an employee may unintentionally expose data in unprotected cloud storage or intentionally take it with them when they depart for a role with a new organization.

#3. Analyze Vulnerabilities

The previous step identified the various actors that might attempt to steal an organization’s data or other risks to that data. This stage works to determine the potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses that these actors can use to achieve their goals. For example, an external cyberattacker might exploit a web application vulnerability or perform a phishing attack to gain access to sensitive information. Insiders, on the other hand, might take advantage of excessive permissions and a lack of data loss prevention (DLP) solutions to access and exfiltrate valuable data.

#4. Assess Risk

In most cases, organizations lack the resources to address every potential risk. Also, protecting against some risks and threats may cost more than the risk that they pose to the organization. Each potential risk should be evaluated based on its likelihood and the potential impacts that it could have on the business. This will enable the organization to prioritize risks and determine which ones are worth addressing.

#5. Apply Countermeasures

 

After identifying and evaluating risks, the final step in the OPSEC process is applying countermeasures. This involves developing defenses to address the potential risks and threats identified in earlier stages.

These countermeasures should be prioritized based on the previous risk analysis. High-risk threats should be addressed first, and countermeasures should only be applied to a potential threat if the benefit outweighs the cost.

Operational Security Best Practices

Some OPSEC best practices for managing access to an organization’s data and systems include the following:

  • Access Controls: Implement least privilege access controls under a zero trust security policy to minimize the access that a user or account has to sensitive information.
  • Strong Authentication: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent a compromised password from granting an attacker access to sensitive data.
  • Security Audits: Perform regular vulnerability scans and penetration tests to identify potential vulnerabilities and security risks that should be addressed.
  • Encryption: Encrypt data at rest and in transit to prevent access by unauthorized users.
  • Change Management: Implement robust change management processes to help prevent changes that introduce vulnerabilities to corporate systems.
  • Employee Education: Train employees regarding OPSEC principles and best practices.
  • Separation of Duties: Break critical processes across multiple roles to reduce the risk of fraud or an employee falling for a phishing attack.
  • Incident Response Preparation: Have an incident response team and plan in place and define business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) plans to address various scenarios.

Strengthen OPSEC with Check Point Horizon XDR/XPR

Horizon XDR/XPR strengthens OPSEC by quickly identifying and preventing the most sophisticated attacks. XDR/XPR uncovers the most stealthy attacks fast by correlating events across your entire security estate and combining with behavioral analytics, real time proprietary threat intelligence from Check Point Research and ThreatCloud AI, and third-party intelligence. It also includes dozens of automated, off-the-shelf prevention playbooks to contain attacks and prevent lateral spread before damage is done, while reducing operational overhead and human error. To learn more about XDR/XPR prevent-first approach download the XDR White Paper or sign up for a free demo today.

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