National Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Month was formally initiated in January 2023 and is now officially moved to the month of May. Throughout the month, the goal is to enhance awareness by highlighting the importance of OPSEC with a monthlong communication plan for disseminating information to the workforce and community.

Operations Security (OPSEC) is vital and has become a governmentwide requirement dating back to 1988, when President Ronald Reagan signed Directive 298. In January 2021 the White House released the National Security Presidential Memorandum-28 (NSPM-28) which required all Executive Branch departments and agencies to implement OPSEC capabilities that identify and protect their most critical assets, identify and mitigate vulnerabilities, consider foreign adversarial threats in their organization’s risk management activities, and apply sufficient threat mitigation practices to counter the threat.

Maybe OPSEC annual training isn’t such a bad requirement after all. Training is made available not only as a requirement to DOD employees, but available to all as a learning tool at OPSEC for All.

Reinforcing OPSEC is ongoing and essential and should be implemented amongst one’s personal and professional life. Being OPSEC vigilant reinforces awareness on what information to protect, measures to take to prevent collection, and who to report unauthorized disclosures.

This month affords the opportunity to spread awareness and understand that OPSEC is everyone’s responsibility. Are you OPSEC vigilant?