Your trash could be an adversary's treasure.

Fort Johnson, La. — May is National Operations Security Awareness Month. OPSEC, put simply, is what keeps sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. Practicing OPSEC is essential to the success of the mission and the lives of U.S. service members, Department of Defense employees, contractors and Family members. This is done by identifying Critical Information and implementing safeguards for protection. OPSEC is a never-ending process and it can include simple things nobody even thinks about.

Sherry Johnson, Security Specialist with Fort Johnson’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, said you can have a bunch of unclassified information that were put out in different social media posts and individually they are harmless, but together those things can result in someone gathering classified information.

“That can create a vulnerability. We really want to protect the installation, its Soldiers and its people. That’s our number one priority,” Johnson said.

Kenneth Smith, DPTMS operations security officer, said OPSEC is a shared responsibility.

“It’s people coming together as a community to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their actions and the actions of others, which can enhance trust and cooperation,” Smith said. “Helping people realize they are part of a larger community that fosters a sense of belonging and connection when it comes to protecting each other is crucial to the OPSEC mission,” Smith said.

How do you protect critical information in your everyday life? Even small actions can keep yourself and others safe. Smith gives a few examples of easy ways to do that.

* Be cautious about discussing sensitive information in public places.

* Be aware of your surroundings and avoid talking about personal details.

* Protect your personal information and be mindful of your digital exposure.

* Safeguard your privacy from prying eyes and cyber-criminals.

Keep It to yourself — How many times have you overheard a conversation from someone saying how they just won some money from the lottery? Or how they just bought a big new screen TV? I overheard someone talking very loudly on their cell phone one day about how they just got paid $1,000 and they were planning to go down to the club later to spend it all. Someone with evil intentions could easily take advantage of that person.

Shred personal documents and packages — You’d be surprised how many people might go through trash to get valuable information such as your banking or credit statements. Shred any documents with any personal information or account numbers on them and, if you can, place those shreds in different trash cans.

Be aware of suspicious packages — Speaking of packages, if you’re not expecting a package, be very wary of it. Did you hear about the package bombings that took place in Austin, Texas? Packages were sent to completely random addresses across Austin and when they were opened, they were killed on impact.

Ditch bumper stickers — I constantly see people with stickers plastered all over their vehicle representing their beliefs, what organizations they’re apart of and more. This is not the smartest thing to do. This is one of those things that should be kept to yourself. For example, the whole world doesn’t need to know what you support the NRA.

Mix it up — People case houses, buildings and workplaces looking for routines to take advantage of. Do you come and go at the same time every day? People have the same routine, but it might be a good idea to try to switch the routes that you use to get to work. Do your best to try to mix up your everyday routine. Even small changes such as leaving a few minutes later or earlier can throw off an adversary. Think about your daily routine and see what could be mixed up to throw anyone watching off.

For more information about OPSEC, check out the Fort Johnson OPSEC podcast at https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=youtube+at+fort+johnson+podcast&mid=41E81331492A3C06A25B41E81331492A3C06A25B&FORM=VIRE