R 031540Z FEB 04
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALMAR
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UNCLASSIFIED
ALMAR 007/04
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC)//
REF/A/DSD/MSG/06JUN02/NOTAL//
REF/B/MCO/3432.1/30JUL02//
NARR/REF A IS THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (DEPSECDEF) MEMORANDUM
REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) OPSEC.  REF B IS MCO 3432.1,
THE MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC) PROGRAM//
POC/D. A. WILBUR/LTCOL/PLI HQMC/TEL: DSN 222-4326/COML: 703-692-4326
/EMAIL: WILBURDA@HQMC.USMC.MIL//
REMARKS/1.  AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS THE NEED TO PROTECT CRITICAL
INFORMATION BEEN MORE ESSENTIAL THAN TODAY.  THE EVENTS OF SEP 11,
2001 REVEALED HOW VULNERABLE OUR OPEN SOCIETY IS TO AN ASYMMETRIC
ATTACK.  OUR ADVERSARIES WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK ALL POSSIBLE
ADVANTAGES, AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE PROTECT INFORMATION THAT
CAN BE EXPLOITED AND USED IN AN ATTACK AGAINST US.  TODAY, AS
TECHNOLOGY MAKES INFORMATION AVAILABLE INSTANTANEOUSLY THROUGH
ALMOST ANY PERSONAL COMPUTER, PROTECTING CRITICAL INFORMATION AND OUR
INTENTIONS IS VITAL TO PRESERVING THE LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN INVOLVED
IN MILITARY OPERATIONS.
2.  OPSEC IS DEFINED AS A PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING CRITICAL
INFORMATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY ANALYZING FRIENDLY ACTIONS RELATING TO
DEFENSE ACQUISITION, DEFENSE ACTIVITIES, MILITARY OPERATIONS, AND
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO:
A.  IDENTIFY THOSE ACTIONS THAT MAY BE OBSERVED BY ADVERSARY
INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS.
B.  DETERMINE WHAT INDICATORS HOSTILE INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS MAY OBTAIN
THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED OR PIECED TOGETHER TO DERIVE CRITICAL
INFORMATION IN TIME TO BE USEFUL TO ADVERSARIES.
C.  SELECT AND EXECUTE MEASURES THAT ELIMINATE OR REDUCE TO AN
ACCEPTABLE LEVEL THE VULNERABILITIES OF FRIENDLY ACTIONS THAT MAY BE
EXPLOITED BY ADVERSARIES.
3.  REF A CHARGES EVERY MEMBER OF DOD, FROM NEW RECRUITS TO COMBATANT
COMMANDERS, TO ENHANCE OPSEC THROUGH FOUR OBJECTIVES:  MAKING OPSEC A
PRIORITY; INTEGRATING OPSEC INTO TRAINING AND AWARENESS PROGRAMS;
ENSURING FORCE PROTECTION AND OPERATIONS PLANNERS RECOGNIZE THE RISKS
ASSOCIATED WITH COMPROMISING CRITICAL INFORMATION AND THE
COUNTERMEASURES NEEDED TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS; AND FINALLY,
CONTINUALLY ASSESSING OUR ABILITY TO APPLY APPROPRIATE OPSEC
PRACTICES TO OUR DAILY MISSIONS.
4.  ACCORDINGLY, I WANT COMMANDERS AT ALL LEVELS TO REVIEW THE
REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN REF B AND DEVELOP AN AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM ISO
OPSEC.  OPSEC MUST BECOME A WAY OF LIFE FOR ALL MARINES.
5.  HQMC, INFORMATION OPERATIONS AND SPACE INTEGRATION BRANCH (PLI),
SERVES AS THE MARINE CORPS' LEAD OFFICE FOR OPSEC POLICY AND
COORDINATION WITHIN DOD AND THROUGHOUT THE INTERAGENCY STRUCTURE.  
A.  INTERNAL MARINE CORPS RESOURCES TO ASSIST IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
SECURITY ASPECTS OF AN OPSEC PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE MARINE
CORPS NETWORK OPERATIONS AND SECURITY COMMAND (MCNOSC),
HTTPS:/WWW.NOC.USMC.MIL/MARCERT/DEFAULT8.HTM.  
B.  EXTERNAL RESOURCES TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING AN OPSEC PROGRAM ARE
AVAILABLE FROM THE INTERAGENCY OPSEC SUPPORT STAFF (IOSS),
WWW.IOSS.GOV; THE JOINT INFORMATION OPERATIONS CENTER (JIOC),
WWW.JIOC.SMIL.MIL; AND THE FLEET INFORMATION WARFARE CENTER (FIWC),
WWW.FIWC.NAVY.MIL.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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