|
Training for Book Authors
|
|
|
Other Resources for Book Authors & Publishers
|
|
|
Please Support Our Advertisers
|
|
|
|
|
|
George Washington, Known OPSEC Practitioner - OPSEC In His Own Words
Copyright (c) 2009-2023 Chris Cox
Arguably, no President in history has received a legendary status equal to George Washington. His reputation as a gifted military leader stems partially from his unique perspective as the leader of counterinsurgency forces (as a young officer in the Seven Year's War) and as the leader of an insurgent army (in the Revolutionary War).
Within OPSEC circles, Washington is often quoted as saying, "Even minutiae should have a place in our collection, for things of a seemingly trifling nature, when enjoined with others of a more serious cast, may lead to valuable conclusion." While this is certainly true you must understand that this is a lesson our first president learned through bitter, near fatal experience.
Washington's first experience with OPSEC (a term not used at the time, but the principles remain the same) came at the age of 21 when he was a young officer in the Seven Year's War under British General Braddock. The effective French intelligence network (no doubt enabled by ineffective security) was able to ascertain Braddock's moves well in advance and successfully ambushed the combined British and Colonial forces on their first expedition. In this attack, the combined forces lost 615 of their officers and 914 soldiers; in addition General Braddock was mortally wounded and barely escaped with the aid of Washington. Before his death four days later, Braddock gave Washington his ceremonial sash, one of the two reminders of this lesson that would stay with him forever.
If this hard lesson taught Washington one thing, it was the necessity of effective intelligence, as well as that of secrecy. He was later quoted as saying, "(U)pon Secrecy, Success depends in Most Enterprises - and for want of it, they are generally defeated."
With this philosophy, Washington would establish and lead an effective spy network during the Revolutionary War. These spies would operate, at times, directly with or under British forces and would provide Washington with critical military information regarding British plans, strategies and objectives. In order to evade detection, all agents would memorize and refer only to code names (for instance, George Washington was only referred to as "711" and New York was "727"), which demonstrates a clear understanding of the importance of obfuscating key names and locations. Using the same scheme for names and locations also helped to hide their true meaning. In addition, the use of secret codes, invisible ink and encryption demonstrated Washington's awareness of the necessity of not only attempting to avoid the capture of information, but also to prevent the use of information should capture occur.
Unfortunately, this valuable lesson seemed to be forgotten when Washington sent a seemingly harmless letter to his dentist in Philadelphia asking for denture wires and a cleaning tool. In and of itself, this letter provided no military intelligence of value when it and other messages were captured by the British. However, some of the other messages indicated a potential attack on New York. Sir Henry Clinton, then chief of the British Army, was skeptical. The letters almost seemed too good to be true especially when you understand that Washington's skill in military deception was known by the enemy. Clinton was left to wonder of the validity and value of the "intelligence." However, Clinton correctly reasoned that this letter would most likely not have been included in a package was to be intentionally "captured" and surmised that the captured intelligence was legitimate. Clinton was able to strengthen his forces in New York, prompting Washington to abandon that campaign.
This setback did not discourage Washington from continuing to use deception and disinformation however. This lesson learned became a very effective strategy to fabricate documents to be "captured", or to instruct agents to discuss certain matters in areas that British soldiers or spies were able to overhear, or even to intercept messages meant for British forces and alter them before passing them along seemingly unchanged. For example: When Washington had his army outside of Philadelphia he instructed his procurement officers make sizable purchases of supplies, and even constructed fake military facilities, which convinced the British that his 3,000-strong army contained 40,000 men.
Throughout the war, Washington relied heavily on espionage and intelligence. The Culper Spy Ring, headed by Major Benjamin Talmadge (under the pseudonym "John Bolton") learned that the British had plans to attack an allied French expedition in Rhode Island (it is not clear how British Forces learned of the landing). Washington responded by planting false intelligence with British agents indicating that he intended to move against New York City. In response, the British Commander held his forces at New York, which had the additional benefit of masking Washington's movement towards Chesapeake Bay and Yorktown. It was imperative that Washington's forces practice good OPSEC in order to avoid detection of this grand deception.
Washington understood the importance of educating those under him about what we've come to call OPSEC. In a clear early understanding of what we now know as the OPSEC process, Washington wrote to thank James Lovell for a piece of intelligence, saying, "it is by comparing a variety of information, we are frequently enabled to investigate facts, which were so intricate or hidden, that no single clue could have led to the knowledge of them. . . intelligence becomes interesting which but from its connection and collateral circumstances, would not be important." He also spoke to General Rufus Putnam in August 1777 about calculating an adversary's strength, saying, "Deserters and people of that class always speak of number. . . indeed, scarce any person can form a judgment unless he sees the troops paraded and can count the divisions. But, if you can by any means obtain a list of the regiments left upon the island, we can compute the number of men within a few hundreds, over or under." This "training" prompted Federalist William Duer to write, "To say more in a Letter, might be imprudent" when discussing a matter of potential value.
Similarly, to the credit of the Continental Congress, the first secrecy agreement was adopted for government employees. It read, in part, "I do solemnly swear, that I will not directly or indirectly divulge any manner or thing which shall come to my knowledge as (clerk, secretary) of the board of War and Ordnance for the United Colonies. . . So help me God."
Perhaps the best example of OPSEC in Washington's strategy was in the attack on Stony Point. Stony Point was an ominous British fort on the Hudson River, with walls 150 feet high, water on three sides and a swamp on the fourth, and an imposing garrison of 500 men and many cannons. Colonel Wayne was convinced that it could be taken, and eventually convinced Washington that it could be done. Washington approved the plan with the advice, "That it should be attempted by the Light Infantry only, which should march under cover of the night and with the utmost secrecy to the enemy's lines, securing every person they find to prevent discovery". Note especially the use of darkness to mask movement and the securing of potential witnesses/agents. Because of this secrecy, the surprise attack was a success resulting in only 15 American deaths versus 63 British.
Clearly, George Washington effectively led the newly formed army to victory not only because of excellent military tactics, but also because a solid understanding of OPSEC. If OPSEC (http://www.opsecprofessionals.org) can help General Washington win a war then who are we to deny its use today to protect our sensitive information?
|
Written by: Chris Cox. The Operations Security Professional's Association (OSPA) is an International entity dedicated to promoting OPSEC by providing free resources and member collaboration. OSPA works with groups all over the world, from US Federal Agencies to Neighborhood Watch programs, and believes that each one deserves security. http://www.opsecprofessionals.org/
|
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Business Offline Articles || Related Categories: World Events Articles and Society Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Chris Cox
Most Recent "Business Offline" Articles
How To Build a Strong and Powerful Business During a Recession
Written by: Trey McMartin |
Distributed: 2011-11-10 |
Word Count: 987 |
Page Views: 6510
| Votes: 6 |
Rating: 0.83
During a recession, most business owners pull the reins on
advertising budgets, fearful of what tomorrow might bring...
Those who remain fearful have forgotten what made them the
success they are today... They have forgotten that they have
a God-given talent to overcome the incredible obstacles in
their paths.
SEO Lessons from Local Businesses
Written by: Trey McMartin |
Distributed: 2011-11-09 |
Word Count: 945 |
Page Views: 6612
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.40
More than once in the six years that I have been providing
SEO services for websites, I have had the opportunity to
discuss with individual business owners their search engine
optimization needs. Now and again, I run across an
individual business owner who is quick to say that SEO is
absolutely worthless. When confronted with such an absolute
statement, I like to press for details. It has been my
experience that people who speak in negative absolutes will
have a horror story to share.
Where Will FDA Target Next? What IVD Manufacturers Should Know Before Their Next FDA Audit
Written by: Norm Howe |
Distributed: 2011-09-12 |
Word Count: 706 |
Page Views: 537
Medical device manufacturers are always interested in knowing
what FDA's next area of focus will be. Well, if you're an In
Vitro Diagnostic manufacturer you might review your measurement
systems.
Online Fax - 10 Reasons To Get An Online Fax Service
Written by: Titus Hoskins |
Distributed: 2011-09-12 |
Word Count: 560 |
Page Views: 542
Online faxing is the new more modern way to fax. If you or your
company is not using an online fax service, here are 10 good
reasons why you should get it.
Best Effort Essential for the Job Interview
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC |
Distributed: 2011-07-30 |
Word Count: 676 |
Page Views: 632
Interviewing will determine if you are the right person for the
job. These tips will help you make the job interview a success.
Go Green With Your Career Search
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC |
Distributed: 2011-07-28 |
Word Count: 636 |
Page Views: 5369
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 0.50
Many of the qualities of green living, like recycling and
sustainability, can apply to a career search, even if the
career is not directly associated with green industries.
ReCareer in the Second-half of Life
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC |
Distributed: 2011-07-26 |
Word Count: 525 |
Page Views: 5370
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 1.20
Many of us worked the first half of our life to "fit" the
job description. ReCareering is about finding the right fit,
being selective, being creative, being fulfilled and being
intentional about how you spend your time.
Up in the Air
Written by: Barbara Wulf MS, ACC, CPCC |
Distributed: 2011-07-24 |
Word Count: 678 |
Page Views: 598
When looking for work or changing careers, go beyond researching
on the internet and reading articles. Find out how you can learn
from the art of listening and having a conversation.
Salon and Spa Owners: Which Monk Are You?
Written by: Dan Lok |
Distributed: 2011-07-05 |
Word Count: 477 |
Page Views: 6143
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 1.00
Too many salon and spa owners are carrying around a lot
hurts, regrets, guilt, past failures and fears about the
future. But no one is forcing you to carry these emotional
rocks, so put that sack down!
The Single Most Profitable Day You Spend on Your Spa or Salon!
Written by: Dan Lok |
Distributed: 2011-06-30 |
Word Count: 470 |
Page Views: 6463
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.20
Salon and spa owners need to combine their marketing plan
with marketing systems. A marketing calendar plans out
strategies for a year, and is instrumental to the success of
your spa or salon.
Most Viewed "Business Offline" Articles
How To Write A 300 Page Book In Four Months
Written by: Mark Silver |
Distributed: 2008-07-15 |
Word Count: 821 |
Page Views: 40059
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 1.38
There's a lot of hoopla about becoming an author of your very
own business book. The promise of fame and fortune is very
alluring. Yet your book remains perpetually 'about to be'
written. Meanwhile your business has ground to a halt. Hmmm...
might there be a better way to get a book written?
The Best Marketing Book I've Ever Read (You'll Be Surprised)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2007-05-09 |
Word Count: 1522 |
Page Views: 37178
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 3.18
From time to time someone asks me to recommend marketing books.
Here's one of my favorite marketing books that always surprises
people. Curious? Read on.
The Bizarre History Of The HOLLYWOOD Sign
Written by: Morris Timlen |
Distributed: 2008-11-05 |
Word Count: 1211 |
Page Views: 34751
| Votes: 30 |
Rating: 2.70
The most famous sign in the history of mankind is the one that
graces the side of the hill above Hollywood, California. As
famous a landmark as the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De
Janeiro, the Eiffel Tower in Paris France, the Great Pyramid of
Giza in Egypt, The Church of the Savior on Blood in Saint
Petersburg Russia, and the Statue Of Liberty in New York City,
the Hollywood sign is known around the world as the symbol of the
American movie industry.
What Does It Take To Be A Successful Salesman?
Written by: Casey Moher |
Distributed: 2008-08-05 |
Word Count: 930 |
Page Views: 27389
| Votes: 84 |
Rating: 3.17
In the course of my average workweek, I meet people who tell me
that they have no sales experience, and very literally, many
will tell me that they could not sell if their lives depended on
it. Do you fit into this mold? Do you seriously believe that you
can sell me on the idea that you cannot sell things?
The Future of the Office Photocopier Industry
Written by: Jennifer Robinson |
Distributed: 2010-07-29 |
Word Count: 635 |
Page Views: 15764
| Votes: 39 |
Rating: 2.00
Since Xerox first invented and sold the first commercial
photocopy machine companies and organisations have paid for
use of the machine on a cost per copy basis. This has
traditionally included full maintainance and toner supplied
under a service agreement. In-fact the office photocopier is
unique in the fact its one of the only pieces of equipment
that comes without a warranty from new. But photocopier
expert Online Connect UK claim all that is about to change.
Never Write A 'Thank You' Letter Again
Written by: Perry Maisin |
Distributed: 2008-08-12 |
Word Count: 971 |
Page Views: 14831
| Votes: 22 |
Rating: 2.09
When I was in graduate school, I had a friend who interviewed at
fortune 500 companies and succeeded at landing a great job. One
day, I saw him sitting in the student union with a stack of
cards. The cards said 'thank you'. He opened each card and
signed his name. The inside of the card was blank. I asked him
what he was doing and he told me that it was important to send a
'thank you' to every person you interviewed with. He believed
that that was the difference between getting the job and being
passed over.
Selecting Between a 401(k) And 403(b) For a Nonprofit
Written by: Daniel Lamaute |
Distributed: 2007-10-11 |
Word Count: 333 |
Page Views: 14493
| Votes: 22 |
Rating: 2.27
Newly released IRS regulations impose several new requirements
and fiduciary responsibilities on employers with 403(b) plans.
While the regulations generally don't take effect until January
1, 2009, there are some provisions that apply sooner.
Conducting Effective Career Aspiration Discussions with Employees
Written by: Andria L. Corso |
Distributed: 2010-03-10 |
Word Count: 690 |
Page Views: 13499
| Votes: 12 |
Rating: 1.33
Enhance your talent management and development programs
through conducting career aspiration discussions with your
employees. Find out where they want to grow their career to
determine if it matches your business needs. This will
enable you to differentiate your employee development to
grow the future leaders of your company.
Top Ten Personal Habits
Written by: Laurel Vespi |
Distributed: 2009-09-08 |
Word Count: 427 |
Page Views: 13194
| Votes: 12 |
Rating: 2.08
Successful people have a regular routine of daily or weekly
habits that reinforce the things that are most important to
them. By practicing a set of personal success habits, they
maintain a positive outlook, keep focused on their
priorities, have more energy, and a greater sense of
satisfaction with life.
Pitch A No-Hitter With Baseball-Themed Flower Gifts
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2007-12-25 |
Word Count: 413 |
Page Views: 11718
| Votes: 27 |
Rating: 1.74
Want to send a gift to the baseball fan in your life that's sure
to knock one out of the park? Send flowers with a baseball
theme! Everyone loves flowers and when you personalize them to
include the recipient's favorite hobbies, like baseball,
they're sure to make an even greater impression.
Highest Ranked "Business Offline" Articles
Equal Opportunity Pizza Ordering
Written by: Rudy Vener |
Distributed: 2007-10-19 |
Word Count: 629 |
Page Views: 5277
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 3.60
With online ordering, your menu and restaurant suddenly become
accessible to both the deaf and blind customers in your
community.
Lone Wolf --- Lead Wolf: The Evolution of Leadership
Written by: Rick Johnson |
Distributed: 2006-07-20 |
Word Count: 1826 |
Page Views: 4351
| Votes: 19 |
Rating: 3.47
Family owned organizations, both small and large, with succession
issues, family preparation and second and third generation
leadership issues have been subjected to the evolution of
leadership. These organizations are often founded by an
aggressive, highly talented entrepreneur. Many of the principles
of leadership that helped build the success that the organization
enjoyed in the past is not the type of leadership that will
maintain that success through generations of ownership.
Get the Balance Right
Written by: Rich Thawley |
Distributed: 2009-01-28 |
Word Count: 638 |
Page Views: 3889
| Votes: 15 |
Rating: 3.33
Do you build your business around your family or your family
around your business? The choice is yours.
Delegate Or Die: 6 Steps For Business Growth
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-05-08 |
Word Count: 366 |
Page Views: 3614
| Votes: 24 |
Rating: 3.29
To achieve business growth, you need to focus on your strengths
and hire others to take care of the rest. Unfortunately,
entrepreneurs often fail to employ this fundamental business
growth strategy. Here are six steps to help you delegate
successfully.
Whose Restaurant Can You Find Online?
Written by: Rudy Vener |
Distributed: 2007-07-09 |
Word Count: 640 |
Page Views: 4979
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.29
What is so significant about Pizza Hut's latest TV commercial?
Why Businesses Need Receivable Factoring In Cash Flow Management
Written by: Toby Seibert |
Distributed: 2007-08-08 |
Word Count: 866 |
Page Views: 7172
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.29
In today's business environment, many businesses need to
fine-tune the process of getting paid on invoices, in order to
improve their cash on hand. Improving cash flow can be an ongoing
challenge for businesses of all sizes, and it is an issue that
must be addressed to ensure the long-term viability of the
business.
Boost Retention And Referrals In Your Insurance Agency
Written by: Stephanie Cunningham |
Distributed: 2007-10-23 |
Word Count: 707 |
Page Views: 2571
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.29
If you have ever stayed at a nice hotel, then you have probably
seen the hotel's Concierge. The role of the Concierge is to
assist guests with information and service to enhance their stay.
What would happen if you took the idea of the Concierge and
applied it to the way you service your agency clients?
Business School for Non-Business Minds: Got a NAICS Number?
Written by: Melissa Mashtonio |
Distributed: 2008-04-15 |
Word Count: 423 |
Page Views: 5095
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.29
I’m a journalist. I spent a lot of my career in the news
business. As my career has progressed, I’ve spent time at small
and large companies, and I have sat through dozens of business
meetings wondering what the heck the “money” people are talking
about. They used acronyms as if they were a foreign language.
The Problem With Swiping Sales Copy
Written by: Scott Bywater |
Distributed: 2009-12-03 |
Word Count: 480 |
Page Views: 5027
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.29
This is what people miss when they try to simply "swipe"
sales copy from another advertisement.
Why 'Closing' Is Not The Most Important Part Of Making A Sale
Written by: Scott Bywater |
Distributed: 2006-08-29 |
Word Count: 553 |
Page Views: 6244
| Votes: 31 |
Rating: 3.26
If you ever thought that 'closing' was the single most
important key to sales success, then pay close attention, because
what I'm about to share may surprise you. Let me explain:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|
Article Statistics
|
Word Count: 1249
Total Views: 5330
Article Rating: 2.09 of 5
Votes Cast: 11
More Articles By Author:
Articles On This Website
Last Distribution Date:
2009-07-07 14:36:00
Internal ID: #6822
|
|
|
Home