What are the essential steps in the OPSEC process?

• A. Identify critical information; analyze threats; analyze vulnerabilities; assess risk; apply countermeasures.
• B. Identify critical information; assess risk; analyze threats; implement countermeasures.
• C. Identify vulnerabilities; assess risk; implement training; monitor assets.
• D. Threat analysis only; no countermeasures.

Answer: (A)

OPSEC protection starts with identifying what information, if exposed, could harm operations. That means pinpointing the critical information that adversaries could use to infer plans, capabilities, or intentions. After that, you analyze threats—who might want this information and what they might do with it. Then you look for vulnerabilities in how that information is collected, stored, transmitted, or shared, because those weak points are what could be exploited. With insights about threats and vulnerabilities, you assess risk by weighing how likely exposure is and what the impact would be on operations. Finally, you implement countermeasures to reduce that risk and apply them, then monitor and adjust as needed. This full sequence—identify critical information, analyze threats, analyze vulnerabilities, assess risk, and apply countermeasures—captures the complete OPSEC process. Choices that skip steps, reorder them, or omit vulnerability analysis or countermeasures don’t provide the full protection needed, which is why they’re not correct.