As more people spend time working from home, keeping a tight eye on your secrets and identity is challenging. To make sure your data isn’t compromised, you’ll need good Operational Security (OpSec). That means hiding your IP address, not leaking any personal data and keeping all of your conversations private and not logged.

What is it?

OpSec is a practice adopted by both hackers and spies. It’s used to keep information secret, be that related to yourself, your hacker/spy identities, or your operation (or family!).

Why is it important?

Someone with bad OpSec is not going to last long as a hacker. They might leave IP addresses or personal information scattered across the web as they go about their hacks, likely resulting in exposure. Similarly, spies with bad OpSec will generally fail to conceal their identities properly, risking the failure of an entire operation.

Why does this relate to me?

Being smart with your actions is not just important to professional hackers and spies. Everyone should take care with their information and secrets. The internet is a wonderful place, but a dangerous one. Sharing too much in too many places can make you an easier target for hackers, spammers, trolls, and those that may want to feed your online data into algorithms for behavioral analysis, facial recognition, invasive marketing, and mass surveillance.

How do I achieve good OpSec?

When using the internet, constantly ask yourself things like: Does this website actually need my real date of birth or full name? What are the potential risks of sending this picture over this particular messaging app? Can this company really be trusted to keep my information safe? Could someone use this Facebook post against me in the future somehow? Are these files secure in this place? Am I revealing too much on this public profile? Thinking smarter is the first step to securing yourself in the online world. Have a read of our Top 10 Online Safety Tips, for advice on combating the main dangers.

Anything else?

On top of helping to protect yourself and others, good OpSec will make you more aware of your surroundings, both online and offline. You’ll be learning clever spy and hacker techniques without even trying!