Operational Security

[Socalman]

OpSec...

There was a good thread on the forums regarding organizing into groups. I think this may be a bit similar but a bit different.

Many of us live in a suburban environment. We want to be prepared and know which of our neighbors may be like minded. It certainly would be good to know who is prepared with communications, who can handle defense, who may have certain skills upon which we might call to help our little community survive the situation.

As you talk with others, do you drop little hints? Are you LISTENING to what they say? Do I want my neighbors to know how much fuel I may have for cooking or how much water I have?

We need to know answers, but how much do you question your neighbors?

I tend to let people know that I have read the government dribble and am prepared for few days. People in the area know that I have a gun (they don't really know how many or what kind).

How do y'all handle this situatino?

[Illini Warrior]

you play a VERY cagey poker hand .... you get to know the neighbors - not even necessarily for organizing a prepper group or MAG ... you want to evaluate the various neighbor's capabilities - good & BAD .... who can be dependable, level headed, skilled, organized and possibly already fairly prepped with some segment of usage ... who's the freaking hot head, timid rabbit, ultra liberal, power grabber, criminal, and the usual lazy user to the max neighbor ....

DO NOT tip your hand to even your neighbor bestie .... fuel, food, camping supplies, tools, equipment stays OPSEC ... and above all - NO INFO on weapons/ammo - especially true in your native CA - if anything dooms you it'll be a rumored gun nut threat ....

[jamesneuen]

Where I am right now on a military base I'm not too worried about what other people have because long term isn't an option here. I just worry about who might come knocking a little too early.

[ElevenBravo]

James knows where they stow the MREs! :-)

EB

[bacpacker]

Other than the folks next door and the next house down, who have been very good neighbors and friends for 20+ years, no one around here have any idea. Next door, parents, kids all prep and while we haven't discussed many specifics in either direction we have kicked ideas around enough to know we are on a similar page in thinking. This will improve as time goes on.
Around other people, co-workers, etc, I listen a whole lot more than talk. Most of my discussion in closely related to current news stories and general disaster preps (winter storm, tornados, power outage). Other than food and water in particular very little else.

[jamesneuen]

Yes I do EB. But sadly so do a hundred other people. The difficult thing will be fuel and water if we lose power.

[realist]

I was visiting a neighbor of ours who was making their own sausage. We got to talking and they proceeded to tell me they had joined a group. They told me the lay out and the type of people who are members of the group. The wife then got out a topo map of the property and showed me the site.............so much for opsec. They trust me so that is why they told me about it however who else knows about the location. You have to be very careful who you talk to and what you tell them.

[Kesephist]

I was visiting a neighbor of ours who was making their own sausage. We got to talking and they proceeded to tell me they had joined a group. They told me the lay out and the type of people who are members of the group. The wife then got out a topo map of the property and showed me the site.............so much for opsec. They trust me so that is why they told me about it however who else knows about the location. You have to be very careful who you talk to and what you tell them.

And?

Surely there is more than this.

Could it possibly be that you have been under surveillance by this group, and the couple were the designated point of contact to join?

One of the worst possibilities I've sussed out in the end-of-the-American-Experiment SHTF, and its aftermath, is factions and territories and such being run by prepper dynasties, who ended up being just as arrogant and malignant as those whose hubris kicked off the whole damn thing. So glad I won't see it... 54 year old old-fart solos like me make terrible concentration camp fodder.

A slight thread derail, and a needful one.

[Illini Warrior]

I was visiting a neighbor of ours who was making their own sausage. We got to talking and they proceeded to tell me they had joined a group. They told me the lay out and the type of people who are members of the group. The wife then got out a topo map of the property and showed me the site.............so much for opsec. They trust me so that is why they told me about it however who else knows about the location. You have to be very careful who you talk to and what you tell them.

you run from people like that soooo freaking fast that you're just a blurrrrr .... they aren't just a OPSEC disaster - they are actually dangerous as hell .... I pity anyone that was stupid enough to get involved and hope they dig themselves out before it gets them killed ... come SHTF time half the county will show up at the front gate - "I know So & So - they told me about this place and said it was safe" ....

[realist]

I have known these people for years. They attend our same church and are well meaning. They said the reason why they were invited into the group is because their son is a SEAL (not a wannabe) and they wanted his abilities. Just the same not interested and well meaning has got a lot of people hurt in the past...... I would hope when their son gets back he will be able to educate them to keep quiet. However the proverbial cat may be out of the bag already with others.