Define OPSEC.

• A. A process to identify critical information and apply countermeasures to reduce an adversary's ability to exploit it.
• B. A method for increasing social media awareness.
• C. A technique for prioritizing supply chains.
• D. A standard for encryption algorithms.

Answer: (A)

OPSEC is a process for identifying critical information and applying countermeasures to reduce an adversary’s ability to exploit it. It starts by pinpointing what information would be valuable to an attacker, then analyzes how that information could be obtained and what the consequences would be if it were exposed. Finally, it puts safeguards in place—like limiting who can access sensitive data, improving how information is handled, and using protective procedures—to lessen the chances that an adversary can leverage that information.

The other options don’t fit because they describe broader or unrelated practices: social media awareness is only a part of risk hygiene, not the protective process itself; prioritizing supply chains is operational planning, not information-security protection; and encryption standards refer to cryptographic methods, not the overarching process of reducing an adversary’s ability to exploit critical information.