Operational security, or OPSEC, is the practice of protecting sensitive information, processes, and communications from unnecessary exposure. The goal is to reduce what an attacker can learn from normal business activity, technical logs, public statements, partner exchanges, or careless handling of internal details.
In cyber security, OPSEC matters because many attacks succeed by collecting small clues before the intrusion itself. Exposed metadata, predictable maintenance windows, shared credentials, or overly detailed threat reports can help an adversary map systems, evade detection, or time follow-on attacks. Strong OPSEC limits that leakage through need-to-know access, careful redaction, controlled communication channels, and disciplined incident handling.