Individual and Collective Security
From the SOE Syllabus of Lectures at Camp X

I always enjoyed WWI and WWII writings. It’s always a good source of inspiration, knowledge and entertainment. All sort of stories have been written by and about many persons involved in these great wars. I was enjoining another writing from this epoch. I’m currently reading documents of STS-103 (Camp X, a SOE training camp in Canada). There is an excerpt on Individual and Collective Security taken from Syllabus of Lectures HS 7/55 in SOE documents in the National Archives.

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INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE SECURITY

1. DEFINITION.

Security: ‘Precautions taken by the individual for his own personal protection and the protection of his Organization from the enemy’.

Without these precautions, it is dangerous to attempt regular and impossible to attempt irregular warfare alone or in conjunction with other people.

2. APPLICATION.

a) Apparent absence of enemy C.E. measures should never be allowed to engender over-confidence. (Cf. graph of agent’s confidence.)

b) Insecurity by an individual may jeopardize not only his own safety but the safety of the organization with which he is in contact.

3. INFORMATION.

Basis of your self-protection is good information. As much as possible provided before departure, but you must check and supplement on arrival. Information required on:

i) Local Conditions.

ii) Local Regulations.

iii) Enemy methods.

iv) Enemy personnel.

v) Your own subordinates.

4. INCULCATION.

a) Security cannot be taught by rule of thumb. It is a frame of mind attainable though self-discipline and self-training that will make the taking of precautions a ‘habit’. (Cf. crossing a road.)

b) What is a habit’ A single action committed so often as to become automatic. What precautionary actions must we practice so often that they become a habit’

5. COMMUNICATION.

The answer is ‘Communicatory Actions’. Secret and confidential information can reach the enemy through our carelessness in:

a) Speech.

b) Writing.

c) Behaviour.

a) Speech.

Adoption of hush-hush attitude through vanity.

Confiding in friends to ease nervous strain.

Mentioning facts you are not ‘outwardly’ supposed to know, or isolated facts which can be strung together.

Telling people more than they need to know.

Compromising telephone-conversations through misuse of conventions. (E.g. NOT ‘Three lambs with sweets and toys who need instruction in malaria’ BUT ‘Three chaps with some goods for Harry who need instruction in my subjects’.)

b) Writing.

Commit as little as possible to writing. Memorise if you can.

If you must carry documents, select what you must carry.

Burn all secret waste and carbons.

c) Behaviour.

Be inconspicuous. Avoid all limelight by being an ‘average’ citizen in appearance (height, clothes) and conduct (drink, women).

Be tidy. All engaged on secret work must be methodical in their habits ‘ e.g. it is mainly knowing exactly where he has placed his belongings and arranged his room that an individual can detect disturbance by police search.

Have good ‘Cover’ ‘ the innocent activity undertaken or invented to conceal the secret aspects of his activity. Good cover must be consistent with necessary overt behaviour and non-compromising.

(For application to operational Agent see A.4.)

Be observant. Observe and deduce. (E.g. face or voice seen or heard twice suggesting you are being followed. Smell or real coffee in France suggestion someone occupied in Black Market.)

Have foresight. See danger early. (E.g. axis agent in café, policemen checking papers.)

Plan for emergency. Alternative courses in case of accident (RV’s) pre-arranged conversation when talking to colleague in case of sudden interrogation. Danger signs.

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Most of this information is always relevant and will be for decades. For example check out 2.b). It’s probably the best point when you deal with contractors or associate companies. All security experts will tell you it; the security policies of your associates and contractors need to be in harmony with yours. They need to be as strong as yours and followed by them as you follow yours. If he has a lack of security he will be a treat to your own security. It’s the fact for computer security but also for any other type of security. The point 4.a) relate what I always said before on this blog: education. People need to be educated in this way. Security can’t be a habit if never educated before.

I think that this excerpt is a good refreshment reading for any person that cares about his own security, the security of his relatives or if that person works in any field of security.