In the 5 Step OPSEC Process, which step is 'Analyze vulnerabilities'?

• A. Step 1
• B. Step 2
• C. Step 3
• D. Step 4

Answer: (C)

In OPSEC, you move from recognizing what information is critical to understanding how it could be exposed. The phase that analyzes vulnerabilities focuses on identifying weaknesses in the ways critical information could be revealed, lost, or misused. After you’ve pinned down what information matters and who might threaten it, you examine every point where that information could leak—people, processes, technologies, and physical controls. You look for gaps in safeguards, such as insecure communications, weak access controls, careless handling of data, or procedures that inadvertently disclose sensitive details. This step turns potential threats into concrete weaknesses, so you can assess how likely those weaknesses are to be exploited and what impact that would have. It sets up the next stages, where you determine risks and decide on countermeasures to reduce or eliminate those vulnerabilities.