Service members, government employees, and their families should be mindful of sharing "critical information" such as details about military capabilities, activities, limitations, and intentions. Critical information includes details about unit missions and deployments, personnel transactions like pay information, and references to unit morale issues. While this information may seem insignificant, adversaries can piece together critical details to understand what a military unit is doing and planning. Individuals should protect critical information by editing emails for security, using encrypted emails, and properly destroying documents with sensitive details through shredding or burn bags. Where and with whom critical information is discussed is important, as adversaries can collect data even from public places, phones, and devices using basic receivers.

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Critical Information
Service members, government employees and family members should always be mindful
about the information they share. Even though this information may not be secret, a lot of it
is considered "critical information", which is information dealing with specific facts about
military capabilities, activities, limitations, and intentions (CALI). If an adversary knew this
detailed information, our mission and personnel safety could be jeopardized.
Examples of critical information include:
• Detailed information about the mission of assigned units
• Details on locations and times of unit deployments
• Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information,
powers of attorney, wills and deployment information)
• References to trends in unit morale or personnel problems
• Details concerning security procedures
This information may seem insignificant. However, to a trained adversary, they are small
pieces of a puzzle that highlight what a military unit is doing and planning.

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Protecting Critical Information
When it comes to protecting critical information, there are several things individuals can
do. They include editing emails for operations security before sending them, using
encryption emails to protect sensitive information and shredding and using burn bags to
destroy notes and documents with Social Security numbers, personal records, home
addresses and reports that reflect our strengths, assets and future operations.
Where and how you discuss critical information is just as important as with whom you
discuss it with. Adverse agents tasked with collecting information frequently visit some of
the same stores, clubs, recreational areas or places of worship as you do.
Determined individuals can easily collect data from trash cans, cordless and cellular
phones, and even baby monitors, using inexpensive receivers available from local
electronics stores.