Personal/Digital Security – GroundRod I and II AAR, by Crusoe

Another great training course in the books!  I have been following K from Combat Studies Group for several years and have frequently stated that if he teaches these two courses anywhere east of the Mississippi, I will do whatever it takes to be in that class.  So, when Scout posted up that he would be hosting this course I was on it like a fat guy on a ham sandwich.  As always, Scout is an incredible host and the time spent with fellow patriots is well spent.

In defining requirements for the future, it is of dire importance to take meaningful steps to secure yourself both physically and digitally.  Applying INFOSEC, COMSEC, and PERSEC principles are a solid move in the right direction.  Learning to walk and communicate in the woods is critical, but it is only one half of the equation.  As you study the permissive to semi-permissive to non-permissive continuum it is vital to apply those same lessons to the urban to suburban to rural seam.  I expect to have to be able to negotiate obstacles in all three settings under all three conditions.  I have personally started a deep dive on urban warfare for academic curiosity.  The USMA has a great website and podcast on the subject.  While you are at it might as well add the Irregular Warfare Podcast to the list.

Former NSA General Counsel Stewart Baker stated, metadata absolutely tells you everything about somebody’s life. If you have enough metadata, you don’t really need content.”  The focus of the first two courses in the GroundRod series is built around developing and employing mitigation tools to minimize your digital footprint.  Both classes were very technical but accessible to the layman, but I do recommend a pre-study of computer and networking fundamentals prior to attending.  I am a prolific note taker and I do this to build a “for dummies” version post class for further reference and to provide a starting point for follow on studying of key principles.  Current page count is 65.

What I liked most about the class was that key concepts were thoroughly taught and then built into a basic concept of employment for deeper understanding.  I am not a techie guy, but by necessity I have had to start figuring this stuff out.  The last day culminated into building and using a SOI.  Everyone who has attended the RTO or Scout series is familiar with the format, but now use that same template to build a digital document….and then use it.  Our named adversaries may be ahead of us with digital tech, but we are rapidly closing the gap.  I highly recommend everyone take the time to source training from K as he provides a different perspective based upon real world applications.

Two books worthy of your time. By Michael Bazzell: 1) Extreme Privacy and OSINT Techniques and Tools.  Always check his website to ensure you are purchasing the latest version.

Crusoe is retired from the Air Force after 30-years of service as a flight crew member.  He spends most of his time thinking about the apocalypse and how to mitigate its effects.  When not immersed in academic pursuits, he is often on a trail hiking in the mountains of North Georgia or reading with a glass of Irish whiskey and a German Shepherd by his side.   Global travel enthusiast, history nerd, Appalachian Trail thru hiker, and recovering ultra-endurance athlete.  He can be reached at [email protected]