From Paper Tubes to Millimeter Waves: Fostering Biological Operational Security.

Abstract

Emerging technologies for monitoring vital signs are increas-ingly being adapted for surveillance purposes. As these tools grow more sophisticated, traditional countermeasures em-ployed by Special Operations Forces (SOF) may no longer be sufficient. This brief highlights examples of biological surveil-lance technologies and proposes a holistic response by con-ceptualizing the management of biological signatures during operations as biological Operational Security (bio-OPSEC). SOF medics-by virtue of their tactical perceptiveness and med-ical acumen-can play a vital role in bio-OPSEC, enhancing awareness and mitigating their team's vulnerabilities. Drawing on insights from bio-sensing technologies and security studies this in brief article introduces actionable approaches for im-plementing bio-OPSEC.