COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS GROUP
COMMUNICATION OFFICE
CPG Policy #5 of 23 October 2014
Revised December 7, 2014
All Group Members
Division 1
SECURITY AND COMMUNICATION
As we move forward and expand into local CPG groups, the following policies are to help us communicate as needed to accomplish our goals, while practicing common sense and good security to avoid unnecessarily drawing unwanted attention. This means both personal security and raising our awareness of the people and environment around us, as well as what we communicate and how.
Ideally, communications will be on a face-to-face basis in a safe space, at meeting or private locations. Of course this is not always practical.
1. Group Promotion
All promotion regarding group meetings and activities to go out broadly and especially to non-CPG members or the general public (i.e., broad communications not just to select members) need to first be approved by the CPG Int or local CPG ED or as delegated. These will not have personal contact data (unless the person so desires).
On all such broad promotional emails, the names and email addresses of all recipients is to be in the bcc (blind-carbon-copy) field, so all are not visible to all recipients.
Any events or special training we set up for CPG members will be posted on our events calendar and in individual posts giving full details. The data is not to be sent out by public email but referred to and accessed on our site.
2. Member Information and Contact Data
Member personal information (as collected on the application form or otherwise) is to be treated as private information. Membership compilations, master lists, email distribution lists, specific pod addresses, etc., may not be passed out nor emailed to others nor even posted on the secure website – unless password protected. (Individual email addresses or phone numbers are OK to pass on as long as you know the person won’t mind you giving it out to the recipient.) If you need to reach a member and don’t know how, you can send a private message through the website (look under the Members tab) for them to chat with you at a certain time and then exchange information. [Note – All info in a private message gets automatically sent to your site public email address so it’s then not private. Use the chat on a pre-arranged time]. If you need someone’s direct contact data to do your post, contact the Communications Office Manager (head of Division 1) or above for the info.
3. Document security
Communications or data that could be deemed sensitive can be relayed by email in password-protected documents, or, better, posted onto the website with password protection. (See info on website on how to password-protect documents. You can put any of our website links into a shortened version so the name doesn’t show in an email by using https://goo.gl/ or https://bitly.com/.)
This includes any discussions about our activities on Facebook and texting communications. We prefer person to person comm lines.
A rule of thumb is don’t put anything in the open part of an email that we wouldn’t want seen in the newspaper or TV news.
4. Phone Conversations, and Cell Phones, etc.
It is wise to be mindful of what you say and the type of words you use when using the phone (or on Facebook or when texting or etc.). For example, no mention on Facebook, texting or public emails of FEMA, other 3 letter agencies, government agencies and their programs or CPGs programs, agendas or specific business. Use first names only and speak in general terms when possible. Be discreet but of course be practical. Unfortunately there is some evidence that today phone conversations and online activity can be monitored, if not actually recorded, because of Red Flag words mentioned. Just consider that all phone conversations are recorded and then a line is strung between any conversations with “trigger words” and they are all connected to you and those to whom you communicate for analysis.
Note that cell phones, particularly, are inherently not secure. And today technology exists for a hacker to remotely turn on a smartphone’s microphone and camera (even to turn on a cell phone that is “off”). Leave cell phones outside of meeting rooms if circumstances warrant this degree of security.
For personal security and awareness, see postings on our website under Categories 4A Security-Defense.
Note: At meetings and in public, do not draw undue attention to the subject of guns and weapons or talk about how well one is armed, etc. It’s one thing to be armed personally for protection, but another thing to be known as an armed group.
5. Most Secure Form of Communication
Right now the messaging system of our secure website does not accept attachments and also is not actually secure (messages typed into the website messaging system are automatically forwarded to the member’s regular email address on file and so potentially visible to a computer hacker with bad intentions). A better system is being researched.
At this time the most secure direct communication we have are group and private chats on the website. Send an email to who you wish to have a secure chat with (e.g., to everyone in a group doing a project, or for everyone in a division), stating the general topic and scheduling a time to meet up for a chat on our website. Or for example, “to organize trip this weekend” “monthly meeting this weekend check site” or “Our November Event on home page” (meaning our hand gun training) etc. and refer everyone to the appropriate section on the site if it’s not a chat. This way everyone understands through public email what to do and where to go and then they can go onto the secure website for a group chat. Check our website under Categories 1 – Communications and Devices, Hat on Chat. This might be applicable to certain strategy discussions or etc. If any question, consult the ED of your group.
Let’s follow the guidelines above and keep good security.
6. Meetings
CPG organization meetings are intended for members and persons invited by or known to members and newcomers should be screened for membership per the qualifications given in CPG PL#3. Div 6 meetings and events are, of course, open to any public but non-qualifiers per CPG PL #3 should be watched for the safety of the attendees.
Summary
In WW II the slogan was “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” Increased security in our communication is essential to keep us safe, un-dev-ted, and below the radar of any group or agency that might want to subvert or take advantage of us and blunt our intentions. Violation of these policies will be handled with a warning for first offense, but the ethics gradient will increase rapidly for repeated offenses.
I realize it will take a little readjusting of habits to implement these procedures, but it’s well worth the effort and the lack of security will come back to bit us as we get bigger, guaranteed.
Generally, everything CPG promotes and utilizes is general information embraced by individuals, groups and governments everywhere as common sense preparedness for commonly understood natural and other emergencies. However, in today’s world there are a few bad-intentioned persons on the Internet and elsewhere, and we want to respect the privacy and personal security of each member, as well as the safety of our group. This policy is not intended to complicate or put a stop on communications. We just want to keep in mind using good judgment in our actions as above, going forward. It is our purpose to forward and help create a New Civilization through our actions.
David Sanders
ED CPG International
Revised by
Mark Schlaich
Founder, CPG LA
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