Cyber & Info Political Work

Law and Discipline Online | Display Cases and Bulletin Boards Are Also Security Checkpoints

法纪在线丨橱窗展板也是保密关口

PLA Daily (解放军报) 16 May 2026

Summary

A PLA Daily article published under the Information Support Force describes how a propaganda section staff officer identified and remediated operational security vulnerabilities in garrison display materials—including bulletin boards, lobby electronic screens, and culture walls—that had inadvertently exposed equipment interior displays, unit designation numbers, course names, and assessment scores to civilian construction workers and other outside personnel. The unit subsequently formalized a pre-display secrecy review requirement covering organizational strength, equipment parameters, and internal documents. The article is a doctrinal compliance piece aimed at reinforcing OPSEC discipline at the garrison level; it contains no new information about ISF capabilities or posture but is useful as evidence of the PLA's ongoing effort to institutionalize information security norms in routine administrative and propaganda functions following the ISF's establishment.

Translation

Display Cases and Bulletin Boards Are Also Security Checkpoints

■ Staff Reporter Xing Yunlong, PLA Daily

One day in late April, Staff Officer Zhang of the Propaganda Section of a unit under the Information Support Force received a new assignment: the display boards along the main road through the garrison area were due for an update, and a new set of panels needed to be produced around the themes of "combat readiness training" and "the bearing of officers and soldiers." He immediately led several soldiers in designing the panels, striving for more striking photographs and more refined layouts so that the new content would be eye-catching and inspiring.

Several days later, a draft design was completed. Staff Officer Zhang reviewed it page by page—the photographic scenes were vivid and impressive, the captions were lively and detailed, and everyone involved was satisfied. Just as he was about to send it to print, his gaze fell on one photograph. It depicted the scene of the new year's opening training exercise, and in the background the internal information displays inside equipment vehicles were faintly visible. Something stirred in him. Looking more carefully, he noticed several other details that did not seem right. For example, one training-scene photograph showed course names and assessment scores; a photograph in the section showcasing officers and soldiers' bearing displayed a unit designation number, and so on.

Was it appropriate to display this content on the bulletin boards? His mind immediately turned to the everyday scenes of the garrison—at this time, the garrison was undergoing renovation, and civilian construction crew members were coming and going frequently every day; the family residential compound was in one corner of the garrison, and some family members passed by the area on evening walks; outside personnel came to the garrison on business from time to time. The content on the bulletin boards could be viewed at close range at any moment.

At that thought, Staff Officer Zhang could no longer sit still. He took the draft design to the section chief and reported the situation. The two of them then carefully reviewed multiple scenarios and discovered that beyond the display-case panels, the information shown on the electronic screen in the office building lobby, the content about to be displayed on the culture wall by the canteen entrance, and the photographs prepared for the training-ground bulletin boards all contained similar security risks.

"Propaganda work cannot focus only on whether the effect is good or the format is novel—we must hold firm to the bottom line of security and secrecy, and keep the string of secrecy taut at all times." The section chief's words served as a profound warning to everyone. They immediately organized a targeted inspection, promptly corrected and rectified the problems identified, and established that content on display panels, electronic screens, and culture walls must undergo a secrecy review before being displayed, with particular scrutiny of whether the content involves organizational strength (编制实力), equipment parameters, internal documents, or other such matters, so as to prevent the leakage of classified information.

Over the following days, Staff Officer Zhang set about revising the draft design. Training photographs were replaced with medium shots and close-ups better suited to showcasing the spirit and bearing of officers and soldiers, and all photographs involving internal equipment information were swapped out. The section on officers' and soldiers' bearing retained only names and honors, with all other information removed. Internal notices on the electronic screen were also declassified and sanitized.

Shortly afterward, all the new display panels were installed. Soldier Xiao Liu, passing by, immediately stopped to study the latest content, and the training scenes in the photographs filled him with excitement. At that moment, a member of the construction crew walked past, also stopped, and browsed carefully, pausing now and then to praise the spirit and energy the officers and soldiers displayed during training.

"The bulletin board is a window for outward display, and also a checkpoint on the secrecy line of defense." In a secrecy and security discussion and analysis session organized recently, Staff Officer Zhang wrote this sentence at the opening of his remarks.

Original Chinese

橱窗展板也是保密关口 ■解放军报特约记者邢云龙 4月下旬的一天，信息支援部队某部宣传科张干事接到一项新任务——营区主干道旁的宣传栏展示内容即将更新，需围绕“战备训练”“官兵风采”等主题制作一批新展板。他立刻带领几名战士开始设计，力求图片更具冲击力、版式更精美，让新展示的内容亮眼提气。几天后，一份设计稿出炉，张干事一页页翻看审核，照片场景精彩亮眼，文字说明生动详实，几人都很满意。就在他准备打印成稿时，目光忽然落在一张照片上。那是新年度开训的场景，背景里隐约可见装备车辆内部信息。他心里一动，再仔细查看，又留意到几处细节不太对劲。比如，训练场景的照片里有课目名称和考核成绩，展示官兵风采的图片中出现了单位番号，等等。这些内容在宣传栏里展示出来，合适吗？他脑海里立刻浮现出营区日常场景——这段时间，营区正在装修，地方施工队人员每日频繁出入；家属院在营区一角，有的家属傍晚散步时会经过此处；时常有地方人员来营区办事……宣传栏里的内容，随时可能被近距离观看。想到这里，张干事坐不住了，他拿着设计稿找到科室负责人汇报此情况。两人又认真对多种情况进行梳理，发现除橱窗展板外，办公楼大厅的电子屏显示的信息、食堂门口文化墙即将展示的内容、训练场宣传栏中准备展出的照片，都存在类似隐患。 “宣传工作不能只盯着效果好不好、形式新不新，必须守牢安全保密底线，时刻绷紧保密这根弦。”科室负责人的话深刻警醒了大家。他们随即组织专项排查，针对发现的问题及时纠治整改，明确展板、电子屏、文化墙中的内容必须经保密审查后方可展示，重点审核是否涉及编制实力、装备参数、内部资料等，防止涉密信息外流。接下来的几天，张干事着手修改设计稿。训练照片选取更能展示官兵精神风貌的中景和特写，涉及到装备内部信息的照片全部被更换；官兵风采展示只保留姓名和荣誉，其他信息一律隐去。电子屏上的内部通知也进行了脱密处理。不久后，新展板全部安装到位。路过的战士小刘看到最新的展示内容，立刻驻足学习，照片中的训练场景令他振奋。这时，一名施工队人员从旁边经过，也停下来仔细浏览，不时为官兵训练时的精气神点赞。 “宣传栏是对外展示的窗口，也是保密防线的关口。”在最近组织的保密安全讨论辨析中，张干事把这句话写在了发言的开头。