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Vanity Fair used a computer without internet to keep its Caitlyn Jenner cover secret

Vanity Fair used a computer without internet to keep its Caitlyn Jenner cover secret

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Media opsec

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Today, Vanity Fair unveiled its powerful, historic cover introducing Caitlyn Jenner to the world. The issue was the result of months of planning and negotiations — and, apparently, some intense security practices.

Mashable reports that the magazine kept the high-profile issue from leaking with a bit of media opsec. First, staff forced attendees at the photo shoot to turn over their phones. The story was then processed on a single computer, disconnected from the internet. What's more, the photos and story didn't stay unattended on the machine: each night, they were placed on a thumbdrive and deleted from the computer before, eventually, being hand-delivered to the printer, according to Mashable.

The precautions apparently worked, but only to a degree. While the photos and story didn't leak, People was able to report a few days in advance (without too many details) that Jenner would be appearing on the Vanity Fair cover. Security might be able to cut down on leaks, but can't always stop word of mouth.