What is characterized as the active defense or exploitation of operational profiles at a military installation?

The correct answer is signature management. This concept is essential in the military context, as it refers to the strategies and practices implemented to reduce or control the identifiable features associated with military operations, activities, or equipment at a military installation. Signature management involves monitoring and modifying the physical and electronic signatures that may reveal operational profiles or capabilities to the adversary.

By effectively managing these signatures, military installations can enhance their operational security and deception capabilities, making it more difficult for enemies to gather intelligence or track movements. This practice helps in maintaining a strategic advantage, safeguarding personnel and assets from potential threats.

Operational security focuses on safeguarding unclassified information related to operations and activities, while counterintelligence pertains to protecting against espionage and intelligence activities by adversaries. Threat defense, on the other hand, may address a broader spectrum of security measures but does not specifically characterize the actions related to controlling operational profiles.