MOD launches
personal online security awareness campaign
On 1 June 2011,
the Ministry of Defence launched a campaign aimed at encouraging
Service personnel and MOD civilians to carefully consider possible
repercussions before posting information on social networking sites.
With the campaign
comes new MOD guidance for personnel using social media sites like
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which advises them not to put themselves
or others at increased risk by releasing too much information about
themselves or other operational details.
Called 'Think
Before You...', the guidance will be incorporated into Phase 1 training
when applicants first join the Services and into other mandated
training materials for serving personnel.
Major General
John Lorimer, the Chief of the Defence Staff's Strategic Communications
Officer, said:
"Social media has enabled our personnel to stay in touch with
their families and their friends no matter where they are in the
world. We want our men and women to embrace the use of sites like
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, but also want them to be
aware of the risks that sharing too much information may pose. You
don't always know who else is watching in cyberspace.
"The MOD
Headquarters has its own Facebook, YouTube and Twitter feeds and
we see no reason to stop our personnel from tweeting or posting
on their own walls. But the MOD has a responsibility to warn personnel
of the risks they could be exposing themselves to, hence the launch
of this new campaign."
'Think Before
You...' is a reminder that personal and operational security should
be a primary concern and that social media merely provides a different
context where sensitive details can be found.
Major General
Lorimer added:
"We do
not want to scare Service personnel, families and veterans and we
certainly do not want them to stop using social media. We are not
here to gag people because we acknowledge the ubiquity and significant
benefits that social media offers to people and the MOD. I am a
big fan of Facebook and Twitter and I use them on a regular basis.
These channels are vital to communicating in a digital age."
Risks to Service
personnel - and potentially their families - include posting details
and locations of troop movements, operational events, locations
and travel details of ships or aircraft, as well as people's home
addresses. If inadvertently released, information such as this could
give the UK's enemies the upper hand.
