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KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – We are all too familiar with exploring
our favorite social media sites in search of that funny video or
picture, or posting our current status and emotions. Although we can
have tons of fun on these sites, we need to be familiar with how one
click of the mouse can have a significant impact on our Air Force
family.
That is why it is so important to keep Operational
Security (OPSEC) in mind when using your favorite social media
sites.
The importance of OPSEC is not just prominent at the
wing level, it is also essential to the Pacific Air Force's mission
when it comes to the delivery of rapid and precise air, space and
cyberspace capabilities. These capabilities cannot be achieved if
OPSEC becomes compromised.
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August 20, 2015 - Poor social media OPSEC practices can paint a target on your military loved one's back. Using a strong password and privacy settings on your personal social media accounts can go a long way in protecting yourself and your family. (U.S. Air Force
image illustration by Airman 1st Class Corey Pettis, Tech. Sgt. Alexy Saltekoff and Master Sgt. Jason W. Edwards)
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“OPSEC deals specifically with safeguarding our country's
military operations and activities so that we may
effectively minimize our vulnerabilities and thwart our
adversary's intent to exploit our mission execution
methods,” said Capt. Adam Cade, 18th Inspector General Wing
Plans, Programs and Projects OPSEC program manager.
Posting certain content on social media sites can give our
adversaries the information they need to discover any
security information we may have or any military operations
we are about to carry out. It is important to think about
how our posts might affect not only our country's security,
but that of our military members as well.
“OPSEC to
me is having situational awareness about who you are talking
to, what you are talking about, and who is around to hear
that information,” Cade said. “Additionally, sometimes it
can be hard to discern what would be considered useful to
our adversary, but if there is any doubt, don't post it or
talk about it publicly.”
Cade provided an example of
what could be used by the enemy. Pictures of flightline
activities or gate entrance procedures could be used to
cause significant damage to a mission and the personnel
associated with a mission.
OPSEC awareness is not
only present at high Air Force leadership levels, but also
at the Airman level. Airman Mark Hughes, 18th Equipment
Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment apprentice,
said that not practicing good OPSEC could leave us
vulnerable and potentially endanger ourselves and our
family.
Air Force service members and their families
need to consider OPSEC and how it can affect everyone.
Practicing good OPSEC is everyone's responsibility.
“OPSEC to me is all of our duty to do our best to protect
classified information,” Hughes stated. “Anything that gets
out could be used against us. So, I believe it is something
we should all take seriously, and do our best to keep
classified information out of the reach of people not
authorized to have it.”
A channel through which this
information has increasingly been getting into the hands of
people not authorized to have it is social media. Social
media has greatly grown in popularity over the past decade,
and with this new growth comes new concerns.
“When it
comes to social media, commonly used information outlets
such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are open sources
and free to be viewed by the public, anywhere and anytime,”
Cade added.
Members of that public could include our
adversaries. Since they can access the content anywhere and
anytime, one accidental post could lead to serious
consequences. Although it may be tempting to post that
awesome picture of an F-15 Eagle on the flightline, it is
best to refrain from that.
“Posting pictures and
comments about our activities makes it extremely easy for
our adversary to deduce what military operations we are
conducting currently or in the future,” Cade said.
These posts can greatly compromise OPSEC. This compromise
can, in turn, have negative results.
“The
consequences range from tighter security all the way to
aircraft potentially getting shot out of the sky because
someone posted or talked about an operation or activity that
needed to remain sensitive,” said Cade.
Cade advises
that people thoroughly think about the content they are
about to post and the potential consequences that could
result from that post.
“Our adversary doesn't need to
know how many aircraft are on the ramp, or how many
helicopters took off, or when and where your spouse or loved
ones are deploying,” Cade commented. “This is all sensitive
information that if in the wrong hands, could lead to
significant military operation degradation and in some
cases, fatal consequences.”
Before a post is made
about any security matters related to the Air Force, think
about who can look at that post and what an adversary can do
with that information.
By U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Lynette Rolen
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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