JUNE 16, 2015, CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Social media in the military can be a daily struggle from operational security to keeping your personal information safe. There are many ways for you to fail when it comes to social media, but we have Soldiers in the Army who know what you need to combat hackers and keep your personal information safe.
Maj. Dave Richards, the signal communications officer for the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, knows exactly how you can protect your accounts and keep you from giving away tactical information.
“If you are going to have a social media account, why not have a MilBook,” Richards said.
MilBook is a site you can access through AKO to connect with other military professionals online. Richards said it is a much safer platform because it is secure and has a firewall for protection. If you must have another social media account be sure to keep your username and password safe.
“The problem with randomly generated passwords is that people easily forget them,” Richards said. “You should always be able to remember your password.”
He added that your username and password should be like your weapon system. You would never give it away.
On top of that, applications for social media can also be used by hackers to gain access to other accounts like your bank. Richards said to make sure you know what your apps can do and take care in which ones you use. Another way a hacker can access your accounts is by uploading malware into you’re your computer through emails, so be sure to use caution when opening them.
Another reason social media can be dangerous is operational security. You never know who is looking at your profile, so be sure to avoid giving out tactical information like movement times and locations, he said.
“Just like safety is everyone’s responsibility, OPSEC is everyone’s responsibility,” Richards said.
Instead of talking about what your unit is doing talk about the strong alliance between the U.S. and Republic of Korea. Stay vigilant, stay safe and keep your unit’s and your information secure.