DoD changes their social media policy

Started by vmstan, March 01, 2010, 08:39:55 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

vmstan

I know there was a discussion last week about CAP and social media, I figured this would be of some interest

QuoteMembers of the US Military will now have limited access to certain social media sites thanks to a new policy (PDF) from the Department of Defense. The DoD finally released its updated policy late last week, which will also apply to parts of the military that have banned social media use from their own networks. Commanders will still have the ability to cut down on the use of Twitter or Facebook if they feel the need to protect against malicious activity and preserve bandwidth.

According to the memorandum, members of military departments and all authorized users of the Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) can now use the publicly accessible capabilities of various social networking and user-generated content sites, instant messaging, forums, and e-mail. This includes YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and others. Access to porn, gambling, or hate crime sites will remain restricted, however, and commanders can cut down on social media use if they feel the need to "preserve operations security."

In August of 2009, the US Marine Corps issued a policy of its own that banned the use of social media on the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) due to malware concerns and "information exposure" to adversaries. It wasn't much of a surprise, either: security exploits are sprinkled throughout social networking sites, not to mention that fact that people just plain share too much. If IT admins are uneasy about the totally careless behavior of workers on social networking sites, the Marines undoubtedly had that much and more to worry about.

Of course, NIPRNET is separate from MCEN, but the Army's Chief of Public Affairs advisor Lindy Kyzer told the New York Times that the new policy will indeed override the Marine Corps' current ban, as well as the Army's older ban on YouTube. All military units will need to open up access to social media sites, and any bans that take place must be temporary. "DoD is moving away from the silly notion of having 'blacklisted' social media sites and saying, 'We're not going to lay down the hammer and tell you where you can and cannot go, we're going to mitigate risk as it comes,'" she said.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/us-militarys-social-media-policy-gets-a-makeover.ars
http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/DTM%2009-026.pdf

MICHAEL M STANCLIFT, 1st Lt, CAP
Public Affairs Officer, NCR-KS-055, Heartland Squadron

Quote"I wish to compliment NHQ on this extremely well and clearly written regulation.
This publication once and for all should establish the uniform pattern to be followed
throughout Civil Air Patrol."

1949 Uniform and Insignia Committee comment on CAP Reg 35-4

Eclipse

Make these nonsense, time-wasting, message-fragmenting, OPSEC-risky services more accessible would not have been the direction
I would have gone...

"That Others May Zoom"

raivo

I'm rather surprised. I love Facebook as much as the next Internet junkie, but I'm the first to admit there's I can't really think of a good reason to be able to access it from your government computer (unless you're responsible for maintaining the Facebook page for a DoD organization or individual, in which case you probably were excluded from the block anyway.)

CAP Member, 2000-20??
USAF Officer, 2009-2018
Recipient of a Mitchell Award Of Irrelevant Number

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection-ready unit has ever survived combat."

davedove

There would be some legitimate reasons to have the access.  What of our men and women who are deployed?  Their only access to a computer may be a government provided one.  And whatever anyone may think of the social networking sites, they do allow one to keep up with family and friends.  Of course, in this situation, there would be legitimate OPSEC concerns to be dealt with.

Other than this and similar situations, though, I don't see a big need for the access while at work.
David W. Dove, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander for Seniors
Personnel/PD/Asst. Testing Officer
Ground Team Leader
Frederick Composite Squadron
MER-MD-003

Spike

Quote from: davedove on March 01, 2010, 09:21:49 PM
Other than this and similar situations, though, I don't see a big need for the access while at work.

That is it right there!  I don't care what you do on your lunch break, but when I catch you updating facebook, myspsace sending personal emails all day long or shopping.....you are done. 

Eclipse

Quote from: Spike on March 02, 2010, 02:34:49 PM
Quote from: davedove on March 01, 2010, 09:21:49 PM
Other than this and similar situations, though, I don't see a big need for the access while at work.

That is it right there!  I don't care what you do on your lunch break, but when I catch you updating facebook, myspsace sending personal emails all day long or shopping.....you are done.

10 or fifteen years ago I would have agreed 100%, however these days there are real issues with the work/life separation "assisted" (or made worse) by technology.  Employees are tethered 24x7 to their offices by smartphones and emails, and when you're working and when you're not becomes pretty gray for a lot of folks, especially salaried employees.

That flexibility comes at a price for both sides - I can work wherever I am, even vacations and after hours, but if you want me to respond to after hours emails, then you also need to let me do some banking or send pics to grandma once in awhile during business hours - my ability to AIM the spouse 2 lines may mean I am better focused because I feel better connected.

Sadly, the balance breaks down with people who abuse the system on either side.

"That Others May Zoom"

Майор Хаткевич

Thanks Eclipse...as a Business Major you made my future sound so bright...

I'm going to cry in my corner now.

Flying Pig

#7
Im surprised.  At work, you have to have special permissions from County IT and your unit Commander who is a Lt. to have access to any social networking sites. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Hulu etc.  The only guys who get those accesses are the investigators who have a need to search.  By the way, those sites are invaluable to catching bad guys.  If you have a need, you call up IT which is 24hrs, and tell them why you need to get on youtube or facebook and they will allow it.  After 2-3 days, the access gets blocked again.

We have full internet access at work, but it registers with IT every time you log onto a web site.  While you are at work, if you are using the internet, it better have something to do with a case your working.

Now granted, I get to go home every night unlike a deployed soldier, so I could see moral being lifted a little if you allow troops accesses to modern conveniences of communication.  When I was deployed, there was one pay phone in the barracks, and a clipboard.  You signed up for a time and got 30 minutes.  Now if the phone was free, then go for it.  But if you were on it, and another guy came for his time, you getter get off ASAP. 
And God help you if you got caught on another units pay phone!

vmstan

There was actually a study released a few months ago that said employees who have access to Facebook, etc, we're actually happier and more productive at work because they felt like they could get access to the outside world and keep up.

I'm with Eclipse on the tethered to work argument. I get emails and phone calls at all hours of the day that I'm expect to reply or answer when I'm not "in my office" because I'm in IT and if I don't sometimes the business can't carry on without it. Likewise, I spend some time on Facebook, Twitter, online banking, forums, etc, when I'm "in my office" because of the trade off. I also frequently have IM open talking to my wife or friends while I'm monitoring my servers.

And I can guarantee my bosses have no problems with my job performance. I am consistently given high marks on yearly reviews, etc.
MICHAEL M STANCLIFT, 1st Lt, CAP
Public Affairs Officer, NCR-KS-055, Heartland Squadron

Quote"I wish to compliment NHQ on this extremely well and clearly written regulation.
This publication once and for all should establish the uniform pattern to be followed
throughout Civil Air Patrol."

1949 Uniform and Insignia Committee comment on CAP Reg 35-4

Spike

^ Lets just say some professions are different than others.  When I am paying hourly wages for a person to be doing something as quick as they can, everytime time they take a break to check out foxsports or google or spend 10 minutes on facebook it then turns into a situation where it is my money they are taking from me for something not related to what I want them to do.

If you are paying Joe-Bob the plumber to install a toilet, and it costs $100.00 an hour, do you want to pay for the 15 minutes he sat around texting his boyfriend??     

raivo

On the flip side of that - when you're doing work like tech support or data entry, you can only work when there's work for you to do, the rest of the time you're usually sitting around with nothing to do.

CAP Member, 2000-20??
USAF Officer, 2009-2018
Recipient of a Mitchell Award Of Irrelevant Number

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection-ready unit has ever survived combat."

Spike


Mustang

Quote from: USAFaux2004 on March 02, 2010, 04:07:07 PM
Thanks Eclipse...as a Business Major you made my future sound so bright...

I'm going to cry in my corner now.

Don't mind Eclipse, he doesn't understand the whole "morale" thing.
"Amateurs train until they get it right; Professionals train until they cannot get it wrong. "


Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: Mustang on March 03, 2010, 06:31:56 AM
Quote from: USAFaux2004 on March 02, 2010, 04:07:07 PM
Thanks Eclipse...as a Business Major you made my future sound so bright...

I'm going to cry in my corner now.

Don't mind Eclipse, he doesn't understand the whole "morale" thing.

Are you disputing the "on-call 24-7?" Because I know quite a number of people who are afraid they could be terminated if the crackberry isn't on...

DG

#14
Quote from: raivo on March 03, 2010, 03:18:47 AM
On the flip side of that - when you're doing work like tech support or data entry, you can only work when there's work for you to do, the rest of the time you're usually sitting around with nothing to do.

Is it really true that you have nothing else to do?  You can't be working on something?  For the benefit of who is paying you.

If you were paying for someone to sit in a job with "nothing else to do," would you say something?  No?  Ok, then while we are at it, let's approve his request to work from home so he can play on-line all day.  In his pajamas.

If you go to a lawyer or accountant, and the job was done quickly, then he says "I can only work when there's work for me to do, so I will play poker on-line the rest of the time since I am sitting around with nothing to do, and the client will pay me for that time too."

If it is really true that you have nothing else to do, I would be worried about losing my job.

But hey that is OK, because then I will be laid off, and I can collect unemployment benefits.  The Congress just voted today to extend them again.

Then I can spend all day doing my personal game playing and such.  And still get paid.  By you if you are still working.

You should feel good about doing your patriotic duty to pay taxes so I can do that.   

Thank you for that.

DG

Quote from: Mustang on March 03, 2010, 06:31:56 AM
Quote from: USAFaux2004 on March 02, 2010, 04:07:07 PM
Thanks Eclipse...as a Business Major you made my future sound so bright...

I'm going to cry in my corner now.

Don't mind Eclipse, he doesn't understand the whole "morale" thing.

Yes, can somebody explain to him that working a long day requires some morale breaks.

But does he have a point if someone abuses the privileges and screws around on-line all the day long?


Eclipse

Quote from: DG on March 03, 2010, 03:11:08 PM
Quote from: Mustang on March 03, 2010, 06:31:56 AM
Quote from: USAFaux2004 on March 02, 2010, 04:07:07 PM
Thanks Eclipse...as a Business Major you made my future sound so bright...

I'm going to cry in my corner now.

Don't mind Eclipse, he doesn't understand the whole "morale" thing.

Yes, can somebody explain to him that working a long day requires some morale breaks.

But does he have a point if someone abuses the privileges and screws around on-line all the day long?

How about actually reading my posts?  I was supporting the idea that work/life balance is a trade-off, especially for what are generally referred to as "knowledge workers".

If they abuse the balance, they get disciplined and fired.

"That Others May Zoom"

vmstan

Quote from: Spike on March 03, 2010, 02:21:15 AM
^ Lets just say some professions are different than others.  When I am paying hourly wages for a person to be doing something as quick as they can, everytime time they take a break to check out foxsports or google or spend 10 minutes on facebook it then turns into a situation where it is my money they are taking from me for something not related to what I want them to do.

If you are paying Joe-Bob the plumber to install a toilet, and it costs $100.00 an hour, do you want to pay for the 15 minutes he sat around texting his boyfriend??   

No, but when Joe-Bob the plumber goes home I'm not txting him for support on how to use it.
MICHAEL M STANCLIFT, 1st Lt, CAP
Public Affairs Officer, NCR-KS-055, Heartland Squadron

Quote"I wish to compliment NHQ on this extremely well and clearly written regulation.
This publication once and for all should establish the uniform pattern to be followed
throughout Civil Air Patrol."

1949 Uniform and Insignia Committee comment on CAP Reg 35-4

Fifinella

Judy LaValley, Maj, CAP
Asst. DCP, LAWG
SWR-LA-001
GRW #2753

raivo

Quote from: DG on March 03, 2010, 03:02:50 PM
Is it really true that you have nothing else to do?  You can't be working on something?  For the benefit of who is paying you.

If you were paying for someone to sit in a job with "nothing else to do," would you say something?  No?  Ok, then while we are at it, let's approve his request to work from home so he can play on-line all day.  In his pajamas.

If you go to a lawyer or accountant, and the job was done quickly, then he says "I can only work when there's work for me to do, so I will play poker on-line the rest of the time since I am sitting around with nothing to do, and the client will pay me for that time too."

If it is really true that you have nothing else to do, I would be worried about losing my job.

Not what I'm saying.

A helpdesk guy (such as I used to be) is paid to sit at his desk, logged into his phone, in case someone calls. Even when nobody's on the line, he's still doing his job, which is to be ready to answer the phone. Now, some people may decide to work on other things, but they're not *required* to. A more relevant example might be an Air Force missileer. A missileer's job is to sit in a bunker and babysit ICBMs. When the ICBMs don't require attention, the missileer may be working on his master's degree, or he may be reading technical orders, or he may be browsing the Internet. The first two are more productive than the third, but nobody says he *has* to be productive.

CAP Member, 2000-20??
USAF Officer, 2009-2018
Recipient of a Mitchell Award Of Irrelevant Number

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection-ready unit has ever survived combat."