The U.S. Marine Corps has banned Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media sites from its networks, effective immediately.

“These internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure, user generated content and targeting by adversaries,” reads a Marine Corps order, issued Monday. “The very nature of SNS [social network sites] creates a larger attack and exploitation window, exposes unnecessary information to adversaries and provides an easy conduit for information leakage that puts OPSEC [operational security], COMSEC [communications security], [and] personnel… at an elevated risk of compromise.”

The Marines’ ban will last a year. It was drawn up in response to a late July warning from U.S. Strategic Command, which told the rest of the military it was considering a Defense Department-wide ban on the Web 2.0 sites, due to network security concerns. Scams, worms, and Trojans often spread unchecked throughout social media sites, passed along from one online friend to the next. “The mechanisms for social networking were never designed for security and filtering. They make it way too easy for people with bad intentions to push malicious code to unsuspecting users,” a Stratcom source told Danger Room.

Yet many within the Pentagon’s highest ranks find value in the Web 2.0 tools. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has 4,000 followers on Twitter. The Department of Defense is getting ready to unveil a new home page, packed with social media tools. The Army recently ordered all U.S. bases to provide access to Facebook. Top generals now blog from the battlefield.

“OPSEC is paramount. We will have procedures in place to deal with that,” Price Floyd, the Pentagon’s newly-appointed social media czar, told Danger Room. “What we can’t do is let security concerns trump doing business. We have to do business… We need to be everywhere men and women in uniform are and the public is. If that’s MySpace and YouTube, that’s where we need to be, too.”

The Marines say they will issue waivers to the Web 2.0 blockade, if a “mission critical need” can be proven. And they will continue to allow access to the military’s internal “SNS-like services.” But for most members of the Corps, access to the real, public social networks is now shut off for the next year.

By Noah Shachtman August 3, 2009 | 11 20 pm
[Reply]

This sucks for all the Marines out there who use Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace, but I can understand the intentions behind it.
[Reply]

Understandable, but that does suck. A lot of the guys use these sites to stay in touch with family when they are away.
[Reply]

I agree absolutely, but if it has any impact on their own safety or the safety of the troops, I can understand the concern as well.
[Reply]

As I understand it this only applies to Gov. machines and networks. They can still do what they want at home.

That doesn't really help when deployed though...
[Reply]

This is really dumb. Is for the lowest leadership as possible to brief they're soldiers about operation security. Damn Goverment is not worried about Joes getting killed because of the internet leak is more of that they are worried to let the population sees what really happens here. All the gore and scene our americans are going through. Well in my opinion people need to see what goes on here and understand the sacrifices our young ones made in the past. The media doesnt cover all the detail but a regular ol joe will tell you the truth
[Reply]

I'm a Submarine veteran, and I can tell ya', as a whole, we were a smart bunch of Squids, but there's always someone in the crowd who thinks they're too smart. I've seen it, and I'll bet you've seen it too. Also, it seem to be intended to prevent morale attacks on the troops, not unlike Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally broadcasts during WWII. What's to stop enemy Intel Ops from posting on a Marines' (or anyone’s) Facebook page that his Ol' Lady is screwing around or something like that? When I was at sea, we had these things called "Family Grams", where friends and family could send us little messages of ten words or less via radio, on a space available basis. Every single one of them was screened by the CO to make sure that no upsetting news got to the crew. With the weapons we had, they didn't want to have a crewmember emotionally torqued. I imagine that would be just as risky for you guys. BTW, everyone I know thinks that you guys are doin' a great job, BRAVO-ZULU! (That’s Navy for "Job well done")
[Reply]

You have a great point sir and it makes sense. That do happen here a lot and Its really hard to get soldiers to cope with those problems
[Reply]

It's only on government networks. Saves bandwidth and possible virus infection.
[Reply]

COMSEC is priority. I support this decision. :-)
[Reply]

Guess what everyone....the ban has been lifted!!!!


If you only knew how this affects us now.
Posted via Mobile Device
[Reply]

I believe the Guard approved Facebook atleast. Not the uSMC
Posted via Mobile Device
[Reply]

It's approved on our end as well.
Posted via Mobile Device
[Reply]

Although the ban has been lifted, I think it was a smart move. I hope they made a good decsion reversing themselves. Downing mission needed computers just to write on mom's wall how bored you are isn't worth it.

One more infected computer here at the office and I will be crushing all those sites at the firewall. The amount of malicious crap taking down the PCs and causing me more work isn't worth letting the employees here access to those sites. I cannot stop stupid here at the office with warnings not to click on stuff, but I can at the firewall.
[Reply]

I personally don't approve of it because of OPSEC (Operational Security). We have our knuckleheads everywhere and we don't need unnecessary info being leaked out. Not like it doesn't happen now but it's just one more thing that can hinder us as far as mission accomplishment.
Posted via Mobile Device
[Reply]

It's ashame that they lifted the ban. I guess people forget they joined the military, cause heaven forbid they dont get to post to their friends myspace or tweet someone about how terrible the Iraq or Afghan are.......

I know that myself and all in my unit had better things to do when we were overseas......
[Reply]

as for Military PC is one area of OPSEC that needs to continue but as for a GI's personal PC that he brings from home to use while deployed to keep in contact with his family and friends, he (the soldier) should know what to say and what not to say and if he doesn't then maybe the personal PCs should be not allowed

besides the news media leaks more intel than an average GI ever could :-)
[Reply]