Army On The Lookout For Sensitive Info Online

U.S. Army officials have said they will take a closer look at blogs and Web sites maintained by soldiers. Many such blogs and Web sites include photographs or other information that inadvertently exposes classified or sensitive information to anyone with access to the Internet. Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army’s chief of staff, noted that soldiers routinely post pictures online that include “tactics, techniques, and procedures” for weapons systems. According to Richard Cody, Army vice chief of staff, “The enemy is actively searching the unclassified networks for information, especially sensitive photos.” Schoomaker issued a memo saying that the Army will work to closely monitor Web sites and blogs to avoid operational security violations, which “needlessly place lives at risk and degrade the effectiveness of our operations.”

Federal Computer Week, 30 August 2005