Army warns personnel away from Wikileaks

The Army is warning its personnel about viewing or downloading documents posted on Wikileaks or "any other website that purports to publish classified information."

The warning comes in an All Army Activities (ALARACT) bulletin from August, marked as Unclassified/For Official Use Only and available on the Army Civilian Human Resources Agency public website.

Going to Wikileaks  or similar sites could "potentially expose Army networks to sensitive data or create situations in which data is improperly safeguarded," the bulletin states, telling Army personnel to be "vigilant."  

In the wake of Army Private Bradley Manning's alleged removal of classified documents on a compact disc labeled as Lady Gaga music--documents that Manning allegedly later delivered to Wikileaks--the Army is also clamping down on user privileges on military computers.

In another ALARACT, also from August, the Army says all activities should immediately review who has system administrator privileges or power user privileges. Personnel should have the minimum set of privileges required to perform their jobs, "and nothing more," the ALARACT states.

It also directs Army activities to conduct a review of policies on who can write information to removable media such as CDs. "This capability [should] be limited to the maximum extent that is operationally feasible," the bulletin states. The Army is working on guidance that will require adoption of a "device control module" procured as part of the Defense Information Systems Agency's Host  Based Security System, according to the ALARACT. The module will provide an ability to commanders to limit downloading ability onto CDs and DVDs to authorized personnel, it adds. The modules will be required for devices on the NIPRNET and SIPRNET, the military's networks for sensitive but unclassified data and secret data, respectively.

Manning is being held at Quantico Marine Corps Base after being charged in July with downloading and transferring classified documents. His defense attorney has recently said Manning suffers mental health problems.

For more:  
- download ALARACT 245 (U//FOUO), "Sensitive Information In The Public Domain" (.doc)
- download ALARACT 256 (U//FOUO), "Directed Actions To Safeguard Against Unauthorized Information Dissemination" (.doc)
- go to the DISA Host Based Security System webpage

Related Articles:
DARPA in pursuit of insider threats
Be wary of privacy risks in the commercial cloud, says CIO Council
Disused hard drives strewn about Oak Ridge laboratory, says IG