DoD relents on social media

The Department of Defense (DoD) isn't an easy place to change, that's for sure.

While it's hip to the latest technology and newest war-fighting systems, 21st century cultural and social changes are hard for it to swallow. Until recently, the nation's war-fighting machine was hardcore when it came to social media. Sure, it could be used, but it had to be approved by individual service commanders. And most of them time, it wasn't.

There were security fears, especially for messages sent from war zones, as well as concerns about the disclosure of deployments or other information that might give the enemy an edge. There have been fears that terrorists could use Twitter, Facebook or other social media to find U.S. troops and elicit information from their profiles, leading to identity theft.

Now, times are changing. Yes, security concerns remain, but the Pentagon is getting in step and realizes that the benefits outweigh the risks.

This week, we report on the new policy that allows service members to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites from non-classified government computers, as long as it doesn't compromise operational security.

David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, underscored the importance of personal responsibility in using these tools from military computers. He said the department will continue to evaluate the policy after social media begins to be used.

What has become apparent to the Pentagon brass is that they can use social media tools to communicate to the troops, and the troops and DoD employees can use these tools to communicate with their superiors and with each other. There is no reason for the military to be in the dark. With proper controls, social media can be a plus. If there are security issues, the military can use its ingenuity and provide fixes.

Simply put, there is no reason why the military cannot find solutions to minimize the risk, and take advantage of all of the opportunities that social media provide. - Judi