Pentagon opens door to social media

The Pentagon opened its doors to social media last week, changing its policies to allow soldiers to use DoD's non-classified network for Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. In the past, each service had its own social network policies, and most commanders banned its use.

But Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III, who signed the policy, said the directive "recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st-century Internet tools."

David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, called the new policy "secure information sharing," providing the balance needed to tap into the capabilities social media networking provides without compromising security.

"If you look at either one individually, you will fail," he told the Armed Forces Press Service. "You will have great security, but no ability to access information sharing. [Or], if you think only about sharing, you will run into issues of operational security and letting bad things into your system. So you can no longer think of them as two separate subjects."

For more on DoD and social media:
- see this Armed Forces Press Service article
- also read this nextgov.com article

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