Safeguarding your digital footprint

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steve Grever
  • Air Force public Affairs Agency
AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCY, Wash. --  Social media is a great resource to share information and connect with friends and family, but Airmen should practice Operations Security when online in any capacity.
Operations Security should be paramount when using social media. Military members have recently been threatened on social media by terrorist organizations looking for information to harm military families and disrupt Air Force operations.

Social media poses potential operations security weaknesses, and Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards, provides guidance on appropriate social media use by Airmen.

"While it is easy to post whatever you want on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Tumblr, Snapchat and etc., it's imperative to remember that unless you have the appropriate privacy settings in place, anyone can see your photos, comments, and conversations you have with others," said Angela Thorpe, the U.S. Air Force Academy's information system security manager.

Online security tips
· Never accept a friend request from someone you don't know, even if they know a friend of yours.

· Don't share information you don't want public. Once something is online, you can't control where it goes. When in doubt, throw it out.

· Disable location-based networking or geotagging on all social media platforms. Geotagging is adding geographical identification to photographs, video, websites and text messages.

· Don't post work or personal schedules and travel itineraries, especially deployment information.

·  Adjust your social media privacy settings to keep your posts and profile information secure and only seen by approved audiences. This applies to any social media platforms you use.

· Practice Operations Security and help your family follow these security measures. to protect your online information. If you are threatened or notice vulnerable information online, alert your local OPSEC manager for assistance.

  Visit www.airforcelive.dodlive.mil/2014/10/securing-your-digital-footprint/#sthash.zPPEuAIT.dpuf for more information.