Antiterrorism and social networking sites
Most of us have visited some form of social networking sites. Due to how far reaching these sites can be, they potentially pose a threat to our Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) testing mission. It is important that we don’t overlook these threats and spend time focusing how to use them and, in some cases, not use them.
Some of the most popular social networking sites include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp and TikTok. These and many other platforms are designed to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career interest. The problem is you don’t always know who you are connecting with, nor do you know their full intent for any information you give. Being able to notice suspicious questions about our testing or questions about contracts related to our test mission could prevent spillage and divert potential problems.
The most vital piece in preventing spillage of ATEC testing information on Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is our employees. Our discipline when using and awareness of social networking sites is pivotal in security and protection. Our misuse of social networking platforms whether known or unknown could cause long term shutdowns of testing or a breach in classified information. As the ATEC Antiterrorism Officer (ATO), I know that prevention is crucial because we cannot definitively assess impact if a social networking breach happens within YPG ATEC.
In most cases you should not be using social networking sites while preforming your duties as an ATEC employee. However, some situations may call for you to and you should be confident that you know what to do if a threat to the ATEC Testing Mission were to happen while on a social networking platform. The only wrong way to approach this is not reporting an incident as required.
Remember: See something – say something, applies to all threats to include social networking threats.
Contact your ATEC ATO for more information: Alfonzo D. Brown, Alfonzo.d.brown.civ@ army.mil or 928-328-6498.