Social Media
Guidance

Welcome to the PEO Soldier social media guidance page and directory.
Social media is all about collaboration, and we want to hear from you. Check out our pages, ask questions, provide feedback and share your thoughts.

think-type-post

SITREP: Social Media Responsibility

Think, Type, Post. Sgt. Laura Martin talks about how on-line behavior can affect our careers. For more information visit www.army.mil/socialmedia/soldiers.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SAFETY TIPS

Information below is brought to you by the Computer Crime Investigative Unit, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Download Flyer

OVERVIEW

Social Media allows people to interact with others with similar interests or backgrounds at a faster more convenient setting, online, underscoring the need to understand potential risks associated. A person’s online activities may inadvertently expose excessive information about their identity, location, relationships, and affiliations, creating an increased risk of identity theft, stalking, or targeted violence. A safer social networking experience is available by accepting some basic assumptions and following a few recommendations.

ASSUMPTIONS

  • Once something is posted on a social networking site, it can quickly spread. No amount of effort will erase it – the Internet does not forget.
  • You are not anonymous on the Internet.
  • There are people on the Internet who are not who they purport to be and will take advantage of you if afforded the opportunity.
  • Participating in more social networking sites increases your attack surface and overall risk.
  • Everyone on the Internet can see what you post, from where you post it, who your friends and associates are, the comments your friends make and your “witty” replies.
  • An embarrassing comment or image will come back to haunt you…one day…when you least expect it…at the least opportune time.
  • There is a complete record of your online activity... somewhere.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Do not post anything you would be embarrassed to see on the evening news.
  • Do not accept friend/follower requests from anyone you do not know; independently verify identities.
  • Avoid using third-party applications; if needed, do not allow them to access your social networking accounts, friends list or address books.
  • Do not post personally identifiable information.
  • Be cautious about the images you post. What is in them may be more revealing than who is in them. Images posted over time may form a complete mosaic of you and your family.
  • Do not allow others to tag you in images they post. Doing so makes you easier to locate and accurately construct your network of friends, relatives and associates.
  • Securely configure your social networking accounts to minimize who can see your information.
  • Do not use check-ins. If check-ins are enabled, disable them. Do not post your specific location.
  • Be cautious when accessing online accounts from public Wi-Fi connections. Someone might have installed software capable of capturing your login credentials and other sensitive information.
  • Do not use the save password, remember me or keep me logged in options from public or shared computers.
  • Limit social networking to personal use.
  • Do not use the same password for all of your accounts. Make sure the passwords for your financial sites are not permutations of your other passwords.
  • Do not use your social networking site to login to other sites. Create another user account on the new site instead.
  • Use strong, unique passwords. Consider passphrases for an additional level of safety.
  • Keep anti-virus software current.
  • Do not arrange meetings with people you meet online.

CONFIGURATION GUIDES from U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command - Computer Crime Investigative Unit

For more information about computer security and other computer related scams, we encourage readers to visit the Army Criminal Investigation Command (Army CID) website.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (external sites)


OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC)


SPECIFIC SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDES

BLOGGING

FACEBOOK

FLICKR

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

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RESOURCES

Training Requirements: CAC Enabled
» OPSEC for EOP Operators
» DISA Social Networking Class

It is also highly encouraged that social media managers also complete OPSEC Level II certification. This training is coordinated through your G2/S2 shop or equivalent.

OPSEC Level II training: Per AR 530-1 (26 Sept. 14) 4-2 Training Programs (pgs. 13-14) para b. (2) OPSEC coordinators, Web masters, PAOs, FOIA, speech writers, FRSAs, or any other personnel who interact with the public on a regular basis will receive external official presence (EOP) training or attend a Level II OPSEC officers course.

ALARACT 289/2013, Army OPSEC Training for External Official Presence Operators states that all commanders will ensure that personnel who publish information on external online presences receive mandatory annual OPSEC training.

BEWARE OF ONLINE SCAMS!

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) receives hundreds of reports a month from individuals who have fallen victim to a scam perpetrated by a person impersonating a U.S. Soldier online.

Victims of these “romance scams” report they became involved in an online relationship with someone they believed to be a U.S. Soldier who then began asking for money for various false service-related needs. Victims of these scams can lose tens of thousands of dollars and face a slim likelihood of recovering any of it.

Find out how the Army is combating online scams.

 

There are times when the names and images of U.S. Army Reserve leadership have been used to fraudulently victimize or scam well-meaning people.

You will NEVER receive a personal friend request, or a request for money, from any of the U.S. Army Reserve leadership. If you are talking to someone claiming to be a current or past general officer or Command Sergeants Major from the U.S. Army Reserve leadership team on any social media platform, you are talking to an impostor.

Our social media team reports impostor accounts for removal, but we need your assistance.

Report fake accounts and scams to the social media platform you are using

If you are a U.S. Citizen you may report being a victim to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES