Brig. Gen. Tony Aguto, commander of 7th Army Training Command, has said the U.S. military should treat social media as an extension of cyberspace in terms of cybersecurity practices.
The U.S. Army said Monday U.S. service members and their families currently face the challenge of defending themselves against threats made through social networking sites.
“Potential foreign adversaries are using social media to make threats toward service members,” said Adam Troxel, lead special agent with the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade.
The Army’s operating concept recognizes that threat actors use social media to shape perceptions and cover-up large-scale military operations, but social media remains largely unaddressed by the Army doctrine, the service branch noted.
“As members of the U.S. military deployed overseas, we need to approach social media in the cyber domain the way we might approach any dangerous and unfamiliar territory: Be smart and keep a low profile,” said Col. Lance Varney, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.
The branch also called on soldiers and their family members to adopt methods to protect their social media identities.
