Holy PERSEC!
 

Islamic State threatens to expose British military secrets after publishing US Air Force 'hit list'

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Obviously this has been long anticipated as a threat to be mitigated but it's a chilling one that I don't envy anyone having to contemplate.

:(


WWW

Wow, you must be brave posting that from your civilian armchair. How insulting to those of us that are actually putting ourselves and our loved ones at risk.

Truth is though that most of our UK bases are wide open....

We received a phone call during the Afg active phase and I know there were secured issues then that have since been addressed.

Sadly, from the OP quote, it raises the spectre of suspicion when you see strange faces behaving in slightly suspicious manner. Ie a couple walking down a leaf rural village street taking photos with smartphone.

Yes, reminds me of countries where the production of a camera would be the signal for some official person to come running over shouthing: "No pictures! No pictures!"

Or, miles from anywhere , "Photography Forbidden" signs appearing at the side of the road.
Again, in Africa , being warned that your route takes you through a classified "NO FLY" Zone.
The location of which is classified information.......

Some interesting different views here.

One remembers in the first Gulf Unpleasantness, one of the "Two Johns" - or it may have been both - said that when POWs, the thing they would have "gone up against the wall for" was not releasing family details.....

....... unbeknown to them, family details were (very much) in the public domain at home.

Discuss ......

Teeteringhead,

Yes, I remember that. I'm sure most of us would do the same.

One thing that doesn't seem right is the use of the term "threatens to." When did Daesh ever threaten? They just do stuff without alerting the World to what that might be. I cannot see what anyone might do that would stop them from publishing the data if they have it and, therefore, why they would issue a threat. Maybe an attempt at intimidating members of the Armed Forces when they don't actually have the material they are claiming?

Discuss...

C

Discuss

Having addresses is one thing, getting there, identifying a target and doing anything is one thing.

There were several other 'safer' ways of attacking personnel that were easier and safer and used within living memory. I don't intend to specify details.

Where's the popcorn smiley when you need it?

Social media certainly hasn't helped, but let's not forget that to an extent every single officer on this site was compromised when the Government Gazetted their details on commissioning and at every subsequent promotion. That anyone could also freely buy the service lists, with a bastardised version still available if one knows where to look, the same system that seeks to protect or deter its personnel from advertising themselves continues to facilitate such persec risks. So it's not just senior officers and their subordinates networking that's a problem. But just what do you do in this age of 'open Government' when we are expected and encouraged to get online and advertise?

I'll buy that for a dollar....deleted. However...that does not change the point about Opsec in my opinion. Certain "websites" give you the option of what you can put, including photos....the naivety of some is simply staggering. And I would strongly recommend never underestimating these animals. Their propensity for violence is unequalled in my opinion. Stay safe

RTL

Hum, my service record, which would have had copy letters to my personal address, was on an unencrypted memory stick stolen from Innsworth about 10 years ago. Its ok though, Sir Simon wrote me personal letter to let me now that the records had none of my personal financial information on it!

Melchett, the "home town boy" story is another sanctioned breach.

Before a prestigious overseas visit we were requested to complete a personal summary for local papers home and abroad. Purely voluntary you understand; I declined and was told I was no longer on the trip.

There are so many instances where publicity could come back an bite you - display pilots for instance are vulnerable. You can still find a picture of my uncle 60 years on from the Grapple tests.

Used to be a great demo put on by the SCSR lot at Mountbatten (so pre-internet days) on how much information they gleaned about one of their 'customers' from his engagement announcement in the Daily Telegraph. All from using phone books, RAF lists, electoral registers etc. If I remember correctly they had IP to Tgt maps drawn up for his house, the best mans house, and both sets of parents. May of course all have been scaremongering - they must have a field day in this day and age.

On a separate issue this thread seems to have taken a bit of 'Pruning' - guess at least one person has been sent to the naughty step!!

Even easier now. Chap I know lectures to all sorts of people - in and out of uniform - on cyber warfare/security and similar.

One of his party tricks is during the presentation, gets an assistant "backstage" to do the 192/facebook/linkedin/electoral roll stuff and then - thanks Google street view - ends presentation with pictures of audience members' houses!!:eek: On average takes less than half-an-hour ....

Concentrates the mind does that ...........

I have often 'cringed' at the lengths some military personnel go too to ensure they have an in-depth and varied social media profile...

One of the more interesting threads I've seen on prune for a ehile this.
I guess the threat to the individual is quite small- it's not going to happen to me, as long as it happens to someone else or someone's family, either Lee Rigby style or a more complex attack.
The point is, where do you draw the line? Do we hide away or just carry on? Do we impose a total news blackout on Ops or heavily censor (impossible).
Likewise, do we impose a social media policy or just educate?