Terrorist monitoring MySpace? Facebook?

[KeithPA]

From: [name removed] M Ms CIV USA IMCOM
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 3:54 PM
To: Ft Dix Employees; Ft Dix DIRECTORS; Ft Dix Contractors
Subject: OPSEC ALERT


Security analysts have discovered al-Qaida operatives are monitoring
specific sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, U2 and Friends Reunited, to
gather details that could be used to launch terrorist attacks.
(Currently, al-Qaida gathers 80% of their intelligence information from
viewing the Internet/Niprnet, verifying the information and then using
it against us.)

Thousands of servicemen and women are posting personal details on these
websites and ones similar, and are including news of their careers,
pictures of themselves in uniform and details of past assignments.
These details, in the hands of al-Qaida operatives offer invaluable
information. We now know al-Qaida is using hundreds of false accounts
to access the personal pages of many service personnel.

Many soldiers give their full names, dates of birth, home towns, names
of family members, girlfriends or wives, the locations of where they had
served and photos posing with colleagues and weapons. This kind of
detail is a gift to terrorists. It can enable them to plot an attack as
never before -- and not only on targets in the field, but at home as
well -- including the families of those soldiers.

Intelligence is showing that in 2008 al-Qaida will continue to recruit
extremists to conduct suicide attacks as well as recruiting sympathizers
prepared to assist by providing accommodations, transportation and
funding.

We all have to be prepared to practice safe OPSEC procedures both at
home and at work to insure our safety and the safety of our troops in
the AOR. Before you click SEND on your computers -- THINK about the
information you are transmitting, THINK about the potential risks and
TAKE precautions.




[name removed]
Installation Security & Intelligence Officer/ATO
DPTMS, Fort Dix, NJ 08640
[phone number removed] - [email removed]
<[email removed]>

This got forward around multiple times and ended up all the way down the line to me. Kinda interesting. Kinda doubt they really are, but something must have happened to raise the awareness level

-axmdr40
you get this email too?


Where Fort Dix people already tried and acquitted? Or was that the group from Florida. I remember some group of domestic terrorists were already tried and acquitted.

[ShakeyDad]

Hey, I just tried Snopes.com, and I couldn't find anything on this at all. Maybe if someone knows a better way to check ?

[OneLungMcClung]

This got forward around multiple times and ended up all the way down the line to me. Kinda interesting. Kinda doubt they really are, but something must have happened to raise the awareness level

-axmdr40
you get this email too?


Where Fort Dix people already tried and acquitted? Or was that the group from Florida. I remember some group of domestic terrorists were already tried and acquitted.

Yah bro, I get these too. I think that this is a case of "day (year ) late and a dollar short". Back in '04 this was a real problem: Young troopies listing their unit names, numbers and locations along with fresh video (as in a day old) showing an ambush or IED or some other thing that was shit hot and fresh...that was, in essence, fresh operational intelligence. The military has TRIED to curtail this juvenile idiocy. Realize that the troops of today have access to the "World" (that's us, in the U.S. of A.) that is UNPRECEDENTED in history. Instant emails and contacts with their families and with the population in general that the guys even in Desert Storm (forget about Vietnam) did not have.....

Back in '04, what you are posting about now was a real problem. The YouTube Generation... posting Live! From Iraq! made a real headache for military intel and military censors. Giving away data on troop emplacements and operational actions and successful enemy or friendly actions....... I don't think that this is TOO MUCH of a problem anymore. Sure there are going to be dumbass Privates and PFCs who will earn an ass whooping and a "burn the shitters" or whatever the hell they do for NJP over there because they broke OPSEC.... but in the larger picture, to me, this is old hat...

And it also fear mongering. It strikes civilians at their core, thinking that Evil Towlie is watching them at their every move. Ah, the internet. It never lies.

Personally, I don't think this is a big fat viable threat much anymore; military intel picked up on this shit in '04 - '05 and started regulating troopies hardcore.

Am I military? -NO.

I never had the chance (look at my internet handle - that should give some clue. I should be over there right now...but I'm not. ) In the end, - I've got alot of friends, both Army and Marine Corps, who tell me what I have just told you.

Maybe someone over there can say something different

[axmdr40]

This got forward around multiple times and ended up all the way down the line to me. Kinda interesting. Kinda doubt they really are, but something must have happened to raise the awareness level

-axmdr40
you get this email too?


Where Fort Dix people already tried and acquitted? Or was that the group from Florida. I remember some group of domestic terrorists were already tried and acquitted.

I got this too, except is wasn't sent to our whole battalion, just got it from cadre personally so I can distribute it down my chain of command.

They wouldn't send it if it wasn't as least a semi-credible analysis.

[ScaredOnce]

I'm sure they've looked at such social networking sites before. But in an age where almost everyone has used such a site, what's the difference? Type you name into Google. I'm sure most of us will have quite a few hits. Now that most people's info is readily available, it not such an issue.

There was a member who protested submitting his ssn for an application. I didn't want to burst his bubble. But anyone who was committed enough to go through with "stealing his [financial] identity" would be able to obtain the ssn with ease. It's a modern world, luckily there are modern ways of fixing things like identity theft.

[KeithPA]

Hey, I just tried Snopes.com, and I couldn't find anything on this at all. Maybe if someone knows a better way to check ?

Sorry I didn't explain it better.

This is a real email sent by the Installation Security & Intelligence Officer/ATO (i removed all the info).

When I said forwarded I mean the original "to" list just lists fort dix personnel but somehow it ended up getting forwarded and forwarded again until it got to our battalion commander sent it out to us. It doesn't need to be verified, it's not some chain mail story or whatnot. I just thought it was somewhat interesting and would share what I could of the email.

[RocketFoot]

Like I need another reason to keep me and my kids off of those sites!

[ShakeyDad]

Sorry I didn't explain it better.

This is a real email sent by the Installation Security & Intelligence Officer/ATO (i removed all the info).

When I said forwarded I mean the original "to" list just lists fort dix personnel but somehow it ended up getting forwarded and forwarded again until it got to our battalion commander sent it out to us. It doesn't need to be verified, it's not some chain mail story or whatnot. I just thought it was somewhat interesting and would share what I could of the email.

Oh, o.k., thanks for clearing that up

[PA Rifleman]

Sounds like an updated version of "Loose lips sink ships".

[axmdr40]

Well basically the premise is that terrorist networks are attempting to use sites like facebook and myspace to collect personal information to blackmail and attempt to get soldiers to do things for them...like say they find out your address..and pictures of you and your wife....they get someone to go and take pictures of your wife and kids at your kids soccer game, and then email them too you while your deployed and telling that they will kill her and your kids if you don't give them something they want, and if you tell anyone they will kill them too.

May or may not be a credible risk...why take it?