MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- In 1862, a Union soldier discovered an envelope lying in the grass at a position previously held by Confederate troops. Inside the envelope were three cigars wrapped in a piece of paper. The paper turned out to be a letter endorsed to Gen. Robert E. Lee, delineating the exact route to be taken by Confederate troops in their march toward Maryland.
When the commander of the Union forces received the letter, he maneuvered his troops accordingly and stopped Lee’s advance at the subsequent Battle of Antietam.
Loosing the letter and giving the Union access to vital information became one of the greatest blunders in military history.
Finding top-secret information inside an envelope filled with cigars may sound like a thing of the past, however, security leaks are as prevalent and dangerous today as they were during the American Civil War.
In the current era of blogging, Facebook and MySpace, everyone can become the culprit of security leaks.
“This is especially true for service members who possess information regarding their base, unit and upcoming deployments,” said Andrew R. Samuels, the station’s anti-terrorism officer. “Any information service members accidentally or unknowingly post on the internet can end up in the wrong hands.”
Terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda use the internet as their primary means of gathering intelligence.
“Evidence strongly suggests that Al Qaeda used unclassified, open-source material found on the internet to orchestrate their attacks on 9-11,” said Samuels. “This is how they learned about aircraft schedules, security procedures, work schedules and other loopholes in our systems.”
Computers and compact-discs seized during operations in Afghanistan revealed Al Qaeda had been collecting terabytes of information from open-sources found on the internet. They housed vital information regarding U.S. power plants, military installations and other targets of opportunity.
The Department of Defense now requires annual Web site reviews to ensure people aren’t posting sensitive material over the internet.
The DoD considers MySpace and Facebook to be the biggest threats as they create the potential for individuals to inadvertently post security information.
“Recent reviews of MySpace and Facebook profiles belonging to Iwakuni Marines and sailors turned up nothing for concern for base security,” said Samuels.
There is, however, one group with 15 members who hate being stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Other than individuals expressing dissatisfaction with their assignment, no compromising data was posted.
“But that’s not to say the concern is not ongoing,” said Samuels. “Service members here must always be mindful of what they post on the internet and who they talk with out in town.”