Title: DOD issues long-awaited social media policy -- Defense Systems
Headings: 
Memo lays out rules for various Internet tools
DOD policy memo
Security issues may lead DOD to ban use of social media
DOD weighs greater use of social media
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Content: DOD policy memo
Security issues may lead DOD to ban use of social media
DOD weighs greater use of social media
The new directive requires military and defense agency leaders to make Internet capabilities via the military’s unclassified but sensitive network available across all of DOD. Until now, some leaders have prevented or severely limited such access. It also states that commanders at all levels and the heads of DOD components shall continue to defend against malicious intrusions and attacks, such distributed denial-of-service attacks, and take immediate and commensurate actions to safeguard missions. That would permit the discretion to limit access to the Internet to preserve operations security or address bandwidth if necessary. The directive preserves the practice of prohibiting users from accessing Internet sites, or engaging in activity via social media sites, involving pornography, gambling, hate-crime and other prohibited activities. And it reiterates that members of military, defense and related agencies must continue to follow existing ethics and privacy guidelines. “The real importance of this memo,” said David Wennergren, DOD deputy chief information officer, “is helping people understand how important it is to share information in a contested environment—in a consistent way. And it’s about being thoughtful about security.” The memo's primary importance, Wennergren said, is in addressing the inevitable tensions between two groups: those in the military who want to accelerate the sharing of information and those responsible for keeping DOD networks secure.