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Army instructs troops to take precautions online: report

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/28/15 3:42 PM ET

The Army has issued a global security alert to U.S. soldiers instructing them on how to guard their social media presence to avoid threats from groups like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to a Saturday report.

The Washington Times reported that the message went out Friday and includes more than a dozen safety tips, including taking precautions when tweeting, getting geotagged in posts and referencing military service.

“It is likely that social media will continue to be leveraged as a tool by those who wish to threaten and/or target members or the military. Therefore service members and their families are reminded and encouraged to practice safe social media activities,” the message reads, according to the Washington Times.

{mosads}Among the tips is to avoid posting detailed daily activities online, understanding that single photos can be collected over time to identify other family members, and not physically meeting those met online. It also suggests military members “use the peephole before opening the door to any one,” per the report.

The memo comes just days after hackers claiming affiliation with ISIS posted online the names, photos and addresses of 100 U.S. military personnel and encouraged supporters to kill them.

Defense officials had said there wasn’t any indication of a government data breach, but that the personal details were apparently pieced together from public records and information available on social media.

“It appears the list specifically targeted military members who are pilots or aircraft crew members in retaliation for airstrike in Iraq and Syria,” the Army memo issued Friday reads, according to the Times report.

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