3) Why? There are people from my generation that have no idea what personal security is and even many who do blow it off...

That is a good point. What I meant by my comment was today, a large amount of teenagers are relying on technology for social interaction. Texting and social networks have taken away the amount of personal interaction that, from what I've heard, seemed to be present in most social relationships in the past.

Being stupid transcends generations... Its poor judgment thats the issue, not technology; thats an excuse for being able to not thinking things through. Use your head and stop following after whats "cool" or "in" or whatever they say these days.

Now go do PT.

Crip

Its poor judgment thats the issue, not technology; thats an excuse for being able to not thinking things through.

I completely agree.

Use your head and stop following after whats "cool" or "in" or whatever they say these days.

I have been, but there is always room for improvement. Off I go.

I'm in the process of scrubbing my web presence and I also found a listing on MyLife. It contained very little personal information, just my nickname and a picture, but that's more than enough. I called their customer support line and they removed the listing. (888) 704-1900

Those types of sites phish information from the public domain and aggregate it for their own commercial interests. The best "work around", as has been mentioned here numerous times, is to remove your information from the public domain. PeekYou.com is another one of these sites. They will remove your information if you email them from this link: http://www.peekyou.com/privacy

Thanks IRONRKSNS for providing that link on removing your personal info from the net. While most of the information I've found is phone book-type stuff, it's good to know how to get unlisted. Cheers!

I have a question that appeals to the broader sense of Team Sergeant's point.

I am considering an enlistment into 19th Group (NG). I'm a cop on the civilian side. This occasionally lands my name and sometimes photograph in the paper and/or television news. Those papers/stations have websites. Further, on occasion my name makes it's way onto Craig's List in the "Rants and Raves" section because a local scumbag did not like my "customer service".

Being in the NG Groups, could this be a hindrance?

I'd worry more about Angie's List. those b!tcHe$ can be so petty. Smile and say "please". "Ma'am" and "thank you" on those traffic stops!:D

sorry this is my first post and hope I dont screw it up. followed this thread and completely agree with the quiet professionals. I am long retired from the SF & Spook world both active and reserve but I was actually thinking the other day that if i was needed i would be worthless because i have a facebook page and because i run a public company just about my whole life is public. By the way a Russian Private Equity Firm invested in Facebook and those russian companies always seem to have some old connection to the former three letter organization that still seems to run the country. cant say i am very comfortable with them owning a piece of facebook.

Too late. Please read/re-read your registration email and follow the instructions with regards to posting an intro in the "Intro" thread.

With regards to other intel agents; Americans would be surprised, or maybe not at all, over who uses the "stay in touch with friends' sites to build data on people...

Crip

I am in the process of deleting and doing damage control. lucky for me, when my name is searched, there are several other people with my name who pop up instead of me. My question would be, does it help my case that I haven't mentioned anything about my 18x on those social networking sites?

The only place I have mentioned it was a message board for football fans where I was asking people who had been 18 series about the job and how it is. At the time I didn't think about the implications what so ever (not smart, I know) and had a pic of me with a coach on there (without my name listed). On the same site, a couple of current 18 series guys (and SEALs) have their pictures on there. My guess is that they are just being dumb?

Great to know, thank you
 

Outstanding post! Thank you for being so informative. I never had a myspace account but I have deleted my facebook. I did not have any pictures on my FB nor any personnal information. It was just a great way to stay connected with guys down range. One question though, how secure is data on this site? Thank you again for the post.

Triman19 and everyone else with questions about cyber-security:

How do I put this? Work with this assumption: If you type it, they can read it. True, there are various levels of security, but nothing is so super-ninja-secret-cyber-safe that it cannot be hacked.

Wireless connections? I personally can download open-source programs to hack those and at my education level, I think electricity is magic.

256K encryption? Do you seriously think "no such agency" hasn't figured that one out?

What you ultimately have is "acceptable risk" or "reasonably secure." I understand that there are levels of security at this site, enough so that I logged on and became a member. But it isn't secure and not a government system (red side) and therefore, we do not discuss operational, sensitive or classified topics here.

What is my security posture? I make purchases online, do my banking, and send emails to friends and family with a little bit of faith that my transactions are secure. I also check my bank account balance to make sure no one has pilfered my info. I don't do Facebook or Twitter or any of the other craziness out there. I shred paper and receipts with personally identifying information (but I don't burn it). I'm a big fan of "Moscow Rules."

When I get really paranoid, I pay in cash.

HTH.

Books

Erasing yourself from the internet is impossible, especially for me. I have a unique last name, and just searching my last name will link up a lot of personal information. Such as, my family and friends posting pictures of me, family reunion notices, blogs my grandfather wrote, even seven year old high school athletic stats. I had to do a bit of searching to find all of that but, some of it was readily assessable on the first google page.

A motivated person could learn much more about me that I would want them to know. This has always troubled me. Worst part is I see no viable solution, other than to legally adopt a new name.

Another Search Location
 

Found this, should help you find if there is a pic linked to your name or whatever search paramaters you enter

http://www.facesaerch.com

I am Deleting my Myspace account as we speak. I have my facebook settings maxed out. And i have done a complete google search and myface search and nothing has come up. Could this be because I did not spell my last name correctly when i joined the sites on purpose? And is this a good thing?

Ryan

I can't speak from the SF aspects, however I can say this, if you put it out there, it can be found. I used to be a P.I. combined with my background as an S.E. this was one of the first things I searched. As far as others searching and keeping things secure, I shall attempt to paraphrase something an unnamed hacker once said when asked how to keep a computer totally secure: "Unplug it, bury it in the ground, and MAYBE I wouldn't be able to get into it." In my limited time at the State Dept. I felt good to find that they followed that to the letter. :)

Very valid points all around in this thread. Are there any special security precautions users of PS.com should take to ensure our anonymity while on this site?

Ryan,

You're dead wrong on a few things and I'm not going to point them all out to you. You might want to shut up before you insert your foot further down your throat.

This entire website to include the "dedicated server" it's hosted on, is owned and operated by SF soldiers.

While the computers of all the Special Forces Administrators may not be "protected" inorder to gain access to them you would be literally taking your life into your hands.

I am hiding in plain sight, and if it's anyone desire to come for me they might want to read up on my past experiences and don't come light.;)

Team Sergeant

Many here have...
 

TS, You know many here will also have your 6. Dave

Duly noted. Thank you Team Sergeant.

Speaking of FB, MS, Twitter and Security...
 

Dont have a link for it, as it was sent to me by my S2.

Something to think about nonetheless......

Commentary: Social sites risk security clearance
By GREG RINCKEY
November 02, 2009

If you hold a security clearance or if you ever want to apply for one, be mindful of your postings and contacts online, particularly on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These sites pose risks to gaining and keeping a security clearance.

Question 14 of the National Agency Questionnaire (SF-86) asks for names of your relatives and associates. The term “associate” is defined as any foreign national that you or your spouse “are bound by affection, obligation, or close and continuing contact.”

Continuing contact with a foreign national used to include a clear exchange between both parties — visits outside the country, mail, phone calls or e-mails. Social networking sites bring a gray area into the definition of an associate and continuing contact. Your list of friends on Facebook may include foreign nationals, or you could have foreign followers on your Twitter page. Is giving
a foreign national access to your social networking page as a “friend” considered close and continuing contact even if you never directly message them? Is having access to your updated information enough for a person to be considered an associate? Unfortunately, this uncharted territory can ensnare a potential or current clearance holder.

Foreign intelligence agencies use social networking sites. They have been known to befriend Facebook users who automatically accept their “friend” requests.

I had a client who lost her security clearance after using an online chat room. She was seeking advice on how to beat a computer game while attending a gaming convention. The “gaming” experts she chatted with online were foreign intelligence agents working out of China.

You may want to eliminate any foreign nationals from your social networking sites to eliminate any potential security concerns. A clearance holder also needs to be responsible for what he or she posts online. These sites are considered “open source intelligence,” and mining information from them is simple. Anyone can do a Web search and bring up postings from Twitter and
Facebook. Technology companies are developing more sophisticated ways to monitor social networking sites, offering the ability to scan millions of online social conversations at once. Intelligence agencies around the world are taking advantage of this technology to gain valuable information.

Social networking sites are creating new territory for many workplaces. Just this month a Staten Island, N.Y., judge had to be transferred to a new location because of his Facebook use. The judge reportedly used the site to update his whereabouts and post pictures of his courtroom. The Pentagon also is weighing if troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan should continue to have social networking access.

When dealing with a security clearance, keep in mind the HAM principles: honesty, accuracy and mitigation. Honesty and accuracy are the most important factors when filling out an SF-86 questionnaire. It is always better to report a contact that could jeopardize your clearance, than to appear evasive or dishonest.

During an interview following your SF-86 submission, you’ll be asked more questions about your background. Discuss any concerns with an attorney before the interview. An attorney’s advice can give you a better chance at reversing an adverse determination. If a disqualifying condition is found, you want to show that the issue is not as severe as it appears. If you receive a letter of intent to deny or revoke a clearance, you could have as little as 45 days to respond. The appeal must be a thorough brief that emphasizes mitigating factors and cites relevant legal precedents.

Greg Rinckey, a former military and federal attorney, is managing partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC, a law firm with offices in Albany, N.Y., and Washington.
E-mail your legal questions to askthelawyer@federaltimes.com.

Facebook blocks deletion service

Social network giant Facebook has blocked a website from accessing people's profiles in order to delete their online presence.

The site, Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, offers to remove users from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Myspace.

It does not delete their accounts but changes the passwords and removes "friend" connections.

Seppukoo.com, which offers a similar service, was issued with a "cease and desist" letter by Facebook in 2009.

Netherlands-based moddr, behind Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, says it believes that "everyone should have the right to disconnect".

However Facebook says that by collecting login credentials, the site violates its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR).

"Facebook provides the ability for people who no longer want to use the site to either deactivate their account or delete it completely," the company said. "We're currently investigating and considering whether to take further action."

Web 2.0 Suicide Machine claims that it only stores the name, profile picture and "last words" of its clients, who can choose to watch their friend/follower connections disappear in real time as their profiles unlink from others.

"Seamless connectivity and rich social experience offered by web 2.0 companies are the very antithesis of human freedom," says a statement on its website.

The machine operates on an adjusted Linux server which runs open source software Apache 2.

Seppukoo.com, which offers to remove people from Facebook, received a letter from the social network site's lawyers in December 2009.

Once they have deleted their friends Seppukoo clients can choose an image instead of their profile picture to remain as a "memorial" .

The site is run by a group called Les Liens Invisibles, and describes itself as an artistic project. The name Seppukoo is taken from a Japanese ritual form of suicide known as Seppuku.

In November 2009 the group orchestrated the "virtual suicide" of a group of fictitious Facebook profiles set up in the names of deceased well-known figures including Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Virginia Woolf.

I couldn't find myself in the archive, but I never had my real name on there and maybe a few pictures, and not much of info about myself. This still a big threat? If so I would like help in correcting the problem if anyone can assist.

I'm resurrecting a couple month old thread but I have a question about the SF recruiting teams that have facebook pages. I deleted my facebook long ago but I read this sticky again and re-activated to see if there were any SF pages, of which there were 10. Many of these pages contain discussions on how to prepare, advice, etc. There are even dates,times of SFAS briefings and even some pictures granted the names aren't tagged. Is it still a hindrance to have a facebook considering the somewhat concerted effort on the part of SORB to reach out those possible candidates who have facebook accounts? Before you are active duty/SF qualified anyway I searched and found TS' recommendation against the active guys creating one.

I looked into it and found this page...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-B...?v=info&ref=ts

Hope I am not stepping on any toes here.

Can someone tell me ?
 

I'm reeinlisting in the army after i got out on a med board and the recruiter is saying I will have to lose a rank to come in and do the 18x program. Is this true I thought when I reeinlist i keep my rank because it was a med board not ETS. Can someone please respecfuly help me. Even if I do have to lose a rank Im still doing the 18x program I have rehabilitated for 2 years just to get a chance to do this.

This thread is about the possible risk internet connections sites pose to SF and SF candidates, not about MEB's, reductions in rank on reenlistment, or fitness for SF.

You need to do more reading and less posting.

Crip

ok
 

You know I just had a simple question if you don't know the answer fine but don't be UN professional. I was just looking for info from more expierianced veterans who have been through SF.

The reduction in rank is due to the amount of time that you were separated from the Army, not the fact that you have an 18X contract or were med-boarded. Please be mindful of the fact that we are not QP's, and are therefore guests here. I haven't been to SFAS, but I do know that in my unit giving attitude to someone who is offering constructive criticism will get you nowhere. You may be encountering many of the members here farther down the pipeline, and I doubt you want this to be their first impression of you.

Had you taken the time to familiarize yourself with our board, as the rules and stickies suggest, before jumping in with both feet it may not have been necessary to correct you in the first place.

Furthermore, I would heed geardo's advice... Remember you came to us, not the other way around...


Crip

Facebook founder calls users "dumb fucks"
 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05...ok_trust_dumb/

Loveable Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg called his first few thousand users "dumb fucks" for trusting him with their data, published IM transcripts show. Facebook hasn't disputed the authenticity of the transcript.

Zuckerberg was chatting with an unnamed friend, apparently in early 2004. Business Insider, which has a series of quite juicy anecdotes about Facebook's early days, takes the credit for this one.

The exchange apparently ran like this:

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuck: Just ask.

Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS

[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?

Zuck: People just submitted it.

Zuck: I don't know why.

Zuck: They "trust me"

Zuck: Dumb fucks

The founder was then 19, and he may have been joking. But humour tells you a lot. Some might say that this exchange shows Zuckerberg was not particularly aware of the trust issue in all its depth and complexity.

Facebook is currently in the spotlight for its relentlessly increasing exposure of data its users assumed was private. This is nicely illustrated in the interactive graphic you can find here or by clicking the piccie to the right.

In turn, its fall from grace has made backers of the 'social media' bubble quite nervous. Many new white collar nonjobs created since the mid-Noughties depend on the commercial value of your output, and persona;l information. (Both are invariably donated for free).

But there's a problem.

Much of the data created by Web2.0rrhea is turning out to be quite useless for advertisers - or anyone else. Marketeers are having a harder time justifying the expenditure in sifting through the Web 2.0 septic tank for the odd useful nugget of information.

Facebook's data stash is regarded as something quite special. It's authenticated against a real person, and the users tend to be over 35 and middle class - the ideal demographic for selling high value goods and services. In addition, users have so far been 'sticky' to Facebook, something quite exceptional since social networks fall out of fashion (Friends Reunited, Friendster) as quickly as they attract users.

Facebook also has something else going for it - ordinary users regard it as the natural upgrade to Hotmail. In fact, once the crap has been peeled away, there may not be much more to Facebook than the Yahoo! or Hotmail Address Book with knobs on: the contact book is nicely integrated, uploading photos to share easier, while everything else is gravy. Unlike tech-savvy users, many people remain loyal to these for years.

the cpl:

Advice fm an old non-SF fellow, if you're willing to listen. When the SF pros on this site give you advice it is refreshingly without varnish or butter. You're learning, and you shouldn't give up on yourself or the site, but thank these SF teachers in the process.

Now, pick up your ruck and walk...

thanks
 

I appoligize for not famaliarizing myself with the sit more. Thanks for the wisdom I don't take criticism well but I guess I should get used to it I thank you for it.

Unsought advice:

I don't know a lot, but I do know this: if you have ANY hope of completing the LONG journey to being a QP, which begins - not ends - when you are assigned to a team, you had best learn quickly the art of not only accepting, but seeking out, criticism.

Adding to the wonderfully expansive world of facebook both of those other units are featured on multiple pages, including a rather popular page on Ranger Haney's book.


Oh Boy...:rolleyes:

I retract questioning how parasitic this site can be.

And in other news...
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/te...?_r=2&emc=eta1


Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live
By KATE MURPHY
Published: August 11, 2010

When Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “MythBusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land Cruiser.

Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “Mythbusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house that was geotagged.
Multimedia

How Geotags Unlocked a 'MythBuster's' Location

The ICanStalkU.com Web site provides step-by-step instructions for disabling geotagging on the iPhone.

Instructions on how to disable the geotagging feature of an Android phone.
Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken. Hence, he revealed exactly where he lived. And since the accompanying text was “Now it’s off to work,” potential thieves knew he would not be at home.

Security experts and privacy advocates have recently begun warning about the potential dangers of geotags, which are embedded in photos and videos taken with GPS-equipped smartphones and digital cameras. Because the location data is not visible to the casual viewer, the concern is that many people may not realize it is there; and they could be compromising their privacy, if not their safety, when they post geotagged media online.

Mr. Savage said he knew about geotags. (He should, as host of a show popular with technology followers.) But he said he had neglected to disable the function on his iPhone before taking the picture and uploading it to Twitter.

“I guess it was a lack of concern because I’m not nearly famous enough to be stalked,” he said, “and if I am, I want a raise.”

Still, Mr. Savage has since turned off the geotag feature on his iPhone, and he isn’t worried about the archived photo on Twitter because he has moved to a new residence.

But others may not be so technologically informed or so blasé about their privacy.

“I’d say very few people know about geotag capabilities,” said Peter Eckersley, a staff technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, “and consent is sort of a slippery slope when the only way you can turn off the function on your smartphone is through an invisible menu that no one really knows about.”

Indeed, disabling the geotag function generally involves going through several layers of menus until you find the “location” setting, then selecting “off” or “don’t allow.” But doing this can sometimes turn off all GPS capabilities, including mapping, so it can get complicated.

The Web site ICanStalkU.com provides step-by-step instructions for disabling the photo geotagging function on iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Palm devices.

A person’s location is also revealed while using services like Foursquare and Gowalla as well as when posting to Twitter from a GPS-enabled mobile device, but the geographical data is not hidden as it is when posting photos.

A handful of academic researchers and independent Web security analysts, who call themselves “white hat hackers,” have been trying to raise awareness about geotags by releasing studies and giving presentations at technology get-togethers like the Hackers On Planet Earth, or Next HOPE, conference held last month in New York.

Their lectures and papers demonstrate the ubiquity of geotagged photos and videos on Web sites like Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Craigslist, and how these photos can be used to identify a person’s home and haunts.

Many of the pictures show people’s children playing in or around their homes. Others reveal expensive cars, computers and flat-screen televisions. There are also pictures of people at their friends’ houses or at the Starbucks they visit each morning.

By downloading free browser plug-ins like the Exif Viewer for Firefox (addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3905/) or Opanda IExif for Internet Explorer (opanda.com/en/iexif/), anyone can pinpoint the location where the photo was taken and create a Google map.

Moreover, since multimedia sites like Twitter and YouTube have user-friendly application programming interfaces, or A.P.I.’s, someone with a little knowledge about writing computer code can create a program to search for geotagged photos in a systematic way. For example, they can search for those accompanied with text like “on vacation” or those taken in a specified neighborhood.

“Any 16 year-old with basic programming skills can do this,” said Gerald Friedland, a researcher at the International Computer Science Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. He and a colleague, Robin Sommer, wrote a paper, “Cybercasing the Joint: On the Privacy Implications of Geotagging,” which they presented on Tuesday at a workshop in Washington during the Advanced Computing Systems Association’s annual conference on security.

The paper provides three examples of so-called cybercasing that use photos posted on Twitter and Craigslist and a homemade video on YouTube.

By looking at geotags and the text of posts, Mr. Sommer said, “you can easily find out where people live, what kind of things they have in their house and also when they are going to be away.”

“Our intent is not to show how it’s done,” he said, “but raise awareness so people can understand their devices and turn off those options if they want to.”

ICanStalkU.com, developed by the security consultants Larry Pesce of the NWN Corporation in Waltham, Mass., and Ben Jackson of Mayhemic Labs in Boston, uses a more direct approach to warning about the potential dangers of geotags. The site displays a real-time stream of geotagged photos posted on Twitter; the person who posted the photo also gets a notification via Twitter.

“The reaction from people is either anger, like ‘I’m going to punch you out,’ or ‘No duh, like I didn’t already know that’ or ‘Oh my God, I had no idea,’ ” Mr. Pesce said.

In the latter category was Cristina Parker of El Paso, who sells appliances part-time at Kmart and also manages social media for small companies. ICanStalkU.com notified her last week that a photo she had posted on Twitter of her Chihuahua, Zipp, also revealed where she lived.

“I immediately tweeted back to find out what I can do about it,” said Ms. Parker. The site sent her a Web link to instructions on how to turn off the geotag function on her LG Ally smartphone. “It’s definitely good to know for me personally and because of my social media work, too,” she said

Because of the way photographs are formatted by some sites like Facebook and Match.com, geotag information is not always retained when an image is uploaded, which provides some protection, albeit incidental. Other sites like Flickr have recently taken steps to block access to geotag data on images taken with smartphones unless a user explicitly allows it.

But experts say the problem goes far beyond social networking and photo sharing Web sites, regardless of whether they offer user privacy settings.

“There are so many places where people upload photos, like personal blogs and bulletin boards,” said Johannes B. Ullrich, chief technology officer of the SANS Technology Institute, which provides network security training and monitors the Internet for emerging security threats.

Protecting your privacy is not just a matter of being aware and personally responsible, said Mr. Sommer, the researcher. A friend may take a geotagged photo at your house and post it.

“You need to educate yourself and your friends but in the end, you really have no control,” he said, adding that he was considering writing a program to troll the Internet for photos with geotags corresponding to users’ home addresses.

“I’m beginning to think there may be a market for it.”

A version of this article appeared in print on August 12, 2010, on page B6 of the New York edition.

It's possible I missed the answer on how SF Recruiting on FB is somehow not a direct contradiction to the advice/information provided in the initial post.

Worded differently: There are several SF Recruiting pages on FB. Is this a problem with regards to the initial public service announcement?

-mbs

The cpl,
This will be straight and to the point. YOU are a guest, and jumping back at a fellow QP is not only going to draw unwanted attention, is going to get you in the Ban-User area. You are luck that the Team Sergeant or Reaper have not jumped on you yet. And I say yet, because I am sure as soon as they read this your toast. As far as you not taking “criticism well”, you better start growing that thick skin. I do not know your background or what units you have served in, but when you go (if you go) to SFAS you are going to be criticized all day long. And trust me no one is going to be say “Good job candidate”. So like you were told. More reading and less posting. In saying that I DO NOT expect any comment from you on my post to you. Take it as GOOD advice! Pick your ruck up Jonny and start rucking.

WOW and thanks
 

I deleted my facebook many, many months ago... or so I thought. Sure enough after reading this thread, I go to log back in and it reactivates instantly, I had no clue they kept everything up there for good. So I went along and untagged myself from every pic, deleted all of my pics, and deleted all info on there. Luckily I never used my real first name so no searches for that come up. But a big thanks for posting this as I was not aware of facebook's evil ways.

Thanks all

I agree that Internet dependency is rising each generation, sadly.. It is a strange thought that SF forces years ago were unseen, and that [possibly] future SF forces have their faces posted all over the web for everyone. It would either bring extremely less recruits on, or increase the military's ability to control/delete content for oncoming recruits.

One thing on recent ads I've seen (which I don't know if it's a correct statistic or not) Is that 1 out of 5 relationships start online.... Online!!! Holy **** what are we doing?!? I think the Internet craze needs to be tuned down a bit..