.mil networks institute new blocking of sites

[Deviant Ollam]

Military puts MySpace, YouTube, and nearly a dozen other sites off limits

The Defense Department will begin blocking access "worldwide" to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department's networks, according to Bell.

i'm certain that there's a case to be made regarding resource use and bandwidth. it's finite and military infrastructure may have high reliability and fault-tolerance but we're not talking fiber-op lines straight to backbone offices... satellite lag and other "in the field" considerations play heavily into connection speeds, etc.

however, i also believe that at some level of the armed forces brass, someone pointed out that this will prevent a good deal of information leakage in the form of videos of carnage, unflattering displays, coffins being loaded onto planes, etc etc. such a point being raised, i would imagine, didn't meet with much objection from folks in high rank. i do not, however, feel (as some i suspect may feel) that this was the chief aim of of the new policy in any way.

[renderman]

Re: .mil networks institute new blocking of sites

I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment, I think that limiting posting of embarrassing content was just a happy benefit of the plan.

It's interesting to note though, as /. noted, at the same time as the .mil is banning access to youtube, etc. they just created their own youtube channel. While trying to put forth a PR face, they simultaneously cut off their content stream. Right hand, meet left hand. Left Hand, meet Right hand.

I can completely understand cutting off youtube from 'work' computers on the DoD network. A friend at a university recently calculated that youtube alone was costing them $60,000 /year in bandwidth and that it accounted for about 25% of their bandwidth in use at any given time. I remember an article a few years ago about the DoD having bandwidth troubles due to the increasingly complex and huge powerpoint slides that were getting pushed around so a bandwidth crunch is not a new phenomenon.

In talking with theprez98 and others deployed oversees recently, it's absolutely amazing the amount of bandwidth available to the average grunt in the field, both secure and non-secure. It's a far cry from letters to mom from the trenches

[valanx]

Re: .mil networks institute new blocking of sites

While the amount of bandwidth is amazing compared to what was used years ago, a lot of concern has been brought up lately on effective use of that. The DoD has lots of sites that they have blacklisted for various reasons.

I can see the argument for blocking protests or photos of the 'real story', but a lot of what happens as well is people give out classified information on a regular basis. Generally not on purpose but it still happens. I've seen lots of posts about unit locations and their plans for the next however long, what is broken and "wow if the bad guys knew this didn't work" type of posts as well.

All in all it ends up that this is military equipment, and it could probably be used in more cost effective ways than looking up ask a ninja clips.

It isn't quite like when the army said that no soldier can blog anything anymore. I think they said in one of the articles on this topic that people can still use their own equipment to do whatever they want.

[theprez98]

Re: .mil networks institute new blocking of sites

There are many, many sites blocked by the DoD. These just happen to be the latest additions to the list.

When I was in Iraq, I was using commercial satellite internet as opposed to "official" DOD Internet, so we had much fewer restrictions (if any; I didn't really want to test them). I did notice that one of the admins was running BackTrack.

Most information that leaks is not necessarily classified, but they are often OPSEC concerns. I spoke about this briefly in my Shmoocon presentation and (assuming it gets picked up) will add to it at DEFCON.

I have it on good word that my squadron was in large part responsible for Ebaumsworld being blocked from NMCI a few years back.

I have my own opinions about the military and the Internet, but I'll share that with you guys in private; or ask me February 2nd, 2008.

Finally, while still technically military, here at Penn State we're on an .EDU domain which (as you might expect) is pretty much wide open.

[valanx]

Re: .mil networks institute new blocking of sites

Who ran the commercial access while you were out there? I haven't been to Iraq, but other places out there that I've been are all state ran operations that have their own set of rules on what you can and can't do.

[theprez98]

Re: .mil networks institute new blocking of sites

Who ran the commercial access while you were out there? I haven't been to Iraq, but other places out there that I've been are all state ran operations that have their own set of rules on what you can and can't do.

Tachyon (link). Not sure the extent of their operations as I was only based in one area. From my experience, there was little or no monitoring.