Defence staff leak information on Facebook

The FoI request also found that the top management also had to discipline ten service personnel for misusing sites such as Twitter and Facebook over the same period. Internet security expert Mikko Hypponen, from software security company F-Secure, said: ”People might think they are confiding in friends or family when they go on Facebook. However, the recent changes in Facebook's privacy settings might make them disclose information to the world. This is a potential security risk."

"It's worrying that employees in sensitive positions have been sharing confidential information via Twitter and other means. Loose Tweets can cost lives.” According to him, the MoD must do more to ensure their guidelines on internet use are adhered to.

The MoD refused to comment on whether the leaks related to operational issues and declined to say what disciplinary action was taken for misuse of social media. . However, under the department’s online engagement guidelines, published last August, service and MOD civilian personnel need clearance from their bosses before publishing any information relating to operations or deployments and controversial, sensitive or political matters. They also need clearance before uploading opinion on Defence and Armed Forces activity or on third party or even attempting to speak on behalf of their service.

There are no rules banning MoD staff from joining online social networks in their personal lives or posting blogs and comments. However, the department’s code said: “Observe the same high standard of conduct and behaviour online as would be expected of you in your professional or personal life.“

The MoD’s main computer networks do not allow access to internet-based social networking sites. According to the PR company, within the MoD, there are a small number of computers outside its major networks, that connect directly to the internet. These may allow access to social networking sites, as they do not go through the same filter, and the department admitted some of these machines may have occasionally been used to access social networking sites. However, officials revealed there were no central records held of the amount of time that each of these machines access particular websites.

Some bases house internet cafés which provide staff with online access to social media when off duty, including as part of the welfare package in remote or deployed locations, such as Afghanistan, who cannot access the internet any other way.

Its guidelines stated that professionals are encouraged to talk about what they do within certain limits to protect security, reputation and privacy. Such online presences provide an opportunity for service and MoD civilian personnel to explain their work but they also carry risks to individuals, to their service and to defence.”