Author: Jamie Welch, Senior Editor

US Marines Banned From Social Media Sites

The US Marines issued an order Monday that bans social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace on its network. The sites increase the risk of sensitive information leaking out to adversaries, the order explains. The ban, which will last a year, essentially rules out use of all public social networks by Marines, unless a mission-critical need exists. The fully-capitalized document reads, in part: THESE INTERNET SITES IN GENERAL ARE A PROVEN HAVEN FOR MALICIOUS ACTORS AND CONTENT AND ARE PARTICULARLY HIGH RISK DUE TO INFORMATION EXPOSURE, USER GENERATED CONTENT AND TARGETING BY ADVERSARIES. THE VERY NATURE OF SNS CREATES A LARGER ATTACK AND EXPLOITATION WINDOW, EXPOSES UNNECESSARY INFORMATION TO ADVERSARIES AND PROVIDES AN EASY CONDUIT FOR INFORMATION LEAKAGE THAT PUTS OPSEC, COMSEC, PERSONNEL AND THE MCEN AT AN ELEVATED RISK OF COMPROMISE. EXAMPLES OF INTERNET SNS SITES INCLUDE FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, AND TWITTER. That’s not to say that the Department of Defence is turning its back on social media, however: a new DOD site with social media integration is expected to launch this month, writes Wired. Meanwhile, the Marine Corps Facebook page has more than 75,000...

Read More

Google CEO Schmidt leaves Apple board

Apple Inc. said Monday the chief executive of Google Inc. would step down from its board due to intensifying competition between the Silicon Valley titans, but many analysts believe government scrutiny of the companies’ otherwise cozy relationship had as much to do with the decision. The Federal Trade Commission has spent months investigating whether the seats held by Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Genentech Inc. Chairman Arthur Levinson on the boards of both Apple and Google violate antitrust law. Schmidt’s resignation, and the emphasis on a growing rivalry, may be designed to pre-empt a drawn-out examination, observers say. That’s particularly important for the Mountain View search leader, as multipronged regulatory probes increasingly threaten to tarnish its “Don’t Be Evil” aura. “Google is interested in making sure that any scrutiny it may be getting from the regulator’s perspective is as diminished as possible,” said Charles Golvin, principal analyst with Forrester Research. I’m sure there are additional reasons for the resignation as well.  With Google competing more and more with Apple and it’s services (Computers, Cell Phones) it was inevitable this would happen soon.  How do you feel about Google’s CEO being on the Apple board prior to this resignation?  Let me know by leaving me a comment...

Read More