Updates at bottom:
I want my MTV! Somewhere a soldier or sailor in Iraq or Afghanistan is probably thinking that today. According to the AP, on May 14, the Department of Defense blocked “worldwide” the US troops who use its networks and computers from accessing 12 popular websites that include, YouTube, MTV, MySpace, Blackplanet and Photobucket. The Defense Deparmene which the DoD said“take up a large amount of bandwidth, and others that can open up department computers to hackers and viruses.” (emphasis mine throughout)
US Forces Korea Commander (USFK) Gen. B.B. Bell explained in a memo sent out Friday that the new policy will not impact the military's ability to send and receive email, but the “Department of Defense has a growing concern regarding our unclassified DoD Internet, known as the NIPRNET. The Commander of DoD's Joint Task Force, Global Network Operations has noted a significant increase in the use of DoD network resources tied up by individuals visiting certain recreational Internet sites.”
The AP delved into some of the issues involved:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓"This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge," the memo said.
Members of the military can still access the sites on their own computers and networks, but Defense Department computers and networks are the only ones available to many soldiers and sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If the restrictions are intended to prevent soldiers from giving or receiving bad news, they could also prevent them from providing positive reports from the field, said Noah Shachtman, who runs a national security blog for Wired Magazine.
"This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets," he said. "And they are muzzling their best voices."
The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube, Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos and FileCabi; social networking sites MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5; music sites Pandora, MTV, 1.fm and live365; and the photo-sharing site Photobucket.
Sure, unsecure and heavy Internet traffic is a problem, but all of that usage may not completely disappear, but be re-directed to similar sites like Facebook, Second Life, Google Video, Flickr, which could just take the place of the banned substitutes.
The selective website blockade has already begun in Iraq, according to a Military Times reporter at Multi-National Division-Baghdad Headquarters in Baghdad, who said he was unable to access YouTube and MySpace from a Defense Department computer.
First the decree to essentially end any kind of online interaction by the military--milblogging, emailing and posting to message boards, then reconsider and step back from that announcement. Do the DoD and the Pentagon even know how important using the Internet and keeping connected to friends, family and even meeting new Internet buddies is to today’s soldiers and sailors, most of whom are away from home and need to use the military’s networks? For now, they can switch to other similar sites, but who knows how long that will be an option? The military may just continue to block problem sites as troops switch to different ones.
Maybe the short-term answer is to block certain high-traffic sites to give the military a chance to fix the security and bandwidth issues while they look for a way to allow some access to these sites, if there is one, but that doesn't seem to be what they are doing; they won't say whether this ban is only temporary. Regardless of the inconvenience and public relations loss, operational security and reducing bandwidth consumption take priority, though, over whether a sailor gets to update his MySpace page. However, since this problem will only get worse as the years go by, and they need to find a solution that safely and economically allows at least some of the access.
Other than the individual soldier or sailor, the public loses the most. Along with Fox News, right-leaning blogs and milblogs, these online images and dscussions about first-person experiences were among the only sources of positive information about the armed services and the various conflicts and wars we are engaged in around the world. Without these, we are left with the media’s coverage, anti-military/anti-war activists' views and the military’s attempts at PR, and we all know how that often turn out.
The funny thing is, the Department of Defense is taking away this access just as they are launching a YouTube channel. Oh the irony. A soldier in Iraq who has a video of one of his firefights with insurgents posted by the military can’t even watch it.
Update: (07:45 05/17)
*ABC.com just announced it plans to stream shows in HD for free beginning in July, which may cause bandwidth problems. That would be just another site for the DoD to eventually examine. (hat tip- Ars Technica)
* Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive posted about the ban with a retired Special Operations Master Sergeant's perspective.
Update II: ( 8:15 05/17) The online techie newspaper, the Register and techie magazine "Wired" say that it is the PowerPoint briefings that eat up the bandwidth.
Contact Lynn with tips or just to tell her your opinion at tvisgoodforyou2 AT yahoo DOT com
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Comments Policy
Bandwidth is a believable e
May 15, 2007 - 18:56 ET by sarcasmoBandwidth is a believable explanation, but the "hackers" idea doesn't hold water with me (or probably others). If your computer is secure, it's just as secure on YouTube and the various other banned sites as it is anywhere-else on the 'net, and if it's not secure, well, not-clicking on the 12 sites won't solve the issue...
JMR
The term hackers probably in
May 15, 2007 - 19:02 ET by Dan The Man 2The term hackers probably includes teh multitude of spy wares out there. Its not about will tehy get in just limiting teh exposure and possibility of getting in. One thing about hackers is taht tehy are a resourceful bunch and anything can and will happen.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
Yes and no
May 15, 2007 - 19:05 ET by Mr. BishopHackers tend to use popular mediums in order to slide in trojan horses, viruses and worms. The biggest reason that most viruses are written for Windows? It's the most popular OS. If OS X were the most popular, and had the most users -- it would be the virus magnet. Linux has the potential to be the worst one of all, since the entire source code is open source. If the world used Linux, as much as they used Windows... we'd all be severely screwed...
That leads to YouTube, etc. It's really not all that difficult to write a trojan horse, and hide it in a video file, and submit it to YouTube. When that happens... even the most secure computer system, is subject, and firewalls or no firewalls... the end user's computer will give. Now, I am not saying that is the biggest reason to stop the usage of YouTube -- but it is a very good reason. To begin with, on military computers, you are not to use them for personal use anyhow. As such -- YouTube should never be viewed on a government computer -- nor MTV or any of the others. A soldier's personal computer is another matter entirely. Now... in Iraq, the units there are severely limited in their bandwidth usage. Every month, the bandwidth meter resets. As more bandwidth is used during the month, speed is cut based upon that. As such, by the end of the month, most people in a unit are limited to mere emails, and occassional IM conversations with loved ones at home.
"Stop global warming! Asphyxiate a liberal!" - Show us how far you're willing to go to stop "global warming"
Dude... lighten up..
I've never heard of any exa
May 15, 2007 - 19:10 ET by sarcasmoI've never heard of any example of an executable embedded in a YouTube movie and actually doing anything in response to a mere movie-play command from a user, and I think I would have if one existed. And I'd hope things like Spyware would be hard to install in military computers, if not impossible -- absent administrator access. I disagree also about Linux, all the OSes have their issues, but I feel about "Vista" like you feel about Linux -- probably stems from reading El Reg.
JMR
Hello Sarc.... I can tell y
May 15, 2007 - 20:25 ET by liberal_bug_zapperHello Sarc.... I can tell you that if you run any kind of script client side (YouTube is Flash), you take the risk of getting a virus.
Flash based virus
Granted this article is in 2002, but those of us in the computer industry know very well that this can pose a great problem to the security of an intranet. It's also only a matter of time before someone figures out that they can embed some viruses specifically aimed at the military and to only open or act when a particular range of IP addresses open them.
Any system can be cracked if it isn't properly secured, but the problem isn't the systems the admins have full control over, they are the systems that they don't have full control over.
Bandwidth is also a very good reason for shutting those sites down.
____________________________________________________
"We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities." ~ Thomas Paine
When my son was deployed, we
May 16, 2007 - 08:33 ET by pbanks7When my son was deployed, we actually heard from him more than when he wasn't. He could only sleep 4-5 hours per night while in a combat zone. He continuously griped about bandwidth and slow @#$%ing computers. I can certainly see the reason to limit streaming sites.
Many soldiers, including him, kept up their myspace pages - it gave them real people to talk to and flirt with. Maybe I'm ignorant, but I don't see the problem with myspace, unless it is a security issue. Is there that much streaming content on it?
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
You misunderstand, and worse,
May 15, 2007 - 22:20 ET by Mr. BishopYou misunderstand, and worse, you think that because you have not heard of something, it can't be done?
Sarc -- it is very easy to embed a virus or trojan horse into any file. Whether you have "heard of one if it existed..." or not, it does not change the fact it is very easy to do. In addition to that, Spyware removers and blockers don't help against viruses and trojan horses -- they help against spyware only. A very small percentage of spyware have the ability to recognize a virus, and even less have the ability to remove/block. Anti-Virus, on the other hand, can usually block and remove both spyware and viruses. What does any of that have to do, whatsoever, with the problem at hand. The problem stems from trying to STOP the possibility of trojan horses/viruses -- not contain it after the fact. In addition, most of the military computers do not have user/administrator accounts set up, as most are not running XP. Most of the systems being used are running Windows 2000. While that does have the ability to block modification of system files with different levels of users, most of the military computers don't rely on that to stop a person from installing something they should not install. Most have network engineers and IT techs that watch for specific network usage throughout the day, and process firewall reports from sites visited, ports opened, rather then tediously sit around and watch everyone. Moving on from that, I will repeat -- just because you have not heard of it, does not mean it cannot be done. Most people cannot think of the CIA or FBI databases being hacked because of all the massive security precautions taken. However, it has been done, on more then one occassion. Just because you have not been told about it, or just because you have not heard of something, does not mean it is not possible.
I have had to deal with imbedded WMV and MPG files on a fairly constant basis due to stupid friends, opening files, to call me to fix their problem. What do you think that a file on YouTube is? It is merely a WMV or other video file, that is played on YouTube's web-based video player. Once a person plays this video file, it executes at the appropriate place, a command -- everything from opening a web browser to a designated website, to a full blown virus, that exploits Windows Media Player's security holes, and then the system files of Windows.
Now -- you make a serious mistake in thinking that I dislike Linux. I do not. In fact, if it weren't for the major fact that most of the programs I NEED to run, are on Windows, I'd be running Red Hat right now, this instant. However, since the programs I NEED to run, are Windows-based programs, and I have no intention of running VMWare to run a copy of Windows (that I would have to purchase anyhow in order to install). As such, I use Windows. Whether you agree or disagree about Linux, on whatever level, does not change the very indisputable fact -- that if Linux were the more popular operating system, it would be more vulnerable to virus attacks due to its open source content.
"Stop global warming! Asphyxiate a liberal!" - Show us how far you're willing to go to stop "global warming"
Dude... lighten up..
Youtube Problems
May 16, 2007 - 06:07 ET by Timothy HSorry, Sarc, but you're talking through your arse on this one.
Security companies have been warning about youtube and myspace security issues for a while now. Here is a December 2006 ZDNet article on just this topic. And here is a Computer Business Review Online article that specifically referances these sites in para 14.
Never having heard of something doesn't make it not so. Security issues exist in many forms, and sites which thrive on user posted content are a security risk.
Let me ask you a question. (Assuming you have a myspace account) How many times have you opened your mail there, and found removed messages. This is because Myspace monitors these. Unfortunately, they still arrive, but are eventually removed. If you open them prior to removal, which, much to my horror, my 13 year old son did 4 months ago, you are subject to whatever is inside, or whatever you find upon clicking whatever links are provided. In my son's case, this forced me to reinstall my operating system ( which led to me upgrading to Vista, but that's another story.)
The point is that the threats not only exist on the sites themselves, but on the links found on the sites. And while Youtube and Myspace troll for these things, they, not unlike your spyware protection, cannot catch everything, and must update constantly due to new threats. These sites DO pose a security threat, and my office has had a ban on them for a while now. I can still go to plenty of personal sites, but not to the likes of Myspace, Youtube, etc,etc,etc, nor to any chatrooms. The government is behind the curve on this.
- Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints -
Thanks for the explanation, B
May 15, 2007 - 19:23 ET by BlondeThanks for the explanation, Bishop.
In corresponding with friends deployed in Iraq, that was the impression I got....over the .mil net, no streaming videos, etc. were accessible.
What do you think on the new rules re: the milblogs? I think the commanders are worrying about the barn door after the horses have fled....all of the milblogs I read are always very sensitive about OPSEC, which seems to be the point of these new directives.
Personally, I believe the blogs and posts on sites like this from active duty personnel do far more good than any MsM report. I like to get information from the source. If I wanted information filtered, I'd wear a mask.
I'm pretty sure not many pe
May 15, 2007 - 20:22 ET by lnthompI'm pretty sure not many people using DoD-owned computers are using it to access Second Life. First, most of the DoD computers simply aren't up to the requirements of Second Life, and second, users are pretty limited as far as what software they can install.
This will definitely NOT be the end of e-mailing -- the article I saw pointed out that servicemembers will still be able to send and receive e-mails just as before.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Vancouver, Washington
The history of the race, and each individual's experience, are thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.-- Mark Twain
milblogs
May 16, 2007 - 08:40 ET by pbanks7Lee,
You nailed that one right on the head. As long as there is email, there will be milblogs. So now all they have to do is email their posts to a ringer in the states.
And thank you for serving.
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
intelligence officials in the
May 15, 2007 - 20:39 ET by ding7777intelligence officials in the U.S. and Canada have compared notes and found that they are both being spied on with huge networks of Chinese agents.
What is the plan here? One theory is that the Chinese are targeting logistics and transportation.
I think the obvious answer is
May 15, 2007 - 22:07 ET by waka wakaI think the obvious answer is the administration doesn't want troops griping about the B.S. assignments they're being sent on with no clear objective. Can't say I blame them. But we don't want to talk about that, now do we?
Oh wait. ISLAMOFASCISTS ISLAMOFASCISTS ISLAMOFASCISTS! NANCY PELOSI NANCY PELOSY NANCY PELOSY!
Reality has a well known liberal bias.
Wrong
May 15, 2007 - 22:23 ET by Mr. BishopThe people over there, my old platoon included, have had a clear objective. You don't want to agree? Fine with me -- but I notice that you are sitting behind your keyboard, instead of living it. As such, you wouldn't know what the people in Iraq know, or do not know -- now would you?
"Stop global warming! Asphyxiate a liberal!" - Show us how far you're willing to go to stop "global warming"
Dude... lighten up..
Why don't you go to the nea
May 15, 2007 - 22:26 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveWhy don't you go to the nearest military base and ask the soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen if they think they are being sent to "B.S. assignments with no clear objective." I think you'll be surprised at the answers you receive (and you'll probably be lucky if no one loses their patience and decks you).
In addition to the security and bandwidth concerns stated by the DoD it is likely also due to the fact that the DoD cannot ensure the content of videos on YouTube and the things posted MySpace pages, etc. My base has been blocking YouTube and MySpace since they both became popular. There is nothing stopping a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse from posting a pornographic video/content on YouTube or other sites. DoD regulation strictly forbids pornographic materials on government computers. Another reason is those kinds of sites are distracting and time-wasters for on-duty personnel. Taxpayers are paying us to do our jobs while on duty. Visiting those sites while on duty is essentially a waste of tax dollars.
Now, I don't think these sites should be off-limits in the base library (even the deployed locations have them) or morale tents because they have a limited number of computers, a time limit (as other people are usually waiting), the computers can be isolated from the intranet, and it is a semi-public area so viewing inappropriate material is less of a threat.
I agree with the DoD ban on computers that are part of the base intranet, but I think they should allow them in approved venues such as the libraries and moral tents so long as the computers are isolated from the NIPRNET.
During WWII they had censors slicing and dicing letters to and from home to protect the mission...to me, this ban is a very very mild version of that...it could be much worse.
"Believe what you want. You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine." --Frank Bullitt
Kindly read the post prior to
May 15, 2007 - 22:29 ET by dahliatraversKindly read the post prior to commenting. E-mail service will not be interrupted.
The waka Clown Affair
May 16, 2007 - 01:26 ET by Sua Sponte 75Actually it's obvious you have no idea what your talking about, ever. First and foremost all DoD/.mil systems are expressly for Official Business Only. This is nothing new in that U.S. Government equipment is to be used only for official business, not for personnal use. So once again you're out in Asshatland on that one. Secondly the troops, including me, are not griping about "bs assignments" as you think, we're actually griping about asshats like you who "think" they know what the hell is going on and make feeble attempts to speak on our behalf. If troops were upset about assignments then the volunteer rates for returning units and personnel wouldn't be as high as they are, so again you're wandering through the vast wasteland of Asshatland on that one also. And finally, you and your types don't need to think that you "speak" for us or anything related because it's insulting, you can barely speak for yourself, especially when you're clueless.
"Stupid Should Hurt"
sua - bear with me--
May 16, 2007 - 01:35 ET by misterbillsua - bear with me--it's well past my bedtime and I am tired and silly.
What part of the Mideast is Asshatland in???Do they have oil?? Do they have sand??? Do they ahve to come to this site and drive the rest of us crazy?? Ta!
RE: misterbill
May 16, 2007 - 01:46 ET by Sua Sponte 75It's very difficult to find on a map unless you're from that area. Most notably citizens of Asshatland which is a sattelite area of Asshatiztan are itentifiable by they're consistancy of "assantics" and undeniable ability to "speak" on items of which they have no background or understanding of. The interesting thing is that we really can't plot Asshatland on a map, mostly due to the fact that the country is the actual person and depends on where they are standing at the moment of their incurred asshattery. I hope this helps a bit, but it's a place wrapped in mystery..........and topped off with an asshat.
"You're either part of the solution or part of the problem"
sua-- you could easily write comedy--
May 16, 2007 - 01:50 ET by misterbillsua-- you could easily write comedy--your information makes me realize that I have recently met a copuple of those Asshtiztanis right here in my own backyard. We really have to tighten border security.
misterbill, I can only go wit
May 16, 2007 - 01:57 ET by Sua Sponte 75misterbill, I can only go with the materiel they give me, one plus is that there is a vast collection, and they always seem to come through. So an old tip of the asshat to our local asshatizens for their loyal and ever true asshattery.
"You're either part of the solution or part of the problem"
You know, after certain mea
May 16, 2007 - 01:56 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveYou know, after certain meals I can speak the Asshatiztan language quite adeptly and with a perfect accent. Unfortunately I have no idea what I am saying and I haven't been able to find anyone that can interpret, so for now it seems my talent will be wasted. ;-)
"Believe what you want. You work your side of the street, and I'll work mine." --Frank Bullitt
Although Gene
May 16, 2007 - 02:07 ET by Sua Sponte 75Sadly though Gene, speaking and interpretation, true interpretation requires being adept at the "claw hammer to the temple", and well, some are just not willing to take it to that level. It's best just to nod and smile when speaking with an Asshat.
"You're either part of the solution or part of the problem"
Sua Sponte 75. Funny you
May 16, 2007 - 06:05 ET by RDWSua Sponte 75.
Funny you should mention Asshatland because Assberg, Asshatland happens to be the sister city of the village where I live. Our mayor is the also the village idiot. We just had our annual Assinhand parade downtown. Bill Moyers was masters of ceremony and rode atop a John Deer tractor the whole 3 blocks of main street. He sat there like a king throwing Asshats to the small crowd like a Diva at the Mardi Gras. All was gay and merry at least in Asshatland's sister city as we were all dressed in our lederhosen and drunk on Balentine beer. Ps wish you were here.
Do they make ballantine any more/??
May 16, 2007 - 10:45 ET by misterbillThe old motto was,
"When you see the three-ring-sign, ask the man for Ballantine."
Very good.
May 16, 2007 - 07:14 ET by dahliatraversVery good.
depends on where they are sta
May 16, 2007 - 09:13 ET by pbanks7depends on where they are standing
I thought you had to be sitting on a fedora to be in Asshatiztan.
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
I'm laughing like crazy from
May 16, 2007 - 11:29 ET by bigtimerI'm laughing like crazy from Sua's first post on down!
What wit...thank you all.
Thanks for your service to....you have my gratitude.
Asshatland...is that near Eas
May 17, 2007 - 03:03 ET by Lynn DavidsonAsshatland...is that near East B.F. Egypt?
--(edit) Upon review, that comment just isn't all that amusing. It's not even entertaining.
I apologize for being the speed bump in a string of funny posts, although I guess it could be considered a lime sherbet to clense the palate before going back and reading the discussions about viruses and YouTube. My poor comedy skills aren't my fault, I learned them from George Lopez.
Your freedom to whine about h
May 16, 2007 - 05:32 ET by UnsaneYour freedom to whine about how much you hate the military is not free.
My assignment to AK had a clear objective. Ditto my assignment to Korea.
The objective? Protecting whiny ingrates just like you...
Oh, and by the way, if reality has a well-known liberal bias, explain the demise of the Second World, and the ossifying of the Nanny States of Western Europe.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
"Oh, and by the way, if
May 16, 2007 - 10:40 ET by Challenger Grim"Oh, and by the way, if reality has a well-known liberal bias, explain
the demise of the Second World, and the ossifying of the Nanny States
of Western Europe."
I've been trying to get waka to remove that STUPID tagline. Reality by it's nature is unbiased. Bias by definition is how we interpret and deal with reality. It'd be like saying "blue has a real known liberal bias". WTD???
Indeed, his tagline is quite
May 17, 2007 - 07:12 ET by UnsaneIndeed, his tagline is quite stupid. Hence whenever he does one of his drive-by posts, I ask that question of him. Your point is 100% logical, but nonetheless, I'd like to see him tell me where out-of-control liberalism, and having the State take over pretty much everything, has ever worked.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
waka waka,I think it's obviou
May 16, 2007 - 09:08 ET by pbanks7waka waka,
I think it's obvious that you do not have a loved one that has been deployed.
Many people gripe, it's in their nature. Listen to them at work sometime.
Just like the soldiers in Iraq want to come home. ALL soldiers want to come home, no matter where they are. Just like anyone else who has to work far away from home, duh.
Islamonazis are real. They use nationalism to brainwash their children into hating Israel and the US, as evidenced on this site many times. Arafat died with a net worth near a billion dollars, while his 'people' languished in poverty. If they spent as much money on infrastructure as they did on weaponry, they would have no reason to hate the US or Israel.
Nancy Pelosi is unreal, and in over her head. Liberals live in a fantasy world where all humans behave altruistically, and socialism makes all of life's problems go away.
Ignorance is bliss. It's easier to repeat a mindless slogan than to do some actual research.
I agree wholeheartedly. This
May 16, 2007 - 09:36 ET by Roger the ShrubberI agree wholeheartedly. This concept of our soldiers griping and complaining is something that never happened before 9/11. Thanks a lot, George Bush!
The lesser known "yout
May 16, 2007 - 10:13 ET by jigssawwThe lesser known "youtube wannabes" websites will grow as they are frequented by the .mil sites
"bandwith" What i
May 16, 2007 - 14:13 ET by whatajoy"bandwith" What is this? 1983?
----------------------------------------
Oh, um, it's Thursday, but Dwight thinks it's Friday. So...keep that going.
~ From "The Office"
It's even worse...
May 16, 2007 - 15:46 ET by owr084The ban apparently includes www.hotair.com and www.michellemalkin.c... , at least in the DC area.
I wonder what Michelle did to tick off the censors?