1.Social Media RoundupDangers of location-based socialnetworking and geotagging

2. Social Media Roundup AgendaIn November 2010, the Online and Social Media Division produced aSocial Media Roundup highlighting the risks of geotagging(http://tinyurl.com/346rvw4). As the popularity of location-based socialnetworking continues to grow, it became clear that it was time to revisitthe risks associated with revealing too much location information onsocial media platforms. Introduction Location-based social networking Do people need to know where you are? Tagging locations on Facebook Geotagging Ways to avoid the risks of geotagging Resources 3. Social Media RoundupIntroduction According to a study released by the NationalCyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and McAfee in2012, one in five (19%) Americans have come incontact with someone online who made them feeluncomfortable through stalking, persistent emails,and other aggressive outreach attempts. The statistic is startling, but not all that surprisingwhen one takes into consideration the amount ofdata and personal information people post aboutthemselves online. In the 2012 article referencing the study(http://tinyurl.com/83cuwep) McAfee advises thatlocation-based social networking sites often revealtoo much, Checking-in to restaurants and otherlocations can be fun, but it can also be dangerousif someone is stalking you. 4. Social Media RoundupLocation-based social networking Location-social based social networking consists of social media services likeFoursquare, Loopt and Gowalla that use GPS features to locate you and thenbroadcast your location and other information from your mobile device. These services allow users to earn badges, discounts or points to reward usersfor checking in frequently. Users can also leave comments and tips at placesthey check in to. On the surface, use of these services may seem innocuous, but if used too oftenor too publically, these sites can reveal vital information about a usersgeographical location. If used often enough, these services can also assistadversaries in mapping out patterns of behavior. 5. Social Media RoundupDo people need to know where you are? Is a badge on Foursquare worth your life? It seems like an extreme question to ask, but if youre checking in on location-based social networking sites or tagging photos with locations during troops movements, or while in a combat zone, you could potentially be targeted. If youre using location-based social networking services, do not use them while on mission, do not use them when traveling to and from deployments or while participating in training exercises. Make sure you are extremely careful about who you authorize to follow your location-based social networking profiles. Before you check in, also consider the question, do people really need to know exactly where Im at? and How could this information be used against me, or my unit if it fell into enemy hands? This also applies to family members. 6. Social Media RoundupTagging locations on Facebook Indicating location is not limited to location-based social media services likeFoursquare. Facebook also allows users to tag photos and posts with a specificgeographical location. In Facebooks new Timeline feature, once a photo or a post is tagged with ageographical location, people can click on that location and pull up a map. In the example below, anyone interested in this user can find out the placeshe/she checks into most often and when they check in to those places. Combinethis with the users photo and its not particularly difficult to track this persondown or find out their habits/routines. 7. Social Media RoundupTagging locations on Facebook Given the implications of the last slide, what happens when organizational Pages tag locations in their photos and posts? Organizations should NOT, under any circumstances, tag photos and posts with specific geographical locations. It is however acceptable to include public releasable information about location in photo cutlines. 8. Social Media RoundupGeotaggingGeotagging is the process ofadding geographicalidentification to photographs,video, websites and SMSmessages. It is theequivalent of adding a 10-digit grid coordinate toeverything you post on theinternet.Geotags are automaticallyembedded in pictures takenwith smartphones. Manypeople are unaware of thefact that the photos they takewith their smartphones andload to the Internet havebeen geotagged. 9. Social Media RoundupWays to avoid the risks of geotagging Be aware of the fact that your images can be geotagged Many people areunaware of geotagging possibilities in the devices they own, while for others, theyknow about the capabilities but forget to disable them. Understand the risks Geotagging information can potentially give someoneintent on causing you harm the opportunity to know your exact whereabouts. Ifyou dont want the enemy to know where you are or where you have been, donttag your photos with locations. Know when not to use geotagging features If youre deployed, if youre intransit to support a military mission, if youre on a secret military installation, dontuse geotagging features. OPSEC should be your primary concern. 10. Social Media RoundupWays to avoid the risks of geotagging Know how to disable your cell phones geotagging features Everysmartphone has the geotagging feature automatically set to operate, so if you wantto avoid keep your images from being geotagged, disable the feature. Be cognizant of where you post your pictures and what geotagged informationyou leave behind Dont just tag photos and move on. Think before you tag a photowith a location. If you havent disabled the geotagging feature and youve alreadyposted images with tagged locations, go back through them and determine whetheror not the information you have shared places you or anyone else in harms way. Check permissions Make sure you check the geotagging permissions for all theapplications you use on your phone. 11. Social Media RoundupResources External online resources Please Rob Me: http://pleaserobme.com/ OPSEC resources Interagency OPSEC Support Staff: www.ioss.gov Anti-Phishing Phil: http://goo.gl/ZFkY3 OnGuard Online: www.onguardonline.gov Social media training: http://goo.gl/AqmE1 Social Media Roundups 9 Critical Steps to Protecting Yourself on Facebook: http://goo.gl/igGzN Geotags and Location-based Social Networking: http://goo.gl/wqKwZ Army Slideshare site: http://goo.gl/cJM9T 12. Social Media Roundup Contact informationHave questions? Please feel free toreach out to us at the Online andSocial Media DivisionEmail:Ocpa.osmd@us.army.milTo review and download past editions of theSocial Media Roundup, visit our Slideshare siteat: http://www.slideshare.net/usarmysocialmedia.All Social Media Roundups are authorized to bedistributed to a broader audience.2/22/2012OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSPENTAGON