Military Bans Disks, Threatens Courts-Martial to Stop New Leaks

[cory777]

Source: Wired

It’s too late to stop WikiLeaks from publishing thousands more classified documents, nabbed from the Pentagon’s secret network. But the U.S. military is telling its troops to stop using CDs, DVDs, thumb drives and every other form of removable media — or risk a court martial.

Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, commander of Air Force Network Operations, issued the Dec. 3 “Cyber Control Order” — obtained by Danger Room — which directs airmen to “immediately cease use of removable media on all systems, servers, and stand alone machines residing on SIPRNET,” the Defense Department’s secret network. Similar directives have gone out to the military’s other branches.

“Unauthorized data transfers routinely occur on classified networks using removable media and are a method the insider threat uses to exploit classified information. To mitigate the activity, all Air Force organizations must immediately suspend all SIPRNET data transfer activities on removable media,” the order adds.

It’s one of a number of moves the Defense Department is making to prevent further disclosures of secret information in the wake of the WikiLeaks document dumps. Pfc. Bradley Manning says he downloaded hundreds of thousands of files from SIPRNET to a CD marked “Lady Gaga” before giving the files to WikiLeaks.

Read more: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/military-bans-disks-threatens-courts-martials-to-stop-new-leaks/

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[petronius]

1. Probably the biggest surprise to me in the whole WL story was that

removable media wasn't already banned in sensitive environments. It seems like such a no-brainer - they're basically begging people to copy things...

[Abq_Sarah]

2. Correct

It should have never been allowed inside sensitive spaces to begin with.

[MgtPA]

3. Exactly. I worked in a TS facility in the 1990's, and removable media was banned, although that was

just floppies then. No cameras either.

[Downwinder]

6. If removable storage was allowed on SIPRNET, probable the

only thing "secure" are the worms and Trojans picked up along the way.

[Lasher]

4. Slam that barn door now!

Well this will help prevent any more cows from getting out.

[drm604]

5. Unless they remove or somehow block all USB ports

or resort to TSA style body searches, this will be hard to enforce.

The court martial threat won't stop anyone who's planning to leak. They're already willing to risk criminal charges.

[CRK7376]

10. They already

shut down all NIPR USB ports. Cant plug in thumb drives or cameras etc...as for DVD/CD that's a different thing. But then the real issue is on the SIPR side which should have very restrictive controls. Tough to do/enforce when many offices, mine included, have stand alone plug and play NIPR/SIPR connections. Interesting to see how this will play out. Fortunately for me I seldom need access to SIPR anymore.

[drm604]

11. Are they going to replace all of the USB mice, keyboards, etc.

or do they already not use them?

Why are there writable drives in those machines?

[Pavulon]

15. PS2 is still around AND so are dumb terminals

running sessions on a farm of servers.

[stevekatz]

16. you can

restrict usage of removeable usb media via software without having to get rid of usb mice/keyboard

[lib2DaBone]

7. ...Can't have the truth about torture get out.. might be bad for diplomacy...

[SkyDaddy7]

8. I think Cheney covered his tracks on torture...Seriously...

We can't even get the full transcripts of his secret meetings with energy executives.

[saigon68]

9. ESPECIALLY WITH HILLARY LEADING THE CHARGE AT GITMO

[Pavulon]

12. Hey maybe we should all know stockpile locations for VX, how to arm fuse and fire

a w88 warhead. We should all have telemetry control for GPS satellites. Real time location of Submarines, design information for the F-22 and guidance information for the Trident D-5's reentry vehicles.

I mean all information should be free...

[TheMadMonk]

13. Want a new crop? That one's looking a bit tattered. But so's the dead horse. /nt

[Pavulon]

14. Name one country conducting all business in the clear. Codes have been in use

since the dawn of time and diplomacy. history is your friend.