SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE SECURITY OF MILITARY OPERATIONS

In the last decade, social media and Social Network Sites have decisively changed how internal and external communication takes place in the military. One of the most important advantages of social media is the facilitation of new forms of social interaction and communication. The integration of text, images, and sounds in the same interactive communication system, accessible at any chosen moment, within a global network, fundamentally changes the character of military communication. In the context of the new types of military operations, having predominantly the characteristics of the hybrid war, the security of the operations (OPSEC) remains a critical requirement. The increasing number of military social media users from deployed areas of operations could compromise information security and missions. Building a security culture in the field of SNS use through education is an easy and almost cost-free action, for information disclosure prevention.