The Marines have banned personnel from using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube on its network. They argue that social networks expose them to unnecessary risk. Part of the risk is exposing sensitive information to adversaries and the other concerns revolve around network security.  While I understand the risks, I wonder if they couldn’t be mitigated with strong filters and usage codes for Marines.  Facebook and other social web technologies can be great ways for service people overseas to stay in touch. This move could have an impact on morale.  (Mashable and Wired both reported on the story.)

-Tom