Message from the 7th Bomb Wing Commander Published March 27, 2015 By Col. Michael Bob Starr 7th Bomb Wing DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Wherever I go on Dyess Air Force Base, I am always impressed by our Airmen's commitment, professionalism, and dedication to protecting the American people. It's worth reminding ourselves that it's important to show the same level of resolve when it comes to protecting ourselves and our family members online. There is inherent risk in what we do, which is why we must carefully consider the implications of what we communicate online, and to whom. The unfortunate reality is, information available via social media forums like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can be exploited by individuals who want to harm our families and disrupt Air Force operations. Many of you are aware of ISIL's recent actions to exploit social media to identify and threaten service members and their loved ones. I encourage you to scrutinize your digital footprint to ensure you and your family members are taking prudent measures when it comes to social media. The steps below will help you get started: - Change your name. Remove your last name from accounts; use a middle or family name instead to reduce your visibility to people you don't know. - Take a close look at your privacy settings. Typically, the safest setting for all sites is "only friends" or "only me." Choosing the most restrictive setting and changing passwords often will help protect your personal data. - Beware of stranger danger. Keep this in mind and don't hesitate to say "no" to friend requests from people you don't know, as interacting online with strangers often creates a vulnerability. - Don't "check-in." Don't post yours or others' exact whereabouts and activities, and be especially cautious when enabling geotagging features that could reveal addresses of your home or friends' houses. - Use applications sparingly. Many applications gather your personal information to pass on to outside servers, so delete those you don't use regularly. - If in doubt, throw it out. Assume that anyone can see the information you share, and consider your posts in that light. Material published on the internet lives forever, even if you delete it; it's easier to think twice before posting the information than to try to get it back once it's been released. - Sound the alarm. If you ever feel you are being threatened or notice sensitive information online, do not respond to or delete the message; contact your supervisor or information assurance monitor immediately. In addition to keeping operational and personal security paramount when engaging online, I also want to remind you to practice vigilance at all times. Be aware of your surroundings, report any suspicious activity to security forces or local law enforcement, and ask your family members to take similar precautions. For my part, I promise you I'll ensure appropriate force protection procedures are in place to address potential threats against our most valuable treasure, our people. I have no higher obligation than to ensure the safety of our families; please know I will act swiftly and decisively to provide for the security of Team Dyess. Thanks for everything you do for our Air Force and our Nation. MICHAEL BOB STARR, Colonel, USAF Commander, 7th Bomb Wing