Social media smart cards to 'wise up' Airmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Armando A. Schwier-Morales
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Social media allows Airmen to network more easily than before, however, a new set of responsibilities and safety procedures come with it.

The Air Force has allowed Airmen access social media for several years in order to tell the Air Force story.

"When Public Affairs writes in a newspaper, people can write it off as a command message," said Krystal Tomlin, Air Force Public Affairs Agency social media specialist. "With social media, however, Airmen chime in and say they have experienced this or that, and it becomes more than a command message; it becomes the Air Force's story."

Even though Airmen are now able reach new heights in communications, the security of not only official and private information has become a concern.

The 22nd Air Refueling Wing Information Protection Office recently released sets of smart cards, provided by the government, to give Team McConnell. The cards are a quick reference for actions that can help protect families and the Air Force protect their information.

"Everything that is placed in the cyber world never disappears," said Steven Eftink, 22nd Air Refueling Wing information protection chief. "It is extremely important for both operational security and personal information security that individuals understand how to protect their privacy and data. These cards help do that because a lot of people are confused as to how to establish and monitor their security settings."

Included in the cards are how to adjust profile settings, account settings, do's and don'ts and more information on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The security of the mission is part of an Airmen's daily life and these cards are another way to maintain security at home and at their work centers, said Eftink.

Team McConnell members contact the information protection office at 759-2500 and can view the smart cards at:

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