computers arent secure in Iraq??

Question

my boyfriend said he had to go away for a month from his base in iraq.. he couldnt tell me where in iraq he was going because the computers arent secure.. what does this mean??? he couldnt tell me exactly what he was he going to do either

Answer 1

It's called OPSEC or operational security. Divulging any troop movement or location information can get people killed. Be glad he is taking it seriously.

Answer 2

Currently, I am deployed to the Iraq AOR.

Yes, it is true the computers are not secure. While all possible steps have been taking to make them as secure a form of communication as possible, there is still the chance that someone can hack in a read our emails, IM's or watch our live cam feeds to our families.

Also, with this said, when you send or receive information over the web it always leaves an electronic footprint, that a hacker can use to, again, crack the code and read what we send.

Being that the computers are not secure, if he were to reveal the logistics behind the mission, it would be possible, for the enemy to find out the detals of the mission, is essence giving away all operational security, or OPSEC.

When talking OPSEC, it is a huh no/no and is very much discussed, both once we land in kuwait and again here in country.

While certain things can always be discussed, many things cannot. Specific location of events, or mission details are highly guarded items.

When his mission is over, he will find a way to contact you. This is the nature of the beast we face everyday. How to communicate with our loved ones at home, without getting our Brother's and Sister's in Arms killed.

Answer 3

It can, but it will take time. America more then likely doesn't have the patience for it. It took 10 years in Bosnia, and that was fairly peaceful. The surge is working, now the Iraqi Government needs to step up and maintain it. If they don't, then it may have to start over again with another surge in the future, if America allows it. Things could be done to do it faster, but those type of ideas would not be popular in modern society, just look at GITMO for example. Even with the known terrorists there, people argue about the rights and want trials of people who would kill them in a heartbeat if they had the chance. So that is obviouly out of the question and long slow road is the only option left. This pilgrimage you are talking about happens every year in Iraq. It is nothing new. It is part of Ramadan. Its happened every year we have been there. Yes there have been attacks during it, but it is generally peaceful since the sunni have their own pilgrimages also. NOTE TO A BELOW POSTER: I never said all of them were known terrorists. I never used the word that any were proven or charged either. However, you demonstrate the point I was trying to make. Illegal combantans now have rights. I was meerly explaing how things that could be done to speed up securing Iraq are not allowed in the current mode of thinking. I am not supporting those ideas either. Also, the surge is working, but it will not succeed if the Iraqi Government does not step up. I never said it was a success yet. All I said is that its working... as in making progress. It opened a door. Now what gets done with that door is up for grabs.

Answer 4

My husband never tells me exactly were hes going because the phones, and internet arn't secure, if you know what his job is, then thats what he will be doing over there, besides patroling, or maybe handeling prisoners, some guys just don't want to talk about there experience over there, uit might do them some good, but it may be too dramatic to talk about it. I know computers are not secure because a kid from my son's school was just fooling around and went to some site that shows you how to build a bomb and the FBI showed up at his house the next day, asking him what he was doing on th esite.

Answer 5

He means he cannot tell you what he is going to do because the internet he talks to you on isnt secure. So he cannot give details.

Back in previous wars, it was the same thing. When writing letters, soldiers were not allowed to talk about locations and movements. I saw a letter from an old friend from WWII that had a center protion cut out by censors because it talked about a location.

In war, there will be things he cannot talk about due to security reasons. The terrorist moniotor the internet, so somet things about his job he cannot talk about on the phone or interent.

Answer 6

It is sort of like your cell phone...

When you make a call on your cell phone the signal goes out over the air to the nearest tower. If I had the right equipment to pick up your signal, I could listen to what you were saying simply by turning it on. (By the way, this is possible so you should never assume your conversations on a cell phone aren't being heard by someone else.)

Same thing on the Internet... When you send out an email, it can be read by people who know how to intercept messages. So if you BF were to send you an email saying , "Hey we are going to go to this city for three days." guess what? They probably would have insurgents waiting on them by reading his computer message to you. So since the computers aren't secure and could be intercepted, he can't tell you any details.

(By the way, the same thing is true for your email... never assume someone somewhere ISN'T reading your email... they could be.)



g-day!

Answer 7

Iraq is not the only place. Measures are being put in place here at home to sure information and sites such as nuclear power plants, and military and intelligence agencies.

Answer 8

He means that the internet is not a secure information source. Like telephone calls, e-mail can be intercepted and "bugged". The truth is that his e-mail to you may or may not be read by others, but mission security demands not sending sensitive information out.

Answer 9

The military told him he can't tell and military computers are monitored.

Answer 10

We most support our soldiers in IRAQ,