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Guarddog
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« on: March 25, 2010, 04:10:03 PM » |
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Not sure if this belongs here or not, but thought it worthy of a discussion. This is likley a result of logger "dozer' who is well known for the following he had to bloggers and the info that was provided across the web. Thoughts?
The Air Force is tightening restrictions on which blogs its troops can read, cutting off access to just about any independent site with the word "blog" in its web address. It’s the latest move in a larger struggle within the military over the value — and hazards — of the sites. At least one senior Air Force official calls the squeeze so "utterly stupid, it makes me want to scream."
Until recently, each major command of the Air Force had some control over what sites their troops could visit, the Air Force Times reports. Then the Air Force Network Operations Center, under the service’s new "Cyber Command," took over.
AFNOC has imposed bans on all sites with "blog" in their URLs, thus cutting off any sites hosted by
Blogspot. Other blogs, and sites in general, are blocked based on content reviews performed at the base, command and AFNOC level …
The idea isn’t to keep airmen in the dark — they can still access news sources that are "primary, official-use sources," said Maj. Henry
Schott, A5 for Air Force Network Operations. "Basically … if it’s a place like The New York Times, an established, reputable media outlet, then it’s fairly cut and dry that that’s a good source, an authorized source," he said …
AFNOC blocks sites by using Blue Coat software, which categorizes sites based on their content and allows users to block sub-categories as they choose.
"Often, we block first and then review exceptions," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher
DeWitt, a Cyber Command spokesman.
As a result, airmen posting online have cited instances of seemingly innocuous sites — such as educational databases and some work-related sites — getting wrapped up in broad proxy filters.
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