Why It’s Important to Protect Your Data in the Military

The military deals with sensitive data regarding their operations, missions, and intelligence. This data plays an important role in our foreign affairs and helps our troops effectively serve and protect the nation. As a result, it’s critical to protect this data so it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Below, we’ll teach you more about the importance of securing your data in the military and the steps you can take to keep your military and personal data safe.

The Importance of Securing Data in the Military

Unfortunately, cyber threats are prominent in the military as foreign adversaries aim to get an unfair advantage against our troops during their operations. That’s why it’s critical to keep military data safe and secure, ensuring only those who are authorized to access specific information can do so. There are several other reasons why keeping military data secure is important, including:

●Complex threats: As technology advances, hackers are also becoming more advanced and are using complex methods to access information and networks. The military generates a massive amount of information, and as the use of digital systems increases, the harder it becomes to secure critical data.

●Safety: One of the most important reasons for securing data in the military is for the sake of our troops’ safety. Personnel records, classified intelligence, and strategic plans must remain secure and confidential to keep our troops safe during their operations, especially those overseas.

●Operational effectiveness: Making quick decisions is critical to succeeding during military operations, and leaders rely on reliable and accurate information when making important choices. When data is stored securely, military leaders can easily trust that the information they get is correct rather than wasting time fact-checking details.

●Information sharing: The military must be able to communicate to execute operations effectively. Different departments and units will need access to real-time, accurate information, and making sure your data is secure makes this process easier and more efficient.

●Identity protection: Protecting data in the military helps protect the personal identities and information of our troops. The right protection methods help prevent theft of things like social security numbers and medical histories, which can be used for identity fraud or other crimes.

Methods for Protecting Your Critical Data

The military implements plenty of data storage and protection solutions to keep their troops safe, but there are steps you can take to ensure your data is even better protected and not at risk for leaks. Use some of the following tips to keep your data safe:

1. Follow Key Practices

When it comes to protecting your data, there are a few key practices you should follow:

●Password creation: When you’re creating passwords, don’t use something too simple or easy to guess. You also don’t want to use the same password for multiple things because one compromised account could lead to multiple compromised accounts and even more data lost or stolen. Try to create passwords that use a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols, and avoid storing these passwords in vulnerable locations. Also, aim for at least 12 characters.

●Data encryption: You will want to encrypt your data in case it falls into the wrong hands, ensuring it's still secure even if you lose it. At the very least, you’ll want to encrypt your most sensitive data.

●Security audits: If you have control over security audits in your workplace, you should consider doing these periodically to identify possible threats or vulnerabilities in your system.

●Cybersecurity training: The military provides cybersecurity training, which can teach you the best practices for protecting your data and keep you up to date on new and evolving threats. You should consider attending this training on a regular basis to stay updated on the latest practices and threats.

●Data access: If you have control over data access in the workplace, you should put controls in place to restrict access to certain data based on an individual’s security clearance. This is especially important when dealing with sensitive information that’s critical to the safety of other troops.

2. Be Cautious on Social Media

Your personal details are sensitive, especially as a member of the United States military. In order to protect your data, you’ll want to take some precautions when using social media. While it might not seem like a big deal to share personal details on these platforms, it can leave you more vulnerable than you realize.

When you’re using social media, limit the information you’re sharing and try to avoid posting details about your unit, location, or contact information. You’ll also want to adjust your privacy settings so strangers can’t see valuable information, such as where you live, your occupation, photos of loved ones, and more. Try not to accept friend requests or follow requests from people you don’t know, and be careful when messaging others online to avoid phishing attempts.

3. Maintain Network Security

Hackers may attempt to infiltrate your network to access data on your devices, so it’s important to take the proper precautions to maintain your network security. For example, anytime you’re accessing military networks on one of your devices, make sure you’re using designated secure networks. You also want to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks that likely don’t have the proper encryption to keep your data safe.

You will also want to keep up with all updates for your devices as many of these updates patch security holes that could leave your data vulnerable.

4. Protect Your Physical Devices

The way you store your devices is important since you don’t want damage to cause data loss and you don’t want to leave your devices unsecured and vulnerable to theft. When you’re storing or carrying your devices, make sure your handling method is secure and avoid leaving your devices in a public location where they can be easily accessed by others. You will also want to do regular data backups since security breaches and hardware failures can be unpredictable.

You may want to consider using RFID storage solutions to protect your portable devices from wireless signals that could leave your data vulnerable to theft. You can find RFID products that protect your phone, tablet, laptop, and even your bank cards.

5. Pay Attention to Your OPSEC Training

All service members receive Operational Security (OPSEC) training, which is used to prevent sensitive information or data from being accessed inappropriately. The goal of this training is to help service members be proactive about threat identification so any potential threats can be addressed before data is lost or stolen. By applying your OPSEC training to your data protection strategies, you can fine-tune your security processes to keep critical information safe and out of the wrong hands. Make sure you pay attention to your training and implement it in your protection strategies.

Important Considerations to Keep Your Data Secure

As you take steps to protect your data and devices, there are some important things to consider, such as:

●Military regulations: When you’re protecting your data, you want to make sure that you’re following the protection policies and regulations created by the military. If you’re unclear about any of these regulations, you can speak with your commander for clarification.

●Remain vigilant: It’s important to stay up to date about any new or emerging cyber threats that could leave your data vulnerable. As you learn about these potential threats, you can adapt your security practices to stay as adequately protected as possible.

●Suspicious activity: Since you have access to sensitive data, you will need to keep an eye out for suspicious activity on a regular basis. If you notice any suspicious activity, make sure you report it immediately to the correct authorities.

Choose MLC for Your Protective Gear

Military Luggage Company has the gear needed to protect your devices, including computer and tablet cases and RFID cases. On top of the protections we offer for your devices, we also offer resilient bags and packs to protect the rest of your gear and equipment for your military operations. We personally vet the gear we stock to ensure it meets the strict requirements and needs of service members. Gets started by checking our entire selection or contact us with your questions.