For the armed forces, security is paramount. When security is breached it can be life threatening.
I have been aware for some time that the Ministry of Defence has taken a very considered approach to the use of social media by personnel. They seem to have accepted that people are using social media, will continue using it regardless, and that their duty of care means they have to accommodate social media, not rule it out.
This doesn’t mean security breaches can be ignored, so with that in mind they created these compelling, sometimes sinister, and occasionally amusing films. Their aim is to raise awareness of the security issues for serving personnel using social media.
I like the fact they don’t focus on any one channel. In fact they manage to highlight a number of social media functions that people may not have even considered as posing a threat.
If the armed forces can tackle use of social media in such a proactive and enlightened way, then surely there is hope for addressing similar issues in other large workforces, such as the NHS perhaps?
Watch the video below and tell me what you think.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXzN3uJTGbI&w=560&h=315]
Great post Tim and thanks for keeping us in the loop with what the MoD are doing with social media.
It sounds like they have their collective head srewed on.
I’m looking for the DH to set the standard here as the NHS will naturally commission or create sporadic videos/policies/guidance on the subject which won’t get centralised and shared across the system. The Royal College of Nursing and Nursing and Midwifery Council have both just released social media guidance, it’d be great if the DH could build on that for a pan-NHS piece.
Sorry for putting the ball back in your park!
Thanks Alex. The difference here is that the MoD has much more of a command and control relationship with it’s workforce. I’m not sure disparate health and social care workers want to receive this kind of communication from any authority, least of all a central Government department.
But I can see an opportunity for something to be created like this within a community of interest, and supported by the NHS at an official level. A project for #nhssm perhaps?
A nice modern take on the ‘loose lips sink ships’ line.
I agree with Tim – if professional bodies are already providing guidance on social media in a work context then some examples of what is/isn’t acceptable could help with promoting it. It could also be coupled with interesting and effective uses of SM rather than what shouldn’t be done.
interesting stuff Tim, a modern day equivalent of ‘careless talk costs lives’ and ‘loose lips sink ships’!