The new kinder and cooler IDF

Soldiers on patrol in Hebron show a new technique to reduce tensions. They got in trouble for this when the video went viral. Militaries in democratic countries are struggling with the impact of the new generation and social media. This includes blogs and videos.

One of the issues concerning militaries and social media is “Opsec” short for “Operational Security” Many of the military forums self police in this manner, but once posted it is difficult to erase from the internet. Another issue is “Persec” short for “Personal security” which for the military means protecting serving members and their families from terrorist attacks, intimidation or from attempts to turn holders of sensitive posts into spies. In the Cold war “Persec” was used by both sides to prevent the other from knowing which units were where. Your average teenager and many adults could use a few lessons in “Persec” when it comes to posting stuff online.