I have just read an interesting article on A-Space which is another new social networking site, which all sounds pretty normal. However, this social networking phenomenon has been created specifically for US secret agents.
The site was launched in December by the US assistant deputy director of national intelligence Mike Wertheimer.
“It has the capacity to allow 10,000 American spies to exchange tips, recommend useful reading material, plead for help or swap gossip. ‘It’s a way to build the social network for all analysts,’ said Wertheimer. ‘We put more eyes on more problems.’
One reader who didn’t quite agree with Mr Wertheimer’s view commented on InformationWeek’s website, by warning: ‘Unless this is going to run on an isolated network with communication lines completely separated from the internet, it is just a matter of time before the top secret becomes public domain – and our field agents start turning up dead.’
This site clearly isn’t a joke it seems to be deadly serious but for me it raises more questions than answers. OK I acknowledge that a social network is supposed to be an area where people can share information and tips. However, this has to be a security nightmare for the US.
Hackers everywhere will be rubbing their hands together with glee at the thought of being able to break into the most secret of internet sites and being able to access all this secret information.
However, the biggest question for me is why announce it? What possible purpose can there be for announcing this to the wider public?
I think this idea sounds bonkers on paper and I really can’t believe they have actuallly gone and done it and then even worse let us all know about it. I am all for transparency in social media but this is ridiculous.
Chris Norton is the founder of Prohibition and an award winning communications consultant with more than twenty years’ experience. He was a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and has had a varied PR career having worked both in-house and in a number of large consultancies. He is an Integrated PR and social media blogger and writes on a wide variety of blogs across a huge amount of topics from digital marketing, social media marketing right through to technology and crisis management.
