Unauthorized Release of Information Through Public Web Sites

1. THIS MARADMIN PROMULGATES MARINE CORPS
POLICY FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ONLINE INFORMATION RELEASE AND WEBSITE
HOSTING REQUIREMENTS. REF (A) DISCUSSES OPSEC WEAKNESSES FOR PUBLIC
WEBSITES. REF (B) DETAILS RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SECURITY AND POLICY
REVIEW AND CLEARANCE OF OFFICIAL DOD INFORMATION PROPOSED FOR
OFFICIAL PUBLIC RELEASE. REF (C) IDENTIFIES INFORMATION THAT MUST BE
CLEARED BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE, AND PRESCRIBES PROCEDURES. REF (D)
IMPLEMENTS THE POLICIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR WEB
SITE ADMINISTRATION. REF (E) PROVIDES ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE CONTENT OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PUBLICLY
ACCESSIBLE WEBSITES.
2. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION ON THE RELEASE
PROCESS FOR MARINE CORPS INFORMATION ONLINE. THE IMPETUS FOR THE
MESSAGE STEMS FROM AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF UNAUTHORIZED AND/OR
AFFILIATED WEBSITES DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION THAT EITHER VIOLATES
OPSEC, OR HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY REVIEWED.
3. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO) AND OTHER SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED
INFORMATION (E.G., CONOPS, OPLANS, SOP) CONTINUES TO APPEAR ON
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE MARINE CORPS WEB SITES. THIS INDICATES THAT
SOME DATA IS INSUFFICIENTLY SCRUTINIZED FOR SENSITIVITY AND/OR IS
INADEQUATELY PROTECTED - CONFLICTING WITH DIRECTION SET FORTH IN REF
(A). OVER 1500 DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND DURING 2003. THIS
CONTINUING TREND MUST BE REVERSED. THE PATH TO CORRECTING THIS TREND
IS TO FOLLOW DIRECTION GIVEN IN REF (B), SPECIFICALLY - ANY OFFICIAL
DOD INFORMATION INTENDED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE SHALL BE SCREENED FOR
CLEARANCE BY AN APPROPRIATE SECURITY REVIEW AUTHORITY AND PUBLIC
AFFAIRS PRIOR TO RELEASE. THIS REVIEW INCLUDES ASSURANCE THAT THE
AUTHOR DOES NOT USE OFFICIAL DOD INFORMATION GENERALLY NOT AVAILABLE
TO THE PUBLIC AND WHICH WOULD NOT BE RELEASED UNDER DOD 5400.7-R
(DOD FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROGRAM). THIS REVIEW AND RELEASE
PROCESS IS DETAILED IN REF (C), HOWEVER, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
ASSIGNED TO THE COMMAND IS THE AGENCY USED TO CONDUCT THIS REVIEW.
REF (E) REINFORCES THIS, DIRECTING THAT UNITS/COMMANDS WITH A
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WEB SITE SHALL: (1) ENSURE ALL INFORMATION
CURRENTLY RESIDING ON THE COMMAND/ACTIVITY WEB SITE IS REVIEWED BY
THE COMMAND/ACTIVITY PUBLIC AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE AND IS
APPROPRIATE FOR VIEWING BY A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE. INFORMATION NOT
SUITABLE FOR A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WEB SITE MUST EITHER BE REMOVED
OR PLACED ON A RESTRICTED-ACCESS SITE; (2) DEVELOP LOCAL PROCEDURES
FOR THE APPROVAL OF INFORMATION POSTED ON COMMAND/ACTIVITY PUBLICLY
ACCESSIBLE WEB SITES. AT A MINIMUM, THIS PROCESS SHALL INCLUDE
REVIEW BY THE COMMAND'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IN CONJUNCTION WITH
COMMAND INFORMATION ASSURANCE PERSONNEL, OR THOSE AT THE NEXT
APPROPRIATE LEVEL IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. BOTTOM LINE - COMMANDERS
MUST CLEAR INFORMATION FOR RELEASE THROUGH THE UNIT INFORMATION
OFFICER AND/OR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE.
4. COMMAND WEBSITES NOT HOSTED WITHIN THE MCEN, FAMILY BASED
WEBSITES, AND UNAUTHORIZED OR UNOFFICIAL WEBSITES HAVE ALSO BEEN
PUBLISHED BY MARINE CORPS OR DOD PERSONNEL AND/OR THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS. THESE SITES CIRCUMVENT DOD, SECNAV AND MARINE CORPS
POLICY. IN SOME CASES, MUCH OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR THESE
SITES BY DOD PERSONNEL, OR THOSE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF INFORMATION,
VIOLATES OPSEC. REF (E) CLARIFIES THAT NON-OFFICIAL WEB SITES MUST
NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION FOR SPECIALIZED, INTERNAL AUDIENCES. FAMILY
GRAMS, INTERNAL NEWS SERVICE PRODUCTS AND OTHER INFORMATION MAY BE
POSTED IF IT IS GENERAL AND SUITABLE FOR AN EXTERNAL AUDIENCE. 
HOWEVER, ONLY INFORMATION REVIEWED THROUGH COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
CHANNELS MAY BE PROVIDED FOR RELEASE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ITS USE
IS FOR OFFICIAL MARINE CORPS WEBSITES OR OTHERWISE. ANY COMMAND
SITES THAT ARE NOT HOSTED ON THE MARINE CORPS ENTERPRISE NETWORK OR
DOT MIL DOMAIN ALSO VIOLATE MCNOSC POLICY THAT DIRECTED ALL USMC
WEBSITES TO MOVE ONTO THE MCEN OR DOT MIL DOMAIN BY 10 OCT 2001.
OFFICIAL SITES, WHICH ARE ACCESSIBLE BY THE PUBLIC, CANNOT RELEASE
ANY FOUO INFORMATION. GUIDELINES FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED FOUO
INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN REF (D).
5. OFFICIAL MARINE CORPS WEBSITES MUST BE HOSTED ON DOT MIL/DOD
CONTRACTED EQUIPMENT. COMMAND OR UNIT WEBSITES CANNOT BE PRODUCED
OR PUBLISHED IN A PUBLIC VENUE THAT CONTAIN ANY FOUO INFORMATION,
INFORMATION PROHIBITED BY THE REFERENCES OR INFORMATION THAT
VIOLATES OPSEC. PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR AUTHORIZED UNIT INFORMATION
PERSONNEL MUST REVIEW ALL INFORMATION THAT IS RELEASED FOR
PUBLICATION ON WEBSITES OR OTHER PUBLISHED MEDIA (BROADCAST, PRINT).
ANY INFORMATION, WHICH IS IN VIOLATION OF THE REFERENCES ON
ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED MARINE CORPS WEBSITES, MUST BE REMOVED
IMMEDIATELY. THE LATTER INCLUDES ANY KEY VOLUNTEER NETWORK (KVN),
FAMILY OR PERSONAL WEBSITES.
6. POC AT HQMC (PA): MR. GREG REEDER, DSN 224-2495, POC AT MCNOSC:
MSGT JEFF COMBS, DSN 278-3290.