Army Teleworking? On One Condition

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IoT-collected data from smart devices poses security and privacy risks, says a recent US military memo. Law enforcement can access it for investigations, as can marketers for promotions. The service providers’ data can be hacked, and foreign intelligence services use connected devices to collect information for espionage, the memo says.

In an effort to “mitigate data leakage of official government information”, the US Army  announced it would require all of its military, civilian, and contractors to rid their telework environments of internet of things devices, such as smart TVs, speakers, and other networked devices with an “automated listening function.”

The May 25 memo outlines conditions so that Army personnel can “protect and safeguard DOD information” and systems.

“Effective immediately, all personnel approved to telework must conduct work in an environment free of loT devices,” the memo states. 

That includes turning off or physically removing personal smartphones or tablets, and disabling audio access for “listening.” More than 70 types of devices are listed, including Bluetooth speakers, fitness trackers, smart kitchen appliances, TVs and gaming consoles and home security systems. The memo makes particular mention of personal home assistants – like Alexa and Siri — from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple and others, according to defensesystems.com. 

A question remains as to how this policy would be enforced.