Is Rally Point a security risk?

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:34:12 -0500

Just got notified by email that there was a security risk with my Google account. When i went through the procedures to check problem it came back "Rally Point has access to your Contacts". I know RP has a relationship with Facebook but not Google or Twitter so thinking notice may just be Google trying to get rid of aps that they don't have a relationship with. Anyone had a similar notification?

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Jan 30 at 2018 9:57 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:57:17 -0500

Haven't had that issue, but in general, most social media platforms are a security risk of one type of another.

Unlike the typical security issues one might find online (that expose one to data mining, malware, financial hustles, etc) with regard to RallyPoint, I have always contended that an American military focused social media platform poses a special security risk in that its a unique and desirable target for our adversaries. not that that is where I think you were going with this topic.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Jan 30 at 2018 10:28 AM

SFC Greg Bruorton — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 10:28:44 -0500

Colonel, your assessment is right; I receive those messages frequently and choose to ignore such alerts and never investigate them further.

If one chooses to reveal classified information that is available then that is certainly a security risk.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2018 11:12 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 11:12:23 -0500

Yes, because of the intrusive amount of indexing allowed to search engines as of now - names, topics, etc.. At the same time, every member should understand possibility for hacks, disgruntled users, clever internet searches, and having your actions online affect your personal and professional lives.

The issue with two-factor authentication security has been discussed here a few times before but I simply suggest asking how you want to scale security with convenience.

Please amend,
SSG Derek Scheller, SSgt Mark Lines, SN Greg Wright

Response by SGT Tony Clifford made Jan 30 at 2018 11:22 AM

SGT Tony Clifford — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 11:22:33 -0500

As a general rule all social media has the potential for being a security risk. Yes they conduct data mining, but that's not really the biggest risk unless your shopping preferences endanger the country. The biggest risk is that people are stupid and post details about everything in their life online. This provides a challenge for opsec as these same idiots post about deployments, their mission. Even if they are good about keeping that info out of social media, their families might not be as good about it.

Response by COL William Oseles made Jan 30 at 2018 11:32 AM

COL William Oseles — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 11:32:50 -0500

When you look at your 'smart' phone it seems every app wants access to your contacts, location and files to work. Funny how google does not consider those to be a security risk.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jan 30 at 2018 12:07 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 12:07:13 -0500

A reasonable question, one well-answered by Aditya Thaduri below. Always remember that keeping anything secure takes effort, and shortcuts, like using one password for everything or sharing security across multiple apps is never secure. I use a different set of identities including very long and arcane passwords for each and every website. With USAA, I use facial recognition to log in to do my banking, investing, and manage my insurance. I use a very secure credential vault to help me navigate my logins and always log out when done with an app. Yes, it takes extra effort. It can be a nuisance at times. But the penalty for taking the easy path is stiff, very stiff

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 30 at 2018 1:34 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 13:34:00 -0500

At some point, ALL social media possesses the potential for compromising OPSEC. It's why I don't do "Facebook" anymore and limit my online activity to what I "think" is reasonably public knowledge or that which I'm ok with being so.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Jan 30 at 2018 3:03 PM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:03:23 -0500

All depends on what you post on here and who's reading it.

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Jan 30 at 2018 6:56 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 18:56:08 -0500

Interesting. Can't say I've seen this yet, but thanks for pointing it out.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Jan 30 at 2018 9:13 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 21:13:02 -0500

Are they trying to get your information or your money? Is the reply address really google?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 15 at 2023 5:37 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:37:50 -0400

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen I received a similar message that I opened with my cell. I tag it Spam... Block it... & Delete it.

I have seen some of our Threads on my wife's F.B. ... I don't have a F.B. account.