ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 091820Z MAR 01 ZYB MIN PSN 033937J25
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N6//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N02000//
NAVADMIN 060/01
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO N6//
 
SUBJ/E-MAIL DISCIPLINE//
 
REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/082310ZJAN1999//
 
REF/B/GENADMIN/CHINFO WASHINGTON DC/301956ZOCT2000/NOTAL//
 
NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 009/99 ALERTING NAVY PERSONNEL TO THE
POTENTIAL PITFALLS AND VULNERABILITIES OF INDISCRIMINATE E-MAIL
USAGE. REF A IS AVAILABLE AT HTTP: (DOUBLE SLASH)CNO-N6.HQ.NAVY.
MIL/N6K/EMAIL.HTM. REF B DISCUSSED MAINTAINING THE PROPER LEVEL OF
SECURITY AND CLASSIFICATION DURING THE USS COLE INVESTIGATION.//
 
RMKS/1.  THIS MESSAGE REITERATES THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED REF A AND
INCLUDES AMPLIFICATION FOR ALL UNCLASSIFIED E-MAIL, MOST OF WHICH IS
TRANSMITTED BY NONSECURE INTERNET PROTOCOL ROUTER NETWORK (NIPRNET).
 
2. E-MAIL IS A VITAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR TODAY'S NAVY BUT THE
CONVENIENCE OF E-MAIL IS SOMETIMES OFFSET BY ITS ABILITY TO RAPIDLY
AND WIDELY DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO UNINTENDED AUDIENCES. THE
AVAILABILITY AND EASE OF USE OF E-MAIL MAKES IT AS CONVENIENT AS
A CONVERSATION BUT IN REALITY, E-MAIL IS A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF
DIALOGUE:
  E-MAIL IS NOT TRANSITORY AND DOES NOT DISAPPEAR LIKE A VERBAL
EXCHANGE
  E-MAIL IS NOT PRIVATE AND CAN EASILY BE FORWARDED AND MODIFIED
BEYOND THE CONTROL OF ANY INDIVIDUAL. REF B CONTAINS USEFUL
GUIDANCE/CAUTIONS ON INCLUDING PERSONAL INFO IN E-MAIL AND THE
DAMAGE OF IT BEING PASSED ON TO UNINTENDED RECIPIENTS.
  E-MAIL LACKS THE FULL CONTEXT OF HUMAN INTERACTION AND CAN EASILY
BE MISINTERPRETED
  NIPRNET E-MAIL IS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION AND SUBJECT TO
MONITORING, LONG TERM STORAGE, AND POTENTIAL RELEASE UNDER THE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, AND
  MOST IMPORTANTLY, NIPRNET E-MAIL IS BY DEFINITION UNCLASSIFIED.
 
3.  EVERY NIPRNET E-MAIL USER MUST UNDERSTAND AND ASCERTAIN THE
FOLLOWING BEFORE SENDING NIPRNET E-MAIL:
    IT MUST BE UNCLASSIFIED
    E-MAIL SHOULD NOT CONTAIN INFORMATION COVERED UNDER THE PRIVACY
ACT REGARDING ANYONE IN THE NAVY
    CONFORM TO NAVY POLICY.  NAVY POLICY PROHIBITS RACIST, SEXIST,
THREATENING, PORNOGRAPHIC, PERSONAL BUSINESS, SUBVERSIVE OR
POLITICALLY PARTISAN COMMUNICATIONS, AND ALSO PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON A
WIDE RANGE OF INFORMATION RELATING TO NAVY OPERATIONS THAT ARE
INTENDED TO REMAIN NON-PUBLIC FOR OPERATIONS SECURITY (OPSEC)
REASONS.
4.OPSEC IS CLEARLY A STANDARD AGAINST WHICH E-MAIL MUST BE MEASURED.
NAVY TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL
POLICY ARE WEAKENED TO THE EXTENT A POTENTIAL ADVERSARY GAINS
KNOWLEDGE OF THEM. INFORMATION REGARDING NAVY OPERATIONS SHOULD
ALWAYS BE VIEWED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OPERATIONAL SECURITY. THERE
IS A CLEAR CONNECTION BETWEEN NIPRNET E-MAIL AND FORCE PROTECTION.
DESCRIPTIONS OF EVENTS THAT OCCUR MAY IN THEMSELVES, OR IN
CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER INFORMATION, COMPROMISE OPERATIONAL
MISSIONS, CAPABILITY DATA, OR DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS.  IN ADDITION,
INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM AN OPEN SOURCE MAY IN FACT BE CLASSIFIED
AND CITING OR COMMENTING ON IT MAY BE VIEWED AS CONFIRMATION OF THE
VALIDITY OF THE OPEN SOURCE DATA. IF IN DOUBT, CONSULT THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND AND ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
5. E-MAIL COMMUNICATION WHICH EMANATES FROM GOVERNMENT SPACES AND ON
GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS, WHETHER ORGANIZATIONAL OR INDIVIDUAL IN
NATURE, REFLECTS DIRECTLY ON THE COMMAND. IN SHORT: E-MAIL, LIKE ANY
OTHER FORM OF COMMUNICATIONS REFLECTS UPON THE PROFESSIONALISM OF
THE COMMAND AND THE NAVY.  ALL HANDS ARE ACCOUNTABLE AND MUST ACT
ACCORDINGLY.
6. COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE ARE
REQUESTED TO DISSEMINATE THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE TO ALL HANDS.
7.  RELEASED BY VADM R.W. MAYO, USN.//
 
BT