DOD reassures users about privacy

The Defense Department revises the language of its login banner to reassure users their communications are private.

Defense Department officials are informing their network users that their privacy is protected.Whenever users log into DOD accounts, a notice and consent banner pops up to inform them that their e-mail messages are subject to monitoring.DOD officials have added new language to the banner that reassures users that privileged communications are private and confidential. These include communications between those users and their attorneys, psychotherapists and clergy members.“Although DOD has a long history of respecting such privileged relationships, the previous banner language did not expressly identify this protection for the user,” DOD Chief Information Officer John Grimes said June 6.