The military has issued a request for bids on software to let it spread messages and make online friends using non-existent identities on social media sites.
ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center
SOURCE: Information Week
23February2011 7:25pmEST
GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: The United States Air Force is taking an unusual approach to cyber-security with a request for bids for "Persona Management Software," which would let someone 
command an online unit of non-existent identities on social media sites. The move became a major topic last week following the release of emails from private security firm HBGary, which were disclosed after an attack by Wikileaks competitor and collaborator Cryptome.org.
According to Solicitation Number: RTB220610 , the armed services division sought a software program that could manage 10 personas per user, including background; history; supporting details, and cyber presences that are " technically, culturally and geographacilly [sic] consistent. Individual applications will enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries. Personas must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms. The service includes a user friendly application environment to maximize the user's situational awareness by displaying real-time local information." (read full report)
