9/11 Social Media Impact

Social Media Influence Today: How could this have made a difference for 9-11-2001?

Notes taken from: Talking points with Theresa Payton, Fortalice, LLC. and Kristen Miranda, also covered in WBTV's segment, Protecting Your Cyberturf


What's different? 9-11-2011:

Those impacted by 9/11 did not have the same level of communications that we do now.

If you think about it, popular apps such as Myspace 2003, Facebook 2004, and Twitter did not exist until 2006.

We could not have skyped the newscast until 2003!

The phone lines, both land and cell, became jammed and we were asked to not use phones if we did not need to.

High speed internet at home via broadband was not as available.

If the rescuers and those impacted had access to more sophisticated tools, it might have helped get the word out faster and sped up the process reconnecting loved ones and rescue efforts.

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Post 9/11 -- How the military uses social media to keep the homeland safe!

Pre-9/11, law enforcement and the military did their best to watch chat rooms, track money exchanges between groups, and tap into communication lines to try to decipher what the bad guys might do next. They have a newer tool in their arsenal...social media.

Many people think of social media as a great way for the service men and women to stay in touch with their families...and it is...

However, they can now use this tool to actively watch and even infiltrate enemy networks. They do this by creating online persona and winning the trust of the bad guys. Much like putting in place an undercover cop in the physical world.

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Post 9/11 - how to be prepared, stay connected, and have a plan in case you have to go offline

There are many points of view on what a future attack could look like. Some say it will be physical involving casualties. Some say it might be cyber - taking banks, cell phones, and even social networking offline either via an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) or through coordinated internet attacks.

You can plan for the worst now with three steps:

1. Print out your contacts list and keep a copy in the trunk of your car, in your briefcase, and at your home

2. Establish a "waypoint" that everyone of your loved ones know to go to in the event that phone lines, cellular service, and internet are not working

3. Establish social media accounts now with your loved ones and use them periodically so you can use them easily in the event of an emergency - Twitter, email, skype, text chat, Facebook to name a few