Navy warns US sailors to secure social media from Iran online threats
As the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran increases online threats to service members, the Navy advises sailors to protect their electronic devices, social media accounts and personal information.
One unclassified note Secretary John Phelan is warning Navy personnel about “hostile cyber actors” looking to “psychologically influence” sailors and their families while also getting them to open potentially malicious links and files.
“In response to Operation EPIC FURY, hostile cyber actors are conducting a social engineering campaign actively targeting Department of the Navy (DON) personnel and their families through spear phishing and social media links,” according to the April 17 memo.
The Navy also advises sailors to “avoid dating apps or other apps that encourage or require the use/sharing of personal information;” be wary of and investigate strangers who try to communicate with them; and setting their social media accounts to the “highest” privacy level.
Additionally, the service urges staff to clear their online personal identifiable information from search engines like Google and turn off phone apps’ access to location tracking, microphone and camera.
Sailors are also asked to make their account passwords more complex or set up multi-factor authentication, be careful about what they share online, and ask friends and family to limit the information and images they can post about themselves.
This recommendation comes in the wake of several cyber-related incidents targeting US troops in the Middle East; These include a message sent to forces in March that appeared to be a formal instruction from U.S. Cyber Command for troops to turn off location services, a warning the command said it did not send.
Current Pentagon policies already limit service members’ official activities on personal devices, but the Navy notice takes it a step further by requesting sailors restrict their online activity.
According to the declaration, seafarers are asked to turn off Bluetooth and WiFi when not using their phones or other electronic devices, avoid public Wi-Fi connections and update applications regularly; because they “often fix bugs/weaknesses that cyber actors are trying to exploit.”
“Pause online sharing if possible; if not, be careful about what you share online. Are there clues about you, your friends/family, your home, your location, your activities in the background of your photos?” reads notes.
The Trump administration said it would hold talks with Iran on Monday, but it is unclear whether Tehran will come to the table at a time when Washington maintains its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the United States seized an Iranian cargo ship on Sunday.
President Trump threatened that the United States would continue attacks against Iran if an agreement was not reached.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Head to The Hill for the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video.
