What they discovered was too much about too much, and seemingly too little concern about the free flow of information versus what the public needs to know. For example, one web site for a European-based installation provided more than enough information for a potential adversary to learn about its mission and to possibly craft an attack. Indeed, the web site contained an aerial photograph of the buildings in which the communication capabilities and equipment were housed. By pointing and clicking on any of the buildings, a web surfer would learn the name of the communications system housed in the building and its purpose. They soon discovered how easy it was to obtain information on almost any topic, with one web site hyper-linking them to another on the same topic.
Individuals do it, organizations do it and some companies do it for profit.
The Army's Ft. Belvoir, Va., home page was cited as one example of a web site which served the needs of both the military and the public. It had the sort of information families or interested members of the public need and should get. Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre issued a memorandum on 24 September 1998, which directs DoD and the individual services to take both immediate and long-term steps to protect the flow of information on the world wide web. Any information that would reveal movements of military assets or the location of units, installations or personnel where uncertainty regarding location is an element of the security of a military plan or program.