Using unauthorized portable media now carries penalties Published Oct. 2, 2009 By Lynda Valentine, Director AFDW Public Affairs AFDW Air Force District of Washington -- Unauthorized portable media devices - including memory sticks, thumb drives, camera memory cards and iPods - are not permitted on government networks. Computer users continue to plug these devices into networked systems, despite daily messages appearing on all AFDW computers reminding users of the DoD policy against the use of portable media devices. "To prevent further misuse of these devices, computers within AFDW will now be disabled once a portable media device is plugged in," said Lt. Col. Matt Kilgore, AFDW/A6. "The security of the entire network is our number one priority," the colonel said. "To maintain that security, we will monitor the use of these devices remotely, identify the users logged on when the device was plugged in, and disable the computer being used." Connecting devices to government computer also may result in the loss of network access privileges for the individual who connected the unauthorized device, and the confiscation or destruction of the unauthorized device.