Front Line Defenders developed a Digital Security and Privacy Guide for human rights defenders, which has been published in several languages, including Arabic, English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Russian. The guide is available both as a printed publication and on the toolkit website.
Overview of the Digital Security Toolkit Project
The toolkit includes a guide of best practices, offering the best advice available. The selected tools have undergone a process of research, testing, and localization, involving a team of security experts, activists, human rights defenders, translators, and software engineers who collaborated with Tactical Tech and Front Line Defenders. These tools have been presented in various training sessions organized as part of the toolkit project, aimed at enhancing the privacy and security of activists worldwide while also assessing the suitability of the tools and the effectiveness of the guides.
Risks of Digital Activism
There is growing concern among human rights defenders regarding their digital security, and for good reason. While computers and the internet are incredibly useful tools for activism and mobilization, they also introduce new risks for a group that is often already exposed to various threats. As the number of activists utilizing digital methods for communication, data collection, and mobilization increases, these risks have become even more pronounced.
If you are an activist focused on sensitive issues or human rights, you have undoubtedly encountered or heard stories about threats to digital security and privacy. These include confiscated computers and backup storage media, mysteriously changing passwords, hacked or maliciously attacked websites, inaccessible sites, phishing emails, or messages that have been tampered with or read by unintended recipients. All of these stories are likely to be true.
This toolkit includes explanations and solutions for such threats, developed by a team with experience in the conditions and circumstances faced by activists and the constraints under which they operate.
A Resource for Activists in the Global South
Although the security toolkit was designed to address the growing needs of activists in the Global South, particularly human rights defenders, the software and practices included apply to digital confidentiality in general. It benefits anyone working with sensitive data, such as minorities, persecuted journalists, whistleblowers, and advocates involved in various issues, from environmental justice to anti-corruption efforts.
How to Use the Digital Security Toolkit
The toolkit contains three main components:
- Best Practices Guide
- Practical Tool Guide
- Selections of Free and Open-Source Software
The Best Practices Guide explains the topics and concepts that users of digital technologies should be familiar with to maintain their security. It aims to identify and describe the risks faced by users of digital technologies and assist them in making informed decisions on how to mitigate those risks. To this end, it covers eight general topics related to confidentiality, data protection, and communication privacy.
At the beginning of each chapter, there is a practical scenario featuring fictional characters facing circumstances similar to those of activists. These characters engage in conversations to highlight specific points and answer common questions. Additionally, there is a list of key takeaways that the chapter aims to teach. As the reader progresses through the chapter, they will encounter defined technical terms in a glossary, along with references to specific software explained in the Tool Guide.
Practical Tool Guide for Software Installation
Each Practical Tool Guide explains a free or open-source software tool, highlighting potential challenges and providing tips. It walks the reader through the installation and use of these tools with detailed, illustrated steps. All software can be installed directly from the guide or downloaded for free from the developer’s website. In most cases, the software can be installed simply by clicking on the icon at the beginning of the chapter that covers it and directing the browser to run the installer. In instances where the guide provides detailed installation instructions, users may need to save the tool/package to a specific location before installation.
Practical Tool Guide for Protecting Privacy
The toolkit also includes a dedicated section titled “Portable Privacy,” which features portable versions of some important tools explained in the toolkit. These portable versions can be copied to USB drives and used directly on any computer without the need for installation.
Each chapter in the sections of this toolkit can be read independently, as each one stands alone. There are formatted versions for printing and others for digital sharing. However, the greatest benefit lies in following the interconnected links between chapters and sections of the toolkit. It is strongly recommended to read the chapter in the guide that covers a specific tool before using it. Additionally, reading the practices chapter related to the tool, which has links in the practical guide chapter, is advised to grasp the behavioral and conceptual aspects associated with it
Furthermore, it is preferable, whenever possible, to read the chapters of the tools guide in the order presented, as confidentiality is an integrated process. Often, there is little value in attempting to protect against one threat while ignoring other fundamental threats. For example, securing communication privacy would be of little use if the computer is infected with spyware. This does not mean that any of the topics are more important than others; however, some points in later chapters may rely on what was covered in previous chapters and the security assumptions achieved therein.
