Digital Security
Guardian Project creates easy-to-use secure apps, open-source software libraries, and customised solutions that can be used around the world by any person looking to protect their communications and personal data from unjust intrusion, interception and monitoring.
The Digital Security Handbook is intended to educate teaching staff and covers topics such as: what is digital and physical security, threats to privacy, what is social engineering and malware, what are digital fingerprints and types of digital fingerprints and many other topics which are tied to cyber security. A manual on digital security for teachers and professors in primary and secondary schools has been developed with the support of the Metamorphosis Foundation and Techsoup Europe.
Webinar: Secure Mobile Communications
Anastasiia Apetyk is a lawyer and expert on information rights and digital security.
Since 2017, she has been researching security issues at the community level, problems of information and digital rights, data protection, and digital security at the Expert Centre for Human Rights in Kyiv, Ukraine. She advises on and develops training programmes in the field of digital rights and digital security for executive authorities and local government.
Anastasiia is also a co-founder of the public organization MINZMIN where she directs the development of educational materials on digital security. She is the author of the first online course in Ukraine, Digital Rights and Child Safety. She is included in the Forbes Top 30 Under 30 rating in Ukraine.
Goce Arsovski | 10 min read | Oct 31, 2023
Non-profit organizations certainly share a common denominator, but we can hardly generalize anything related to them. Especially when it comes to cybersecurity. NGOs vary one from another in their form, mission, area of responsibility, as well as budgets. And for a hacker, each of them plays its own role. When hearing the term “cyber attack” most people imagine a failure of all computer systems, loss of access to data and a ransom of staggering amounts. Of course, this sort of attacks happen too. However, there are also smaller-scale cyber attacks. They may not be as spectacular on the surface, but can also result in financial loss or leakage of important information. We are referring to social engineering attacks.
Petra Kudrna Sobková | 3 min read | Oct 25, 2023
Klaudia is the co-founder of Vidoc Security Lab, Application Security expert with years of experience. Her dedication to security research led to the creation of Vidoc, a platform for security professionals, gaining global recognition by discovering hundreds of vulnerabilities through bug bounty programs with prominent tech giants.
Beyond spearheading the startup, Klaudia actively engages with NGOs and the tech community, sharing knowledge and empowering human rights activists across Central and Eastern Europe.
Goce Arsovski | 7 min read | Sep 25, 2023
The influx of media texts, videos, photos, as well as social media posts, nowadays is immense, as they constantly appear on our devices through which we communicate on the internet daily. Bombastic headlines and announcements of spectacular discoveries in such content often lead us to forget one of the fundamental rules of creating media content — the signature of the author behind them.
Бојан Блажевски | 4 min read | Aug 30, 2023
Is your favorite messaging app secure? Does it offer encryption, or features like “hidden” chat, or “secret” chat? Or maybe you are not too worried about using secure messaging, because, who needs it anyway.
Goce Arsovski | 2 min read | Jul 31, 2023
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in society, serving various causes and providing essential services. However, like any other entity operating in the digital age, CSOs are not immune to cyber threats. In fact, these organisations can be attractive targets for cybercriminals due to the valuable data they possess and their potentially limited cybersecurity resources.
Kwame Asante | Jun 20, 2023
Disinformation and online manipulation is a widespread issue, targeting a number of minority groups based on gender, sexual expression, race, age, and more. In light of the rise in politically driven attacks on the rights of LGBTQI+ persons, it's critical to counter disinformation in order for them to receive treatment for physical and mental health, sex reassignment procedures, and have safer spaces in schools and communities.
Sibongile Ndlovu | 8 min read | Jun 14, 2023
The internet has taken the globe by storm for the past 30 years, and it’s almost impossible to imagine the world without it. Digital privacy can be at risk without the proper online precautions in place.
Sibongile Ndlovu | 6 min read | Jun 14, 2023
Have someone make fun of you in front of other people?
Have you been critized and offended by how you dress, think or talk?
Do you know of people that follow or investigate you?
Oscar Levy | 3 min read | Jun 13, 2023
Open call for civil society organizations, independent media or journalist and digital activist of Latin America.
MAKAIA | 2 min read | Jun 2, 2023
Welcome to the "Expert Tips on Online Security and Privacy series" vol. 1
Goce Arsovski | 1 min read | Apr 26, 2023
Close friends and family have a very important role to play when it comes to our digital privacy and security. Since most of us regularly communicate with those close to us using digital tools and channels, and we are not ready to give up those modes of communication, we must be aware of our increased exposure when using them.
Goce Arsovski | 4 min read | Mar 1, 2023
Traditionally, at the beginning of each year, large companies and organizations share with the public their opinions and predictions for the new year in the context of digital security. Looking back, 2022 was marked by a series of major events in the digital world, some of which will definitely leave a mark in the years (even decades) to come.
Goce Arsovski | 6 min read | Feb 21, 2023
Phambano Technology Development Centre was founded in 2017.
Our aim is to provide sustainable technology-related solutions and support technology development among civil society organisations (CSO’s) that work on social justice issues across Southern Africa.
Sibongile Ndlovu | 1 min read | Feb 16, 2023
In this webinar, hosted by the West Africa Civil Society Institute, we sought to increase knowledge sharing on digital security and resilience.
Kwame Asante | Jan 26, 2023
On Wednesday 16 November 2022, The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) organised the Launch of WACSI Nigeria Node to build civil society resilience in Nigeria for the country’s development and to address the proximity challenge and especially make the Institute’s services readily available to organisations and civic actors that may not have the means to engage effectively online.
Kwame Asante | 7 min read | Dec 21, 2022
Learn the information you need to be aware of the risks that young people and children are exposed to when using the Internet.
MAKAIA | 5 min read | Dec 20, 2022
Learn about the basics that will help you understand the risks you are exposed to when using the Internet.
MAKAIA | 2 min read | Oct 1, 2022
This space will teach you to recognize the characteristics of the threats and attacks called social engineering so that you can have information on how to avoid them.
MAKAIA | 4 min read | Sep 1, 2022
It has become increasingly common to read news on the internet where young people participate in viral challenges that have harmful consequences for their health or even for the rest of their lives and those of their families.
MAKAIA | 10 min read | Aug 1, 2022
The use of links and hyperlinks have made email correspondences easier in our corporate world. But do you know that a simple click on a link in a spam message can jeopardise an entire organisation’s email network? Although emails continue to be a widely used platform for professional communication, a lot of email users lack basic knowledge on how to use email safely.
Kwame Asante | 5 min read | Jun 7, 2022
Baby faces covered in chocolate, baby feet splashing in the water, cheeks soaked in crocodile tears. As we read the list, we might think of a post or story from social media that we sometimes encounter in the online space. But is it safe to share not only your personal information, but also that of a child who is in our care? What does it mean to be a responsible digital parent?
NIOK | 3 min read | Jun 1, 2022
Phishing is among the biggest cyber threats facing organizations. According to Proofpoint’s 2021 State of the Phish Report, more than 80% of organizations fell victim to a phishing attack last year.
Hive Mind | 3 min read | May 25, 2022
Smartphones are the most widely used electronic devices in our daily lives. Once upon a time, we used our cellphones only to call someone or send an important text message. These days, they have become more akin to portable computers. With a bundle of features, social networking, and time-saving apps, smartphones have become an essential part of our daily routine. Whether you are organizing your work schedule, hitting on someone on Tinder, ordering Chinese, or keeping track of your fitness regime, a secure cell phone provides peace of mind that your personal data will not end up in the hands of those who could use it to do you harm.
Hive Mind | 3 min read | May 19, 2022
What is digital security, and should civil society organisations in Africa be concerned?
Kwame Asante | 4 min read | May 17, 2022
Passwords are the key to nearly everything you do online, and you presumably have multiple passwords that you use throughout the day. Choosing hard-to-hack phrases and managing them securely can occasionally feel inconvenient. Fortunately, there are simple ways to make your passwords as secure as possible. Doing so can keep hackers from taking over your accounts and prevent theft of your data.
Hive Mind | 2 min read | Apr 29, 2022
Elena Stojanovska is true believer that privacy protection is a culture, a way of recognition and respect of a human right. Her experience dates from the times when privacy was a mysterious concept in North Macedonia (2005), until now, when everyone is buzzing around new ways of protecting privacy. Elena worked for the Agency for Data Protection as an Advisor for International Cooperation, she was the human rights on-line specialist at the Metamorphosis Foundation and from February 2020 has really busy days in implementing the new Law on Personal Data Protection in the business sector.
Goce Arsovski | 10 min read | Apr 1, 2022
In this article we have collected a few webinars available in English on HiveMind for the Hungarian audience.
NIOK | Mar 29, 2022
With the dramatic increase of our digital footprint (in other words, the footprint of our activities in the online word, e.g. use of social media sites, emailing, blogging, accepting cookies on various websites etc.... data protection is not only an issue for large companies, but it is equally important for civil society organisations and individual users as well. However, while the former can often employ a whole team of security experts, in case of civil society organisations it is an issue that we have to deal with ourselves. Keep in mind that the most precious information today is data and identity, therefore it is especially important to protect them.
NIOK | 2 min read | Mar 25, 2022
Social media is based on continuous positive feedback from other users on user messages. The operators of these platforms have an obvious interest in ensuring that users spend as much time as possible on their platforms, and to do this they have a wealth of data about what content is likely to be attractive to users. This leads to an increasingly strong conviction of the user's own truth in a community of positive feedback, even if that truth is based on completely nonsensical or deliberately manipulative facts.
Mertek Media Monitor | 3 min read | Mar 24, 2022
A user's digital footprint is the set of data that the user leaves behind about him or herself in the digital world. Intentionally or unknowingly, every day we create and leave a lot of data in the digital space that gives us a picture of who we are, what we do, where we are in the digital world and why we do it.
Mertek Media Monitor | 3 min read | Mar 23, 2022
Value, nowadays, comes in lots of different forms. We have traditional ones, such as time, power, security, health, and money. However, there is another, new form of value which is not yet fully understood: digital information. In this article, our aim is to raise awareness about how Facebook affects us and our loved ones on a daily basis, and how not knowing our rights and the help we can receive open us up to potential harm in the cyberspace.
Mertek Media Monitor | 6 min read | Mar 23, 2022
Phishing is a serious threat in our modern world, and there is no knowledge passed down from generation to generation of how to prevent it. This knowledge we have to acquire ourselves so that we can pass it on to the next generation. The number of hacking and phishing attempts has been increasing from year to year, in direct proportion to the fact that more and more activities in our lives are moving to the online space – from work to having fun and to shopping.
NIOK | 2 min read | Mar 23, 2022
AC-LAC is a platform that promotes and defends encryption and fosters capacities and knowledge in citizens to maintain an ecosystem of trust, security, and stability [of ICTs] in the region.
MAKAIA | 3 min read | Mar 11, 2022
Filip Simeonov, Founder and Cyber Security Expert of CPP Services Skopje (www.cpp.mk), as an Information Technology Engineer begins his work experience as a System Administrator and System Engineer, later focusing on Cyber Security of IT and Telecommunication Systems, application solutions, as well as raising awareness of cyber security and secure data management of all process stakeholders and data processors.
Philip often says that Cyber Security is an investment, not a company expense. As an ethical hacker for 13 years trying to detect all the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in his clients, all in order to be mitigated before bad hackers and malicious users find them, thus improving and increasing the cyber security of companies and their solutions and systems.
Goce Arsovski | 8 min read | Mar 11, 2022
The following article, written by Vladimir Garay of “Derechos Digitales”, talks about the implications of a facial recognition system in Chile for mass surveillance and the fight against common crimes.
MAKAIA | 4 min read | Mar 1, 2022
Every day millions of people access the internet and browse through countless content within the reach of a few clicks. Children and teenagers are connecting more and more frequently, finding facilities to access information, knowledge and opportunities, while exposing themselves to different risks such as cyberbullying, sharing private information with strangers, sexual exploitation online, among others.
MAKAIA | 2 min read | Feb 21, 2022
What would you do if you are a victim of cyberbullying? Laura Zapata Ortiz lived this experience and decided to help those who face a similar situation. Today she is part of our program "School of Influencers". This is her story.
MAKAIA | 3 min read | Feb 21, 2022
A survey recently conducted by TechSoup has revealed how social organizations around the world are working with data. At the same time, collaboration, communication and technological trends for the social sector explain the panorama where 5 major trends for the sector stand out.
MAKAIA | 4 min read | Feb 18, 2022
This article is the result of a 2021 MozFest workshop co-facilitated by Laura Vidal (Mozilla), Marielos Galindo (Red Concausa), Natalia Trigoso (Causas Digitales) and Soledad Magnone (JAAKLAC iniciativa). The activity aimed at exploring the possibilities of digital education practices to amplify the participation in data protection/privacy policies.
JAAKLAC iniciativa | 4 min read | Feb 18, 2022
Save the dates, mark your calendars and get ready to go! These are the five Media Literacy Events you simply cannot miss in 2022!!!
Hive Mind | 3 min read | Feb 14, 2022
PERSONAL DEMOCRACY FORUM UKRAINE (PDF UA 2022) is back!
This year PDF UA will be held on March 3-4 in Kyiv in a hybrid form.
The “Future of the Elections” is the main topic this year.
TechSoup Europe joins OPORA, TransparenCEE Network and OSCE ODIHR for the fifth time and brings "tech4good", transparency, and open data topics to the Ukrainian debate about democracy and the role of civil society.
Tytarenko Yaroslava | 2 min read | Jan 28, 2022
This article is a production of Ciudadania Inteligente (Ciudadania AI), a Latin American, inclusive and feminist organization that fights for social justice and for the transformation of democracies.
MAKAIA | 6 min read | Jan 12, 2022
Social media platforms allow users to interact in a faster and easier manner. On one hand, this phenomenon helps establishing relationships and bonds beyond physical boundaries, leading to the exchange of information and content of all kinds. It is also not a secret that these platforms offer users tools for commercializing goods, products and services.
CIVIX Colombia | 4 min read | Jan 3, 2022
ESI Digital from JAAKLAC aims to promote Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE, ESI for its Spanish acronym) in relation to digital technologies to minimize online sexual risks among adolescents. The guide covers topics such as sexual and reproductive rights, digital education, internet risks in adolescence and digital safety strategies.
JAAKLAC iniciativa | 6 min read | Dec 21, 2021
Most often when we notice media articles about a hacking incident, it is usually because the target (or a victim) is a larger, more well-known company to the public. When Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc. are victims of a cyber-incident, and the media are naturally interested in the topic, and thus inform the public. However, almost regardless of the magnitude and sophistication of such attacks on well-established companies and organizations, they are almost always "resolved", i.e., they have their own beginning, course, and end, or resolution. The resolution is not always "positive" for the company institution: sometimes victims pay huge sums of money (usually in cryptocurrencies) to attackers in order to get their data back.
Goce Arsovski | 9 min read | Nov 22, 2021
Many of us (if not all) usually lock the front door of our home, even when we go out to a nearby shop or café. Especially, if we live in a building with more tenants, or our home is facing a busy street - sometimes we even make sure our windows are closed as well! It is clear and unambiguous why we are doing this - we are concerned for our safety, and we do not want anyone (without our explicit permission) to enter our home!
In other words, our sense of security is important to us when it comes to our immediate physical environment - the privacy of our own home.
Goce Arsovski | 9 min read | Nov 19, 2021
We live in the Information Age. Our ability to synthesize and use information well is crucial to our fate and future well-being. Our Experts have been designing bespoke courses on topics that are relevant, set in a meaningful context and important. From making sense of the news online, to protecting your own or your organization’s digital safety and privacy.
Hive Mind | 4 min read | Nov 15, 2021
Cybercrime is an act against the law. It is not a highly complex act directed at specific organizations or institutions and It is more common and closer than we think. Social Engineering is the main technique used by cybercriminals to attack a greater number of people.
JuanDa | 1 min read | Nov 12, 2021
The large number of likes, comments or distributions does not mean that it reflects the real number of people involved in that interactivity. The online public sphere is often contaminated by Bots and Trolls.
Dren Gerguri | 3 min read | Sep 23, 2021
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the fact just how important basic, daily hygiene habits are in our daily lives, and how much can they protect us from billions of bacteria and viruses. Did you know that perhaps this very behaviour has probably “saved us” in the past while we were exposed to a viral pathogen, maybe even COVID19?
Goce Arsovski | 7 min read | Jul 30, 2021
According to the "Digital 2021"1 report, at the turn of the year 2020 and 2021, more than half of the 7.83 billion people in the world were described as "mobile phone users", and 59.5% (4.66 billion) of the population – were stated to use the Internet. The vast majority of them use Social Media
(4.2 billion people)...
Dominika Uzar | 10 min read | Jul 26, 2021
According to the "Digital 2021" report, at the turn of the year 2020 and 2021, more than half of the 7.83 billion people in the world were described as "mobile phone users", and 59.5% (4.66 billion) of the population – were stated to use the Internet. Most of them use the Social Media (4.2 billion people).
Hive Mind | 5 min read | Jul 22, 2021
This podcast episode brings together Anna Chęć and "Klara", who is a TechSoup Europe trainer from Poland, a security researcher, a hacktivist, currently working as a software security engineer for a financial institution. In this episode you can listen to what are some of the key threats once you buy a smartphone and why it is important to secure it well.
Dominika Uzar | 1 min read | Jul 19, 2021
In this episode Anna Chęć is talking to "Klara", who is - like Anna - a TechSoup Europe trainer from Poland, but on top of this, she is also a security researcher and a hacktivist. Anna and "Klara" are great at talking about complex security topics in an easy-to-digest, friendly and open manner. In this episode you can find out if there is such a thing as anonymity on the Internet.
Dominika Uzar | 1 min read | Jul 19, 2021
In this episode of our “Let’s Talk Digital Resilience!” podcast series, we’ll be joined by Anna Chęć, talking to "Klara" (a real-deal hactivist), who are both TechSoup Europe trainers on Digital Safety & Security.
Dominika Uzar | 1 min read | Jul 16, 2021
Do you ever look at the screen-time analysis on your smart phone and cannot believe the high number it displays? If not –great, but if you do –then this podcast is for you.
In this episode you will hear Jakub Górnicki talking to Kamil Śliwowski -
a Media Literacy, Open Educational Resources and Online Privacy expert.
Kamil explains how he has gone from becoming a techno-enthusiast to a real techie helping people better understand the negative effects of using technology...
Hive Mind | 1 min read | Jul 14, 2021
Welcome to the Hive Mind podcast series: “Let’s Talk Digital Resilience!”, where we would like to offer you a chance to enjoy 5 meaningful conversations led by top experts in the field of media technology, online security, and digital wellbeing.
Dominika Uzar | 1 min read | Jul 14, 2021
"Operational Security (OpSec) is a continuous process to ensure operational success in the face of adversaries. [...] Before you understand how to protect yourself, you should realise how to attack yourself."
- Melanie Rieback, CEO/Co-founder of Radically Open Security, NL
If you would like to learn more about being safe and resilient against cyber threats, watch the recording from the webinar we did on June 22, 2021,
led by Melanie Rieback and one of her ethical hackers, Stefan Marsiske.
Dominika Uzar | 1 min read | Jun 24, 2021
Major dangers and media manipulation threats in the age of disinformation
Michal Prawdzik | 1 min read | May 24, 2021
Manipulation, coercion, and preying on emotions – all have been a part of human existence probably since the very beginning. Naturally, some people are doing it better than others, and those at the other side of the equation, tend to fall victim to such schemes, and are left faced with the consequences of their often unassuming nature.
Goce Arsovski | 7 min read | Apr 9, 2021
The growing trend of state institutions of providing more electronic services to citizens besides requiring consistent monitoring of technological development, advancing knowledge and changing the habits of citizens also requires precise determination of measure for the protection of citizens' personal data
Hive Mind | 5 min read | Mar 16, 2021
How many times have you faced the embarrassing situation of forever losing your precious data such as photos, videos, etc.? All of this either due to a little carelessness or maybe not even your fault? Are you being careful by always keeping a safe copy of your most valuable data, or are you just relying on your usual antivirus software to protect you against ransomware attacks?
Goce Arsovski | 1 min read | Feb 18, 2021
Virtual Private Networks, also known as VPNs, are well known to our public as a very useful "tool" for circumventing the rules of certain streaming platforms regarding the geolocation constraints. Aside from "cheating" the service or platform, and making your favorite series, feature film, or podcast available, what else do we know about them? Can VPNs benefit us in other circumstances, professional or private, and why are they really important?
Goce Arsovski | 6 min read | Feb 8, 2021
Phishing messages, spam, junk, and a host of other names. We have all, at some point, received such messages. From the infamous e-mails from the Nigerian prince to the most sophisticated types of targeted phishing. The bad news is: they are here to stay. What can we do about it?
Goce Arsovski | 6 min read | Jan 18, 2021
We'd like to invite young people associated in non-governmental organizations, informal groups, dialogue bodies and activists acting on their own to free online training sessions on disinformation, recognizing it, preventing and counteracting its negative effects. The training is addressed to all those who understand the importance of disinformation in public life, who would like to learn more about the ways it works, get specific tools of recognition and methods of dealing with it. We also invite people who actively participate in public life (also at the local level) and therefore are most vulnerable to disinformation actions aimed at undermining their credibility and the trust of public opinion, necessary to effectively fight for the public good or the interests of the groups they represent.
Dominika Uzar | 2 min read | Dec 14, 2020
Guides, checklists, FAQs, reading lists and a debunk database
Mark Semoil | 1 min read | Jul 8, 2020