Welcome to the "Expert Tips on Online Security and Privacy series" vol. 1

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.

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.

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.

In this webinar, hosted by the West Africa Civil Society Institute, we sought to increase knowledge sharing on digital security and resilience.

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.

Learn the information you need to be aware of the risks that young people and children are exposed to when using the Internet.

Learn about the basics that will help you understand the risks you are exposed to when using the Internet.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

What is digital security, and should civil society organisations in Africa be concerned?

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.

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.

In this article we have collected a few webinars available in English on HiveMind for the Hungarian audience.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Save the dates, mark your calendars and get ready to go! These are the five Media Literacy Events you simply cannot miss in 2022!!!

The state of cyber-security in North Macedonia: interview series

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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)...

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).

3 online games that help you develop your media literacy skills

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

"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.

Major dangers and media manipulation threats in the age of disinformation

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.

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

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?

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?

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?

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.

Guides, checklists, FAQs, reading lists and a debunk database