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The Taliban Pledges to Take Revenge on Telephone Network Providers
The Taliban are angry that someone else has beaten them at their own game. They've been spreading rumors about their activities in order to throw off media outlets for a while now. This week, word comes that someone else is doing that for them without their consent, and Taliban leaders are angry.
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In Highly Repressive Belarus, Anonymous Facebook pages Spread Protest Information
Clearly there is no reason to think that the Belarussian government isn't savvy at cracking down on dissent, but here's some sign that dissenters are keeping up. More and more people are using social networks to spread information, but they're doing so anonymously.
So You’re an Activist. How Safe is Skype?
Rule of thumb: when most activists are using one platform over others because it has a more secure reputation, it may very well turn out to be not quite as safe as everyone thought.
The Future of Cyber Security
As the world becomes increasingly internet dependent and interconnected, it's vital that governments, businesses, and special interest groups address issues regarding cyber security. Weather this means protecting user information or protecting children online- the internet is like a pandora's box of benefits as well as dangers. As we heard world leaders debate at the recent EG8 in Paris, there are differing views regarding censorship and regulation on the net- but all can agree these are topics worth addressing.
Protecting Your Privacy on Facebook
For most of us it's hard to master the ever evolving privacy settings on Facebook. Using Facebook effectively, though, means using it cautiously - paying attention to privacy settings, Terms of Service and other changes to the Facebook platform is essential.
It's even more important if you're using the platform to organize. Just this week there have been reports of authorities in Syria arresting activists and forcing them to hand over their login information. The same occurred in Iran, and the hacking of Tunisian authorities during the uprising there was well documented. What can you do to stay safer on Facebook? Here's our new guide to Facebook security.
From Flickr user giest
How Can You Protect Yourself Against Email and Facebook Phishing?
During the uprising in Tunisia, a number Facebook users inside the country discovered that their accounts were being phished by the government. According to reports, the Tunisian Internet Agency was modifying web pages by injecting them with JavaScript to steal usernames and passwords on popular sites like Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. People logging onto the sites unknowingly had their sensitive log-in information stolen. The government then quickly moved to delete Facebook accounts and groups.
With many governments stepping up their game and becoming savvier in their attempts to monitor and track dissidents online, it’s important to be aware of the signs of phishing and what you can do to better protect your online accounts.
Our latest how to guide provides steps for spotting phishing on email and social networks, what to do if you get a suspicious email or Facebook message, and ways to protect yourself against phishing.
5 Reasons Why Android is Becoming the Go-To Mobile Device for Activists
Android, the open-source mobile operating system developed by Google, is quickly becoming the smartphone of choice for activists. It’s growing in popularity around the world, recently becoming the number two smartphone in the world behind Nokia’s Symbian operating system and outranks the iPhone in the U.S. Here are 5 reasons why Android should be on any activist's radar.
From Flickr user darkroom productions
Two New How To Guides for Mobile and Email Security
Check out our latest how to guides for more securely using mobile phones and email for activism. The first guide, How To Use Your Mobile Phone Securely and Safely for Activism, shares simple steps you can follow to ensure that you are taking the necessary precautions when using a mobile phone. The range of tips offered in this guide run from the practical (use a password lock on your phone) to the more technical (use services like CryptoSMS and Hushmail to securely send texts and emails). In the second guide, How To Use Gmail More Securely, we offer a number of ways to make sure that you are using Google’s webmail service more securely. While there are a number of good webmail services and email clients out there, this guide solely focuses on Gmail since it’s one of the most popular services available and we frequently come across activists using it.
From Flickr user Ramy Raoof
The Dictators’ Backlash to Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa
Protest has reverberated through the Arab world since Mohamed Bouazizi's self immolation on December 17th, but are copycat protests always a good thing? Not if authorities are more prepared than demonstrators.
Maintaining Security Online
As we're seeing in the Middle East and North Africa right now, a wave of protests can (by definition) ignite more - and more - protests. But that doesn't mean that they'll be succesful.
Two flaws holding back some of the demonstrations carried out in the region these past few days have been activists overlooking strategy and security. When it comes to the latter, there's plenty of information out there on what, when and how to be safe and (it follows) as successful as possible. Here are some of our guides on tools for being as safe as possible online. Have suggestions? Let us know.
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