Post by Jack Warner
TechWarn

While anyone who conducts any kind of digital activity is at risk of a security breach or cyber attack, journalists are especially vulnerable to surveillance and hacking by malign actors. The communications and data kept on the devices of those reporting the news is of particular interest to government agencies, large corporations, small businesses and many different kinds of organizations.

When journalists concern themselves with cybersecurity and take defensive measures, they not only protect their own personal data and that of their news organization but also they also strike a blow for the independence and integrity of the press. In some cases, data protection is even more significant, rising to a critical safety issue.

Why journalists need to prioritize cybersecurity

Journalists should think of digital cybersecurity as equally important as reporting on current events with integrity and passion. In particular, reporters working on investigative stories or exposes are at risk, and data can become a matter of life and death.

Last month, the exiled Pakistani journalist Sajid Hussein was found dead in Sweden. His case highlights the risk to reporters who undermine hostile regimes. The very nature of the job puts journalists at the forefront of unending scrutiny and surveillance. Such cases are becoming all too common.

Take the tragic tale of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was conducting research on the controversial topic of independent trade unions in Cairo, Egypt. Regeni was abducted and subsequently tortured to death in early 2016. Many commentators believe Egyptian security services were involved in his death. [Read more…] about Why cybersecurity should be front of mind for journalists