Defense Against the Dark Arts: Digital Security for Activists and Human Rights Defenders

(These resources were originally assembled for a presentation I gave at Swarthmore College on February 21, 2017 and were updated for a second presentation on April 4, 2017.)

Resources for Security

Security in-a-Box – a guide to digital security for activists and human rights defenders
- https://securityinabox.org/
A DIY Guide to Feminist Cybersecurity
- https://hackblossom.org/cybersecurity/
Surveillance Self-Defense (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- https://ssd.eff.org/
Encrypting Your Laptop Like You Mean It (The Intercept)
- https://theintercept.com/2015/04/27/encrypting-laptop-like-mean/
Communicating in Secret While We’re All Being Watched (The Intercept)
- https://theintercept.com/2015/07/14/communicating-secret-watched/
Edward Snowden Explains How to Reclaim Your Privacy (The Intercept)
- https://theintercept.com/2015/11/12/edward-snowden-explains-how-to-reclaim-your-privacy/

Swarthmore ITS Policies

Electronic Privacy
- http://www.swarthmore.edu/its/electronic-privacy
Acceptable Use
- http://www.swarthmore.edu/its/acceptable-use
Information Security
- http://www.swarthmore.edu/its/information-security

Security Basics

Stay Safe Online (National Cyber Security Alliance)
- https://staysafeonline.org/
How to Manage Your Social Media Privacy Settings (IDWise)
- https://identity.utexas.edu/everyone/how-to-manage-your-social-media-privacy-settings
Identity Protection Resources for Everyone (IDWise)
- https://identity.utexas.edu/everyone
The Normal Person’s Guide to Internet Security
- https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/guide/internet-security

Basic Software

Encrypted Communications

Signal Messaging App (Open Whisper Systems) – text, voice, and video calls
- https://whispersystems.org/
Silent Circle Blackphone
- https://www.silentcircle.com
PGP encryption for email
- https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/how-use-pgp-mac-os-x
- https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/how-use-pgp-windows
- https://www.mailvelope.com/en/
- Want to know how the math works?
  - https://www.gpg4win.de/doc/en/gpg4win-compendium_31.html
  - https://www.digicert.com/TimeTravel/math.htm
OTR messaging – chat encryption
- http://www.bitcoinnotbombs.com/beginners-guide-to-off-the-record-messaging/
- https://otr.cypherpunks.ca/

Private Browsing

The Tor Project
- https://www.torproject.org/
VPNs
- Understand VPNs and what they can and cannot do
  - http://www.techhive.com/article/3158192/privacy/howand-whyyou-should-use-a-vpn-any-time-you-hop-on-the-internet.html
- Compare VPNs
  - http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-vpn-services-and-vpn-deals-of-2017
  - https://www.cnet.com/best-vpn-services-directory/
- Free VPN options just so you’re safe when traveling
  - http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-vpn
- Recent report on how bad some VPNs for mobile are
  - http://lifehacker.com/researchers-issue-security-warnings-about-several-popul-1791617644
PRISM-break
- https://prism-break.org/en/

Care and Feeding of Smartphones

The Privacy Enthusiast’s Guide to Using an iPhone
- http://lifehacker.com/the-privacy-enthusiasts-guide-to-using-an-iphone-1792386831
The Privacy Enthusiast’s Guide to Using Android
- http://lifehacker.com/the-privacy-enthusiasts-guide-to-using-android-1792432725
Erasing data from smartphones
- https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-wipe-your-phone-or-tablet-before-selling/
- https://dban.org// (commercial Blancco service for wiping your smartphone)

Additional Resources for Survivors

Privacy & Safety on Facebook: A Guide for Survivors (National Network to End Domestic Violence)
- http://nnedv.org/pages/3868-facebook-privacy-safety.html
Safety & Privacy on Twitter: A Guide for Survivors of Harassment and Abuse
- http://techsafety.org/safety-privacy-on-twitter-a-guide-for-victims-of-harassment-and-abuse
Technology & Confidentiality Resources Toolkit (National Network to End Domestic Violence)
- http://tools.nnedv.org/tipsheets-charts
Techsafety.org (National Network to End Domestic Violence)
- http://techsafety.org/resources/

Miscellaneous

Text expansion apps
- https://zapier.com/blog/text-expander-how-to/
Sharklasers.com – disposable temporary email address
- https://www.sharklasers.com/inbox

Security Information

Electronic Frontier Foundation
- https://www.eff.org/
Bruce Schneier
- https://www.schneier.com/

The Law

Your rights with your devices at border crossings
- http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/16/us/border-legal-rights-faq-trnd/index.html
Unlocking smartphones
- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-idUSKCN0XQ032
- https://consumerist.com/2016/12/13/court-rules-that-police-can-force-you-to-tell-them-your-phones-passcode/
ACLU: know your rights
- https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights
Flex Your Rights
- https://www.flexyourrights.org/
  - 10 rules for dealing with police: https://youtu.be/s4nQ_mFJV4I
  - Busted: The Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters: https://youtu.be/yqMjMPlXzdA
It’s illegal for law enforcement officers to tell you to destroy evidence on your phone.
- http://www.ibtimes.com/police-are-deleting-smartphone-videos-crime-scenes-even-though-its-illegal-2359913
Apple Inc’s Motion to Vacate Order Compelling Apple Inc. to Assist Agents in Search, and Opposition to Government’s Motion to Compel Assistance, ED No. CM 16-10 (SP)
- https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2722199-5-15-MJ-00451-SP-USA-v-Black-Lexus-IS300.html

Privacy

Daniel J. Solove, “Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide'” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 57, issue 37.
- http://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-Privacy-Matters-Even-if/127461
  - Most likely behind a paywall for some people.
Cathy O’Neil, Weapons of Math Destruction. (Crown Publishing, 2016).
- http://www.powells.com/book/weapons-of-math-destruction-how-big-data-increases-inequality-threatens-democracy-9780553418811/2-1
  - Has some important ideas, but I also think there is merit to this reader’s critique: https://www.amazon.com/review/RXBU9LJV75J9Z/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0553418815&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books, so read it with a critical lens.
Bruce Schneier, Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Capture Your Data & Control Your World. (W.W. Norton & Co., 2015)
- http://www.powells.com/book/data-goliath-the-hidden-battles-to-capture-your-data-control-your-world-9780393244816/2-2

SJ 34 – Congress votes to drop some online privacy protections

Bruce Schneier, “Congress Removes FCC Privacy Protections on Your Internet Usage”
- https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2017/03/congress_remove.html
Brian X. Chen, “What the Repeal of Online Privacy Protection Means for You” (New York Times)
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/technology/personaltech/what-the-repeal-of-online-privacy-protections-means-for-you.html
Alina Selyukh, “As Congress Repeals Internet Privacy Rules, Putting Your Options in Perspective” (NPR)
- http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/03/28/521813464/as-congress-repeals-internet-privacy-rules-putting-your-options-in-perspective
Brian Krebs, “Post-FCC Privacy Rules, Should You VPN?”
- https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/03/post-fcc-privacy-rules-should-you-vpn/