Hi everyone, Over a year ago Jake asked me to post any curriculum my group may come up with here on the list for review by anyone who may be so inclined. If you are so inclined, please take a look at the guide just posted here:
http://nationalsecurityzone.org/site/digital-security-basics-for-journalists/ I would welcome any comments at all. (I'd prefer constructive comments, but, most importantly, I want to know if you think something is wrong, misleading or off-point and/or should be redirected.) We will make changes as needed, with full attribution as appropriate to groups or individuals as anyone here may wish. As a non-technologist, I very much appreciate this community and the many truly amazing people in it. And that ain't smoke, it's true. This guide is posted on the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism National Security Zone online, which also includes many other guides for reporters like, also of interest to some here, Covering Military Trials. In writing this digital guide, I have not tried to reinvent the wheel, and focus more on concepts and what journalists need to think about learn, rather than get into how to use tools or even thinking about trying to rate them. Instead the guide relies heavily on other resources already providing such information like Security-in-a-Box, along with Danny's Information Security chapter in CPJ's Journalist Security Guide. I have also relied on information, all with full attribution, from Movements.org, The Engine Room and others. Much of what is written also reflects what I have managed to glean over the years as a non-technologist from this group and list. If you wish to take issue with any one point, please do. Or the whole parts of it, or the entire guide for that matter, if you wish. Part of the idea behind putting this up at all is to advance a broader dialogue. And it is not mean to be exhaustive, but merely an introduction. The main goal is to alert journalists to how much they don't know, and need to learn, which, if recent news is any indication, more journalists at least in this nation are realizing every day. So please go ahead and dive in if you wish, and direct your comments back to the list or to my email also copied, as you wish. (I don't always check this list, so if you want to make sure I see your note in a timely matter, please copy me at fr...@journalistsecurity.net.) And here is a nice juicy tidbit from the guide to get you started. Pretty Good Privacy or PGP along with the newer, German government-funded version of the same software model, GPG, is encryption software for emails and files. Both PGP and GPG use cryptographic algorithms that are stronger than what Internet Freedom activists believe even the U.S. National Security Agency (under most circumstances) is capable of decoding. Although even the best digital software is still subject to spyware programs on infected computers that allow eavesdroppers to learn the passwords to access even encrypted emails and files. Disagree on this or any point, please say so. Thank you, everyone! Best, Frank Frank SmythExecutive DirectorGlobal Journalist Securityfrank@journalistsecurity.netTel. + 1 202 244 0717Cell + 1 202 352 1736Twitter: @JournoSecurityWebsite: www.journalistsecurity.net -- Too many emails? Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at compa...@stanford.edu or changing your settings at https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech
