The Regional Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders in Southwest Asia and North Africa invites feminists, women’s rights defenders and activists to attend a learning circle entitled “Digital Security” presented by Norhan Tharwat.
Today the Internet is a very important part of our lives. It has become a field in which friendships, relationships, work, civic and feminist activism, and many other forms of social connections extend digitally. As our reliance on online spaces increases, areas of harassment and violence, especially gender-based, have increased by targeting women and groups most at risk. Where trolls and attackers launch campaigns of abuse, violence, and intimidation, and where digital attackers seek to exploit our private data in multiple and diverse forms, in addition to the companies that own the major platforms exploiting our activity and data and selling them to advertisers on their platforms. These digital threats often take forms of a gendered and racial nature and contain hostility towards those who are sexually and gender-different. These threats can easily carry major physical and psychological repercussions on those who are exposed to them, or spread to the real world, so they can no longer be ignored.
Digital spaces have a special nature where we often rely and believe that companies and developers work to protect our data and our presence on their digital platforms. These companies and developers often ignore or downplay digital threats to these spaces and their users. They do not provide us with sufficient support and knowledge to be safe while using their sites and platforms to face the consequences of our online presence. Fortunately, many useful tools and tactics have been developed that allow us to have greater control over our digital lives and mitigate the risks and effects of various digital threats. We will share our different experiences in the context of digital threats to learn together to protect basic digital tasks such as web browsing, private data, smartphones, and social platforms. To learn together the basic principles of securing our digital lives and possessions.
Session Description
In this learning circle, we will first collectively explore the nuances of gender-based digital violence during a 3-hour session. Our focus will extend to strategies for effectively dealing with such issues and safeguarding ourselves across diverse platforms. Secondly, we will delve into securing our data and devices from potentially harmful software, elucidating steps to fortify our digital accounts. This segment will encompass discussions on the significance and methodologies of social engineering and phishing attacks, emphasizing the importance of practices such as managing passwords, preserving privacy, employing two-step verification, and adopting other crucial measures to ensure our safety in the digital realm. Moving forward, the third segment will acquaint us with encryption, highlighting its importance and introducing tools for protecting data both in storage and during exchange. End-to-end encryption will be a focal point as a standard for securing private conversations. In the fourth part of the session, we will expedite our understanding of quick measures to secure smartphones, recognizing their pivotal role as the primary communication and work tool for women defenders. Additionally, we will explore protective software options available for use. Finally, we will conclude by addressing the imperative issue of safeguarding against trolls and the fundamental principles of safe advocacy.