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As cyber threats become increasingly common in today’s digital world, human rights organizations are facing a growing number of risks to their unique work that could risk sensitive information, endanger activists, and disrupt advocacy efforts. These groups often operate in no-go zones rife with government surveillance, cyberattacks and targeted disinformation campaigns. To protect their mission, strong cyber security software should be implemented for digital assets, privacy, and the continuity of the operation.

Why Human Rights Organizations Should Care about Cyber Security

“This is sensitive data that includes personal details about activists, whistle blowers and victims of human rights abuses,” he said. A data breach can lead to significant ramifications; including, lawsuits, threats to personal safety, and loss of trust}}\]. State-sponsored and cybercriminal hackers have been targeting these groups to stamp out information, spread propaganda or bring down critical systems. Consequently, cyber security software is a key component in protecting companies from these threats.

Main Cybersecurity Threats Faced by Human Rights Organizations

Phishing Attacks – Cyber criminals frequently take the approach of sending fraudulent emails in order to capture user credentials from staff members, gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Ransomware Attacks – This is when malware encrypts an organization’s files and requires ransom for their release.

State-Sponsored Surveillance — Governments and other entities may use spyware to track activists and their communications.

DDoS Attacks – A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack can inundate a website or network, resulting in the unavailability of online resources.

Insider threat – An employee or volunteer inadvertently or intentionally makes your sensitive data or systems vulnerable to a cyber attack.

How to Choose the Best Cyber Security Software

To minimize these risks, organizations that work on human rights must put in place a more sophisticated approach with a wide array of training including the following:

End-to-End Encryption

These include Hacker News and TechCrunch, as well as more secure communication tools like Signal, ProtonMail, and other encrypted cloud storage services that secure sensitive information against access by unauthorized persons.

Network Security and Firewalls & Intrusion Detection Systems

Firewalls and IDS solutions can monitor network traffic and block potential threats before reaching the system.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)

This allows you to do mutual authentication to ensure that the person logging in is who they claim to be, massively lowering the prospect of a password being compromised and not being able to protect the program that uses that password.

Antivirus and Anti-Malware Solutions

Having reliable antivirus and anti-malware applications can catch these malicious programs before they operate.

Cloud Storage Secure Backup Solutions

Back up your data regularly and keep it in a secured and encrypted cloud platform — this will ensure you can recover your data if you fall victim to a cyberattack.

VPN (Virtual Private Networks)Vaccine

VPNs encrypt the traffic going to and from computers, making it more challenge to track what its users are doing online.

Cyber Security Best Practices

Human rights organizations should also adopt best practices to strengthen their digital security — in addition to deploying cyber security software:

Provide regular cyber-safety training to all staff and volunteers.

Limit data exposure by implementing strict access controls.

Create and test a cyber incident response plan.

Visit sensitive pages using anonymous browsing tools such as Tor.