In a world where every click can be tracked and every word can be used against you, digital security is becoming an integral part of the lives of journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and witnesses. Especially in countries with limited freedom of speech or in conflict zones.
Knowing and applying basic digital hygiene rules can protect not only your information, but also the lives of your sources. This article presents the most important recommendations based on practice and modern threats.
Dangers to Be Aware Of
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Before we get into practical tips, it’s important to understand where the threat is coming from. In today’s digital world, it could be:
- Hackers looking to steal information
- Government agencies tracking activists and media
- Programs and applications collecting hidden data
- Behavior and metadata analysis, even without hacking
Surveillance can be both active (malware) and passive – through the digital traces you leave behind every day, like leaving fingerprints on a crime scene.
Device Security Is the Foundation of Digital Hygiene
Your digital safety starts with the device in your hand. Make sure your phone or laptop is locked down tight—because if your device isn’t secure, nothing else really is.
Set Up Protection From Day One
Many users neglect basic security measures, although they are the most effective. Encrypting the entire disk, regular updates, strong passwords, and two-factor authentication are not paranoia, but the norm. You should think of your device as a safe: you wouldn’t leave it open in a crowded place, right?
If you use Windows, enable BitLocker. FileVault will help macOS owners. It’s important not only to activate the feature, but also to store the recovery key correctly. It should be accessible only to you, but safely hidden.
Work With “Clean” Devices in Critical Missions
For particularly sensitive operations, such as meeting with a source in a country with a high level of censorship, it’s worth using separate devices. This could be a cheap smartphone or laptop, configured specifically for one task. This approach minimizes the risk of data leakage in the event of loss or confiscation of the device.
Securing Communications
When privacy matters most, the tools you use can make all the difference. Here’s how to keep your messages, emails, and files truly secure.
Use Trusted Messengers
When it comes to life and liberty, you can’t rely on messengers like Facebook Messenger or standard SMS. Signal is one of the most secure options, it uses end-to-end encryption, does not store metadata, and allows you to set up self-destruct messages. Likewise, Threema and Session offer additional layers of privacy and anonymity.
It’s important to remember: even if you use a secure messenger, it’s useless if the device is already infected with spyware. That’s why security starts with a clean environment, not a single application.
Mail and Clouds
For email correspondence, it’s better to use ProtonMail or Tutanota, which provide client-side encryption. But remember: email is not a messenger. For sending sensitive attachments, it’s better to use separate encryption services, such as VeraCrypt or PGP.
Storing and Forwarding Media Files (Avoid Metadata)
Few people realize how dangerous hidden data in media files can be. An ordinary photo or video can tell you more than you think: the exact location, date and time, device model, and sometimes information about previous owners. This can cost you freedom – or your life.
Working with media files safely starts with removing metadata. You can use utilities like ExifTool for this. However, in some cases it is enough to discard the visual content and leave only the audio.
In situations where sources must remain anonymous or where the full video is not required (e.g. audio interviews, background sounds, oral evidence), it is safer and more efficient to extract only the audio. This removes video metadata (e.g. location, time, or surrounding visuals) that could compromise security.
One reliable way is to use Movavi Video Converter. The program allows you to convert MP4 to MP3 in just two clicks, removing the visual layer and most of the metadata. This is especially useful if you need to transfer the audio recording over a secure channel or save it in an archive.
Movavi is not the only tool. Audacity can be an alternative, especially if you want to edit the recording before saving. The main thing is to always check that there is no hidden information left in the final file.
Online Behavior Is Easier to Track Than It Seems
Every click, search, and swipe leaves a footprint. Even when you think you’re being careful, your digital habits can reveal more than you’d expect.
Use Anonymization
Simply going online already creates a digital trace. Use the Tor Browser, which redirects traffic through several nodes, making you virtually untraceable. In combination with a VPN (especially those that do not save logs), this increases your anonymity several times.
DNSCrypt can also be a useful tool for hiding requests to sites from your provider.
Avoid Automatic Synchronization
Many smartphones synchronize photos and videos with the cloud by default. This feature can play a cruel joke, especially if the cloud service is hacked or is controlled by interested structures. Disable auto-download and save only those materials that are really necessary.
How to Minimize Risk In the Field
Trips to hot spots require a special approach. Instead of your usual smartphone, it is better to take a device without access to your messengers and accounts. It is advisable to buy SIM cards anonymously, and keep Bluetooth and GPS turned off until they are needed.
Storage of materials should also be secure. Use external drives with encrypted containers. If there is a threat of confiscation, the device should be configured to automatically delete data after several unsuccessful login attempts.
Last But Not Least – Create an Action Protocol
Even the most reliable tools will not help if you do not have a clear plan. What to do if the device is stolen? What to do if surveillance is detected? Who has backup copies of the materials? The answers to these questions should be known in advance.
Discuss possible scenarios with colleagues, create instructions, train. Security is not a set of programs, but a culture. And the sooner you start forming it, the more reliably you will be protected.
In a world where every story can change reality, it’s important that those who tell them are safe. Let these tips help you preserve not only information, but also freedom and lives.
