As cyber attacks become more common for journalists and news organizations, more cyber security courses and guidelines for protection will follow. Yet, according to a researcher studying the issue, most journalists are not taking the necessary measures to protect themselves.
“The needs for security tools that journalists around the world have are vast and diverse,” wrote Mexican journalist Javier Garza Ramos. “Journalists have become more vulnerable not only while on assignment in dangerous places, but also in their daily routines, at home, in the newsroom, or on the road, as digital surveillance increases.”
Garza (right), a former Knight Fellow at the International Center for Journalists and former editorial director of El Siglo de Torreón, authored “Journalist security in the digital world: A survey: Are we using the right tools?” recently published by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) with support from the National Endowment for Democracy.
“North American and European journalists are more concerned with digital protections and more knowledgeable about technology,” according to the report. “While those in Latin America, Africa, and Asia give more weight to physical security but are more vulnerable to digital attacks because they don’t know about the tools to counter the threat.”
Journalists using security tools are doing so more frequently in communications, including encrypted emails, chats or calls, and in encrypted storage and sharing of documents, Garza told the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas….RTWT
