technology


Psiphon, which is recommended by Robert Guerra, a founding director of Privaterra who has provided security training to journalists. When it comes to secure voice


communication, Guerra opts for tools such as Signal and Wire over Skype. “Signal has been very open in terms of engaging with journalists and the human rights community,” he says. Wire is similar to Signal, but it


handles multiple devices better and you can sign up using an email or an SMS – currently Signal allows users to sign up only via SMS. Whichever tool you choose, Guerra


says “it’s important to ask who is behind it and how the system works.” During protests in Iran, US


Safe & secure I


Simon Creasey looks at ways to use data and communicate confidentially


n 1971 military analyst Daniel Ellsberg leaked a report to the New York Times detailing the secret history of the


decision-making process behind the war in Vietnam.


Ellsberg painstakingly photocopied pages of the report and handed them over to New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan. This laborious, risky process was dramatised in the film The Post. Today, Ellsberg could have transferred the Pentagon Papers using secure channel communications in seconds. In recent years, newspapers have set up whistleblowing webpages that allow people to share confidential information securely and anonymously. However, some of these tools are easier to use than others and some have potential security flaws. So which are the best tools to use to send and receive confidential information? Services are available to journalists


who want to protect data or sources when using a connected technology such as a computer or a smartphone. As a starting point, Colin Tankard,


managing director at data security specialists Digital Pathways, suggests you always make sure you use a VPN to connect to the internet. A VPN - or Virtual Private Network - allows users to securely access a private network and share data remotely through public networks. Authentification should also be of a high standard. He suggest using ‘two factor’ or ‘token based’ software, both of which give extra layers of security. If you’re using data on USB sticks, he says you should make sure they’re encrypted with technology that you control and not ‘some Mickey Mouse thing bought off the internet. He also recommends journalists use ‘dark web’ browser Tor, which offers anonymity and a degree of encryption, although he points out that it has does have some weaknesses. “The Tor site is constantly being monitored by law enforcement agencies and there are lots of dummy sites out there. Because of the anonymity Tor offers users, it is difficult to verify who you are talking to,” says Tankard. An alternative to Tor is ‘internet censorship circumvention tool’


“ ”


He nearly blew one of the biggest stories of the decade because it was too difficult for him to initially figure out how to communicate with Snowden


whistleblower Edward Snowdon said protestors should use Signal or Tor instead of instant messaging app Telegram to speak privately. He tweeted: “Even @WhatsApp is safer.” Guerra shares Snowden’s reservations


about some communications channels and thinks journalists should not be over reliant on one tool. Secure communication options are


pulled together by an app called Umbrella, which was developed by Security First. Umbrella covers a wide range of topics from how to send secure emails through to how to deal with being placed under surveillance. Rory Byrne, cofounder of Security First, says the app came about because the company realised a lot of the security knowledge journalists needed was not freely available and this was hindering their ability to land stories safely. “For example, Glen Greenwald nearly


blew one of the biggest stories of the decade because it was too difficult for him to initially figure out how to communicate with Snowden. When he went to Hong Kong he didn’t really know how to travel securely, set up a safe meeting, detect surveillance or any of these things,” says Byrne. “With Umbrella, we wanted every


journalist to have the ability to instantly open a free app with every piece of security information and more, than they might need to do their work safely.” However, although many of the tools


outlined above can help journalists to communicate securely, none of them are foolproof. As Guerra points out: “The safest way to communicate with someone is to whisper into their ear when you’re stood directly next to them in a park where no one else can see you”.


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