Information Security Starts In Your Head

How can journalists and other evidence seekers address digital vulnerabilities? Digital human rights activist and information security professional Michał "rysiek" Woźniak - former Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Infrastructure at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) explains how you can adopt a mindset and an ability to -think- about information security proactively, regardless of any specific devices or tools you use.

Journalists and other evidence seekers face a wide range of risks and threats that could leave them and their sources vulnerable. In a digital environment where we constantly deal with software vulnerabilities, hardware backdoors and various levels of disinformation campaigns, we cannot count on "technosolutionism” alone to protect us. Instead, we can switch the focus to our "wetware" - our brains - to better keep ourselves safe and secure.

This webinar focuses on how to adopt a mindset and an ability to think about information security proactively, regardless of any specific brands or tools we use.

Topics covered:

  • thinking about digital security (and staying sane)
  • risk assessment and threat modelling
  • evaluating tools
  • staying safe in groups
  • where to get help

This webinar was recorded on 26 May 2022.

Speaker

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak

I’m a digital human rights activist, information security professional, and a system admin. I write about technology for OKO Press and cooperate with Fundacja Reporterów. I have co-founded a tiny technology-focused fact-checking organization TECC (Technical Error Correction Collective). Every now and then I also dabble in policy.

For my day-job, I am the Information Security Officer at ISNIC, the .IS registry (the top-level domain for Iceland.) Previously I had served as Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Infrastructure at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

My main policy interests include information security, privacy in the digital age, Internet governance (including censorship, surveillance, Net Neutrality), copyright reform, digital media literacy. I co-authored the Net Neutrality Compendium and the Media and Information Competencies Catalogue.

About the Organiser

Tactical Tech is an international non-profit organisation that engages with citizens and civil-society organisations to explore and mitigate the impacts of technology on society. Exposing the Invisible is a Tactical Tech project that develops resources, training and collaborations promoting investigation as one of the most important forms of public engagement.


This event is part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) project co-funded by the European Commission under the Pilot Project: "Supporting investigative journalism and media freedom in the EU" (DG CONNECT).

This text reflects the author’s view and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

First published on September 7, 2022