Cyber-Security and Electronic Surveillance Self-Defense

Cyber-Security and Electronic Surveillance Self-Defense are essential parts of individual and family preparedness. In a world where millions of digital communications are silently intercepted, collected, and stored every day, how do you effectively say “I do not consent to this search?” Community-driven, trustworthy, and proven digital security tools exist, but can require a sometimes steep learning curve. Also, all technologies have certain limitations. Knowing exactly what these are is crucial to using them safely and effectively. Finally, technology changes faster than the law. New back-doors and security flaws are discovered by researchers—or leaked to journalists by inside dissenters—every week.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated "Privacy today faces growing threats from a growing surveillance apparatus that is often justified in the name of national security. Numerous government agencies—including the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and state and local law enforcement agencies—intrude upon the private communications of innocent citizens, amass vast databases of who we call and when, and catalog “suspicious activities” based on the vaguest standards."

The San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center (Indybay) reported in October 2021, "Joint Base Lewis-McChord Spying On Civilian Cell-Phone Conversations with Stingray?" stating that in addition to Tacoma Police using Stingray devices to monitor the local community, the JBLM military base was also using Stingray to spy on the civilian community.

Indybay previously (October 2020) published a guide to your rights when dealing with police and government officials; saying "Everyone has basic rights under the U.S. Constitution and civil rights laws. It is important to understand your legal rights when dealing with the police and other government officials." 
 

Establishing an effective security culture protects you, your family, your friends, and your community against unwarranted invasions of privacy, and against on-line threats from hostile actors.

 

The Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) in Oregon offers several tools to help you protect yourself and your family in cyberspace. 

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Surveillance Self-Defense program provides detailed expert guidance on how to protect yourself, your family, and friends from on-line spying. The EFF offers guides to the best privacy-enhancing tools and explains how to incorporate protecting yourself against surveillance into your daily routine. 

 

The U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Exchange offers on-line cyber-security training intended for military personnel, but open to the public, that can help you become more aware of on-line threats and how to protect yourself from them.  

For a more in-depth study of cyber-security, the TEEX Cyber Readiness Center offers several on-line courses such as:

  • Online for Everyone - Non-Technical (Cyber 101)
  • Online for IT Professionals (Cyber 201)
  • Online for Business Professionals (Cyber 301)


Other resources include:

Prism Break

PrivacyTools.io 

Restore Privacy




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