Journalists play an increasingly critical role in a world where facts are deliberately distorted by the powers that be in order to manipulate others. Unfortunately, as journalists’ voices grow more prominent, they also face more threats from people who don’t like what they have to say. Usually, the threats are delivered online, where actors hide behind anonymity.
The threats certainly have an effect — one study suggests that 31% of journalists tone down their coverage after harassment, while 15% simply drop the story. However, most journalists refuse to report threats. Some even find ways to counter them in order to continue their work unhindered.
Hackers
Hackers that attack journalists are usually sponsored by states, criminal organizations, or giant corporations. The goal of these hackers is to either track journalists and their sources or gain access to their confidential data.
Many hackers use malicious software like spyware, stalkerware, or keyloggers, to breach journalists’ security and privacy. Fortunately, advanced antivirus software that uses technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning can neutralize most malware attacks.
Journalists also use end-to-end encrypted communication apps to protect their conversations from hackers. While some journalists use WhatsApp and iMessage, many prefer Signal for its robust nature. Likewise, journalists use encryption tools such as BitLocker or FileVault to shield their files and folders from those with malicious intent. Other journalists subscribe to reputable cloud services, which are highly encrypted and have heavily guarded servers in remote locations.
Most journalists also subscribe to trustworthy password management services to secure their accounts with sophisticated credentials. Even with powerful tools, hackers find it nearly impossible to breach accounts with complex passwords.
Harassers
While trolls target both male and female journalists, surveys reveal that women are at greater risk because threats against them are more violent, explicit, and real. Many harassers use doxing to shame, scare, or extort female journalists by publishing their private data on the Internet, such as phone numbers, addresses, social media pages, pictures, and more.
Here are a few ways female journalists counter doxing:
- They make all their social media pages private to stop harassers from cross-referencing their information.
- They use sophisticated passwords to protect their login credentials.
- They use privacy controls to restrict public access to their private information, posts, pictures, and videos.
- They use unique usernames for each message board, social media page, and service that they use, so they’re less easy to find on the Internet.
- They hide the domain registration information from WHOIS on their websites.
- They use technologically advanced Virtual Private Network (VPN) services to secure their connection and protect their anonymity.
Twitter Bots
A Twitter bot is an automated Twitter account designed to spread propaganda and harass journalists through tweets and retweets. It’s easy for journalists to recognize a Twitter bot because they post with inhuman frequency, are anonymous, and amplify negativity. Once bots are identified, journalists ignore, block, or report them.
In a world that grows more politicized and polarized by the day, journalists can never feel completely safe on the Internet. However, the right tools and precautions can significantly improve their safety and privacy.
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Source: Konnected Solutions
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