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I feel like anyone serious about doing actual journalism needs to start with a decent Cyber Security 101 course. Does anyone know of one?

sva_ 1y ago
I mean what can you feasibly do against these zero-click exploits? There's only really two things you can do: 1. keep your phone's identifiers secret, as they must target the devices in some way (like phone number/email/whatever) or 2. don't own a phone
- yb6677 1y ago
  Own two phones? Phone 1 - with sim and is exploited, no data or apps. Phone 2 - different OS, no sim, uses portable hotspot from phone 1 and has all the apps and data.
  - tonyhart7 1y ago
    in this current world is not possible to leave "no traces" and expect you would not get find out because it literally is its an anomaly having an "no data" especially in this ever digitized world
- haswell 1y ago
  I'm curious to know how many successfully targeted individuals were using features like Apple's Lockdown Mode.
- pcthrowaway 1y ago
  > 2. don't own a phone Honestly I don't think this is going to protect you if you are being targeted. We've already seen what can happen with pagers
  - specproc 1y ago
    Well, a group centered its comms on that particular technology but it was quite an esoteric move. Not having a phone is nigh on impossible, minimizing phone use isn't quite as bad as you might think. Mine ran out of battery on Monday and I've not charged it all week. I'm toying with the idea of only using it when I absolutely need to (e.g., for MFA, if I'm out of an evening and likely to need a taxi). Not so much an opsec thing, more that I spend enough time in-front of screens as it is. The parent comment was flippant, but I think in the context of this piece, phone-use minimization isn't necessarily a bad idea.
  - yard2010 1y ago
    I don't know if you're joking or not, but unless you plan on invading a country, killing raping and burning alive civilians, and all this for your half-retarded religion and/or your inability to accept anyone who is different than you, you're safe.
- 542354234235 1y ago
  Split up your information so a compromise of any one system does not compromise everything you are working on. For instance, storing contact information on a source on a separate device from any/all information provided by that source. If system A is compromised, they know you contact someone at 123-456-7890 but know not much else. If system B is compromised, they know someone is providing information on corruption within Wakanda’s government, but have no identifying information. Trying to get into multiple systems and corollate/reconstruct information is much more difficult, time consuming, and likely to be much less complete. If a state actor has decided to stop at nothing to get you, it probably wont help, but if you are just someone that could end up on someone’s list, it will likely help.
yb6677 1y ago
https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/journalists-digital-security-checklist/ https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/journalists-digital-secur... https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/statements/ https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/statements/

sva_ 1y ago

I mean what can you feasibly do against these zero-click exploits? There's only really two things you can do: 1. keep your phone's identifiers secret, as they must target the devices in some way (like phone number/email/whatever) or 2. don't own a phone

yb6677 1y ago
Own two phones? Phone 1 - with sim and is exploited, no data or apps. Phone 2 - different OS, no sim, uses portable hotspot from phone 1 and has all the apps and data.
- tonyhart7 1y ago
  in this current world is not possible to leave "no traces" and expect you would not get find out because it literally is its an anomaly having an "no data" especially in this ever digitized world
haswell 1y ago
I'm curious to know how many successfully targeted individuals were using features like Apple's Lockdown Mode.
pcthrowaway 1y ago
> 2. don't own a phone Honestly I don't think this is going to protect you if you are being targeted. We've already seen what can happen with pagers
- specproc 1y ago
  Well, a group centered its comms on that particular technology but it was quite an esoteric move. Not having a phone is nigh on impossible, minimizing phone use isn't quite as bad as you might think. Mine ran out of battery on Monday and I've not charged it all week. I'm toying with the idea of only using it when I absolutely need to (e.g., for MFA, if I'm out of an evening and likely to need a taxi). Not so much an opsec thing, more that I spend enough time in-front of screens as it is. The parent comment was flippant, but I think in the context of this piece, phone-use minimization isn't necessarily a bad idea.
- yard2010 1y ago
  I don't know if you're joking or not, but unless you plan on invading a country, killing raping and burning alive civilians, and all this for your half-retarded religion and/or your inability to accept anyone who is different than you, you're safe.
542354234235 1y ago
Split up your information so a compromise of any one system does not compromise everything you are working on. For instance, storing contact information on a source on a separate device from any/all information provided by that source. If system A is compromised, they know you contact someone at 123-456-7890 but know not much else. If system B is compromised, they know someone is providing information on corruption within Wakanda’s government, but have no identifying information. Trying to get into multiple systems and corollate/reconstruct information is much more difficult, time consuming, and likely to be much less complete. If a state actor has decided to stop at nothing to get you, it probably wont help, but if you are just someone that could end up on someone’s list, it will likely help.

yb6677 1y ago

https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/journalists-digital-security-checklist/ https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/journalists-digital-secur... https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/statements/ https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/statements/