Now more than ever, journalists need to adopt strong digital security measures to protect their work, their sources, and themselves.
Included below are links to websites that outline tools and protocols for keeping data, devices, and contacts as safe as possible. These links are courtesy of the panelists who lent their time and expertise to our Nieman-to-Nieman webinar on digital security held on Feb. 18, 2026:
- Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
- Sandrine Rigaud, NF ’25, program director at the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
- Rick Valenzuela, senior data analyst at the Critical Internet Studies Institute (CISI)
Electronic Frontier Foundation resources:
- Surveillance Self-Defense
Tips, tools, and how-tos for safer online communications. - Your Security Plan: Threat Modeling
How to make a security plan for your digital information and determine what solutions are best for you. - Journalist on the Move Guidebook
Stay safe online anywhere without sacrificing access to information. Learn how to understand your threat model, communicate safely with others, and circumvent online censorship. - Journalism Student Guidebook
Lessons in security they might not teach at J-school: how to assess risks, protect yourself and your data online, communicate safely with others, and get around internet censorship. - What Should I Know About Encryption?
Learn about the two major ways encryption is applied: to scramble data at rest and data in transit. - Why Communication Metadata Matters
Learn how to determine what metadata you transmit when you communicate, who can access that information, and how it might be used. - EFF Border-Crossing Guide
Understanding risks when crossing the U.S. border, the law around border searches, and how to secure your digital data.
(*Note: The legal advice here is outdated because it’s from 2017, but the technical advice remains useful.) - How to: Get to Know iPhone Privacy and Security Settings
A guide to the settings on your iPhone and whether they’re worth altering. - How to: Get to Know Android Privacy and Security Settings
A guide to the settings on your Android phone and whether they’re worth altering.
Global Investigative Journalism Network resources:
- GIJN’s Safety and Security Resource Center
More than 2,000 items in 14 languages, from tip sheets and guides to instructional videos. - Introduction to Investigative Journalism: Digital Security
How to secure accounts, computers and phones, communications, and personal information. - Investigating Digital Threats
An overview of digital investigative fundamentals.
Additional resources:
- Committee to Protect Journalists’ Digital Safety Kit
A general starting point for journalists looking to increase their digital safety. - Freedom of the Press Foundation’s 2026 journalist’s digital security checklist
A checklist to help you form and cultivate good habits. - Five Steps to Stronger Cybersecurity
A tip sheet for journalists, advocates, and knowledge workers from Joan Donovan, Ph.D., and Rick Valenzuela at the Critical Internet Studies Institute. - Know Your Rights Within the 100-mile U.S. Border Zone (ACLU)
Important Fourth Amendment protections still apply even though the federal government claims the power to conduct certain kinds of warrantless stops.
Tools:
- 1Password for Journalists (free)
A cloud-based password manager to secure your passwords, passkeys, and other account logins, as well as your files, notes, and contacts. - VeraCrypt
Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. - Backup and Recovery with Acronis Cyber Protect
Keep your data safe from any threat. - euBackups: The All-in-One European Cloud Solution for Backup & Cyber Protection
Integrates backup, disaster recovery, and next-generation cybersecurity in a single solution.
