Journalists

Protecting sources, devices and yourself - including at a border and under surveillance.

6 lessons, free to read and reuse under CC-BY-4.0.

A deepfake of you or a source

Synthetic audio and video are used to impersonate. Do not authenticate a clip from the clip. Call the person. Tell the desk. Avoid spreading the fake.

8 mincoreen

Devices, travel and border stops

Plan what the device holds before you travel. Power down, minimise, and talk to your editor or lawyer. This is preparation, not a promise about any country's law.

8 mincoreen

Harassment, doxxing and what to do after

Online abuse is a safety incident. Document, lock down personal data, tell the newsroom, and use specialist help. You do not have to answer every message.

8 mincoreen

Protecting sources and chats

Confidentiality starts before the first message. Encrypted apps help. Device access, backups and sloppy first contact can still burn a source.

8 mincoreen

Someone posting as you

A cloned profile or a taken account is an editorial and a safety incident. Lock the real accounts, warn the desk, and tell the audience from a channel you still control.

8 mincoreen

The source attachment and targeted mail

A document from an unknown 'source' is a payload until you treat it as one. Slow down. Verify the person. Open files in a safer way than your reporting laptop.

8 mincoreen

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