A selection of guides, training, tools, grants and rapid-response helplines provided by the digital security trainer at the MENA WHRDs Forum for human rights defenders. Arabic versions are available for many of these resources.
* Guides and trainings:
- Digital Protection Manuals by digital security expert Mohammed Al-Maskati https://digital-protection.tech/ (Arabic)
- Totem Project Courses https://totem-project.org/ for free, self-paced sessions on the basics (Arabic available)
- Cyber Arabs Digital Security Manuals https://cyber-arabs.com/manual (Arabic)
- Online Harassment Field Manual by PEN America https://onlineharassmentfieldmanual.pen.org/
- For Organizational Security focused resources https://wiki.orgsec.community/
- Freedom of the Press Foundation guides and trainings https://freedom.press/training/, there are not only entire curriculums but also updated articles, gifs, guides that are specific to data handling queries
- Surveillance Self-Defense: https://ssd.eff.org/en
- The holistic security manual: https://holistic-security.tacticaltech.org/, for a holistic approach of your security strategy
* Tools:
- Assessment tool for organizations: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/building-institutions-and-networks/cybersecurity-assessment-tool/
- Assessment tool and personalized digital safety plan for individuals: https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/
- SOAP (security organizations through automated policymaking): https://usesoap.app/
- As for documenting human rights violations, you should use the Tella app https://tella-app.org/, especially as you enter low-internet areas. Horizontal (https://wearehorizontal.org/ the org behind Tella) helps groups doing this work all the time and they’ll have capacity to train both you and activists, email: raphael@wearehorizontal.org
- Document Palestinian Digital Rights Violations on this platform by 7amleh: https://7or.7amleh.org/
* Grants:
- Open Technology Fund – Rapid Response Fund https://www.opentech.fund/funds/rapid-response-fund/
- Subscribe to Team CommUNITY’s digital rights newsletter for weekly emails that include a list of grants and funding opportunities: https://www.digitalrights.community/weekly-newsletter
* Rapid-response helplines (in case of emergencies or incidents):
- Access Now Security Helpline: https://www.accessnow.org/help/
- SMEX Digital Safety Helpdesk: https://smex.org/helpdesk/ (MENA-focused)
- Front Line Defender Emergency Contact: https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/emergency-contact
* Mental Health Support:
- Free mental health services for digital rights activists by Team CommUNITY @ARTICLE 19: https://www.communityhealth.team/ (Arabic therapy available)
