Protection against digital attacks Support for the „Security Lab“ in Berlin
Since 2022, the Human Rights Foundation has been supporting an urgently needed cyber protection project of the Berlin „Security Lab“: In the digital age, human rights defenders are increasingly exposed to digital attacks. Their computers and mobile phones are equipped with state spyware. Their movements and contacts are monitored, phone calls are tapped, passwords are intercepted, cameras are switched on and confidential messages are read. This not only jeopardises them, but also those who have provided them with confidential information. This is an attempt to intimidate and silence them.
Amnesty International has therefore set up the „Amnesty Tech“ global task force to protect human rights defenders. It consists of lawyers, digital experts, researchers and technicians. Among other things, they were involved in a joint research project by more than 80 media professionals in ten countries, which revealed in the summer of this year that the surveillance software „Pegasus“ from the Israeli company „NSO Group“ is being used worldwide to systematically monitor human rights defenders.
The Berlin „Security Lab“ is the German part of this team and has three central tasks: it helps in individual cases, publishes research and prepares evidence for legal action. The Security Lab is currently developing a phishing warning app that will enable human rights defenders to check whether they have been victims of phishing.
Phishing means that internet users‘ data is intercepted via fake internet addresses, emails or text messages, for example. The intention is to misuse personal data and damage bank account holders. The term phishing is derived from fishing in connection with the P in password. Figuratively speaking, it is fishing for passwords with bait. It typically involves imitating the design of a trustworthy website. Phishing usually refers to criminal behaviour. The users are the so-called phishers. Phishers try to establish a relationship of trust with internet users by offering personalised services. Their aim as phishers is to obtain sensitive data such as usernames and passwords for online banking or information or credit cards through fake electronic messages. In the phishing messages, the recipient is asked to disclose personal data on a manipulated website or mobile phone.
Thanks to the warning app, however, human rights defenders can now take action themselves and take effective countermeasures. The app was initially programmed for the IOS operating system (Apple) and then optimised for easier use on Android devices.
The Human Rights Foundation considers the work of the „Security Lab“ to be of fundamental importance and therefore provided initial funding for the development of the phishing warning app. Once again, we are concerned with protecting those who so courageously defend human rights for all of us all over the world.