18 online media employees and bloggers from Ukraine took part in a three-day training on digital security in Odessa. “Basic training on digital security includes three areas that are necessary for journalists in their work: defense of accounts, defense of devices, and defense of communication”, – stated trainer and consultant on digital security Mykola KOSTYNYAN. He noted, that participants in the course, upon returning home, would lobby for the design and implementation of digital security in their places of work. It is a collective effort to be prioritized.

 

During the course the journalists and bloggers learned how:

• to defend their accounts (email and social media) from phishing and spam;
• to avoid fraud and malicious applications; to create and manage secure passwords
• to use two-factor verification for gmail, facebook, and vkontakte;
• to defend devices (laptops, smartphones) from spyware programs and viruses;
• to work with operating systems and to customize them, as well as relevant software and how to update it;
• to install antivirus, antispyware, and online antivirus software;
• to defend devices against loss, confiscation, or theft through encryption of discs, encryption of files and folders.
• to defend data and data tables, and to securely delete data;
• to secure their communications through browser settings, VPN, TOR; mobile security and secure messaging systems; data backup and syncing; cloud storage.

 

Participants in the training simulated threats in groups and demonstrated mechanisms for defending themselves and their work.

“I was impressed that during the training we managed to acquire a great number of practical skills. We installed several programs each day, and learned how to use them. We experimented with different services, learned about harmful applications, and more. In addition, I was impressed with the trainers—they answered all of the questions on security that I was concerned about,” – shared a participant in the training, editor-in-chief of the site InfoMIST (Cherkasy) Olena SHCHEPAK.

 

The training was conducted as a part of the Media Freedom Support Project, and was carried out by the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law and the International Research and Exchange Board-Europe (IREX Europe), with the support of the European Union.

 

Сompiled by Alexandra Jason for CEDEM