Harlo Holmes, Chief Information Security Officer at Freedom of the Press Foundation, dives into the critical role of digital security for journalists navigating a data-greedy internet. She shares insights on protecting online anonymity and the disparities in digital security mindsets across the globe. The discussion explores the vital need for encryption tools to safeguard sources and journalists' work, as well as the inclusion of content creators like podcasters and TikTokers in the security conversation. Holmes emphasizes practical strategies, including compartmentalization, for enhancing safety in journalism.
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Reuters UAE Intelligence Poaching Story
Reuters exposed the UAE's poaching of former US intelligence officers for surveillance-heavy roles.
This investigation led Congress to enact a law requiring a three-year waiting period before such job moves.
insights INSIGHT
Three Pillars Protecting Press Freedom
Freedom of the Press Foundation protects press freedom with advocacy, engineering, and digital security.
Their digital security team trains and supports journalists to work safely amid increasing digital threats.
insights INSIGHT
Tor's Role in Journalistic Security
SecureDrop depends heavily on the Tor network to provide anonymity on a data-greedy internet.
Tor enables innovative, secure access to internet parts that protect journalists and sources.
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Public-interest journalism speaks truth to power, so protecting press freedom is part of protecting democracy. But what does it take to digitally secure journalists’ work in an environment where critics, hackers, oppressive regimes, and others seem to have the free press in their crosshairs?
That’s what Harlo Holmes focuses on as Freedom of the Press Foundation’s digital security director. Her team provides training, consulting, security audits, and other support to newsrooms, independent journalists, freelancers, documentary filmmakers – anyone who is making independent journalism in the public interest – so that they can do their jobs more safely and securely. Holmes joins EFF’s Cindy Cohn and Jason Kelley to discuss the tools and techniques that help journalists protect themselves and their sources while keeping the world informed.
In this episode you’ll learn about:
The importance of protecting online anonymity on an ever-increasingly “data-greedy” internet.
How digital security nihilism in the United States compares with regions of the world where oppressive and repressive governance are more common
Why compartmentalization can be a simple, easy approach to digital security
The need for middleware to provide encryption and other protections that shield sources’ anonymity and journalists’ work product when using corporate data platforms
How podcasters, YouTubers, and TikTokers fit into the broad sweep of media history, and need digital protections as well
Harlo Holmes is the chief information security officer and director of digital security at Freedom of the Press Foundation. She strives to help individual journalists in various media organizations become confident and effective in securing their communications within their newsrooms, with their sources, and with the public at large. She is a media scholar, software programmer, and activist. Holmes was a regular contributor to the open-source mobile security collective Guardian Project, where she spearheaded the media metadata verification initiative currently empowering ProofMode, Save by OpenArchive, eyeWitness to Atrocities, and others.
How to Fix the Internet