PROJECT RATIONALE G iven the level of insecurity surrounding the use of digital and mobile technology by journalists and bloggers, protection of users’ privacy is now crucial, particularly when citizens and journalists use online platforms, social networks and mobile devices to express themselves on a wide range of issues. With this in mind, respondents who comprised of journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, academics, technology experts and students were surveyed to gauge their understanding of the risks and threats they face when using digital media in their line of work. The ultimate goal is to develop simple protocols and identify the best tools to help media workers and the general public better protect themselves online, so they can do their work with minimum exposure to the risk associated with communication surveillance. The survey, therefore, asked questions such as: • Are you aware of any privacy laws and regulations in your country? And if yes, what is your understanding of these laws? • Have you ever been threatened or personally attacked because of your online/mobile work? If yes, what was the nature of the violation and what action was taken to address it? If no, do you know anyone who was threatened or personally attacked because of his or her online/ mobile work? • Have you ever suspected that any of your communications devices were under threat from spyware or malware? If yes, how did you identify the threat and what did you do to deal with it? • Are you familiar with terms like HTTPS, Encryption, Safe email providers, Virtual private networks (VPNs), and secure storage spaces? • At your place of work, are there resources devoted to helping you maintain individual privacy and digital security? • How do you rate your ability to use risk reduction tools and strategies when working on computers, using mobile phones or navigating the Internet? • How much do you mix personal information with professional activity when using social networks like Facebook or Twitter? • Do you belong to any network or group dedicated to online and mobile security? • How vulnerable do you think you are to physical and digital risks and threats? • How familiar are you with international human rights law? • What do you understand by communications surveillance? MISA is already using the information generated by this survey to design research and training programs for journalists, media activists, bloggers, and human rights defenders so as to empower them on how they can harness the power of ICTs to promote democracy and good governance in a safe and secure way. 5