This presentation will discuss digital threats against civil society groups outside the West: journalists and independent media organizations, human rights activists, defenders of minorities’ rights, women’s rights organizations etc. On top of the digital threats that any organization around the world faces – phishing, malware, business email compromise etc. – these organizations face more targeted threats related to their activities. These vary from the technically very advanced, including zero-day using spyware like Pegasus, from the technically mundane but really impactful, like social media accounts being hacked or banned.

The first part of the presentation will discuss the context in which civil society groups operate in the digital world, then discuss the threats they are facing, including the support they receive in responding to these threats. The second and main part of the presentation will cover real-world examples of such threats and focus on the real-world impact these threats have, including the psychosocial impact. The final part will cover what can be done to support civil society in the rest of the world and in particular what the Botconf audience could do to help.