As digital technologies become increasingly accessible and affordable to rights advocates, they also give rise to new threats and vulnerabilities. The concerns are numerous: preventing loss of and unauthorized access to sensitive data, protecting the identities of advocates and members of their communities, defending various channels of communication against surveillance, and the ever present struggle to maintain new found freedoms of expression online and within the mobile space.

The Security-in-a-box toolkit provides tools and tactics that address these needs. Alongside this, it provides a diverse network of trainers capable of addressing threats faced by human rights defenders, social and environmental right advocates and independent journalists in the English, Spanish, French, Russian and Arabic-speaking world.

The toolkit emphasizes fundamentals such as reliable backup, confidential email and instant messaging, anonymous web-surfing and censorship circumvention, data encryption and secure file deletion.

The 'How-to' booklet provides common sense explanations, a pragmatic approach toward security decisions, a range of tips and a focus on widely-recognised best practices. It is complemented by the 'Hands-on' guide, which walks users through the process of installing and configuring each piece of recommended software, with detailed and visually rich explanations that focus on relevant use cases.

This toolkit is produced in collaboration with Front Line Human Rights Defenders. It will be available for download and in hard copy (CD and booklet) from the end of November 2008. Languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian. Workshops and consultancy available on request.