With the upcoming presidency and the current attack on queer and trans communities and academics, now is the time to take stock of our digital vulnerabilities and take steps to up our digital security. This is not a matter of fear mongering, but rather a matter of rational concern based in history and elevated concern within our sociohistorical conditions. We don’t think that we need to abstain from digital settings completely, but we do think that we can take steps to provide some levels of protection.
While we each have a personal calculation to make regarding our own ability and willingness to be visibly queer and/or trans, we are in a period where we anticipate heightened scrutiny and potential forms of violence, and in these conditions we all can take steps to mitigate the potential for harm.
There are two major concerns with digital security, being spied on generally, and having that data be used against you. Spyware can be used by governments or individuals, data collected about you can be used to discredit, affect employment, and in severe situations be used to incarcerate or target with violence. Doxxing can open you up to situations of being targeted with real or symbolic violence.
Please note that spyware runs in ways that generally appear undetectable to the naked eye. You won’t know that you have spyware on your device.
We have compiled a list of actions and advice anyone can take to improve your digital security to deter others from targeting you and mitigate the effects if targeted.
- Restart or reboot your devices fully every day.
- Some spyware will be cleared off your devices after a full reboot and would need to be reinstalled by perpetrators. Fully restarting can disrupt spyware from collecting data.
- Keep software up to date.
- Companies are constantly working on addressing vulnerabilities and patching software. Keeping up to date ensures you have the best chances of having fewer vulnerabilities.
- Set your personal social media accounts to private.
- Social media is such a significant part of life and can provide an opportunity to stay connected with others. But, it can be taken out of context and it can be contorted in ways to be used against you. Limiting public posts and searchability can be a deterrent to those targeting queer and trans people.
- Google yourself intermittently to stay on top of what shows up.
- Search your name, phone number, and home address.
- There are websites that scrap information that people can pay to access. You have to manually request your information to be removed. This again does not completely stop people from being able to find your information, but it can deter some.
- Keep your academic websites and public social media active so that these show up first.
- Recently active online sources show up in search results first. It won’t stop people who are determined to find something, but anything you can do to control what people see can be to your benefit.
- Know who your cybersecurity people are at your university.
- If you happen to be targeted, or suspect you have been targeted, then your local cybersecurity experts can help you to immediately work on ways to find security.
- Talk with your family and friends about your boundaries regarding what information about you they can share.
- You may be more concerned about safety than those around you. that you would keep private on your own social media should
- Do not use institutional channels for non-institutional work.
- Institutional accounts typically are subject to public record requests. Be wary of your and other’s security and vulnerability to the local and federal government.
- Use encrypted and secure messaging applications for non-institutional work that may be targeted.
- Encrypted messaging programs can be vulnerable to spyware, yet they do offer a level of security.
- Browser: Tor (https://www.torproject.org/download/)
- Messaging: Signal (https://signal.org/)
- Know your rights.
- Know what the relevant laws are, and how to avoid them. Know if laws apply to your situation.
- Create a security plan.
- The above steps are good to consider and start to do. See citations for more advice.
- Be in community with others.
- If you happen to become targeted, having a strong network locally and around the country can help to mitigate the effects of targeting. Depending on vulnerability, you may want to stay somewhere temporarily or need to move. You may need reassurance, support, and kindness. You may need letters of support or organizing on your behalf. Historically, no one who has been targeted has stood alone. And you do not need to stand alone.
We hope to organize and host digital security workshops in the near future, so stay tuned!
