News organizations should provide digital security support for journalists both before and after incidents of online abuse.
As a form of prevention, the digital security team should:
• Scan the target’s electronic devices to identify potential vulnerabilities that might allow hackers to access a journalist’s personal data and publicly expose it (doxing).
• Monitor a journalist’s personal details that are accessible to the public such as social media, personal and work-related accounts to see if any sensitive information has been exposed involuntarily. Sometimes, the background of a selfie or a group photo can unwittingly reveal information about our lives.
Following attacks, the digital security team should:
• Trace the users behind attacks, even if they have posted the threats from anonymous accounts on social media.