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Compétences numériques du journalisme LCOMU2124 Antonin Descampe antonin.descampe@uclouvain.be Année académique 2025-2026.
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Digital Security and Privacy for Journalists 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 2 Based on Stray J. (2018) ‘Syllabus Fall 2018 | Computational Journalism | Columbia University’. Smyth, F. (2015) ‘CPJ Journalist Security Guide’.
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Outline • Context A world both dangerous and under surveillance • Digital security best practices • Threat modeling 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 3.
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Context 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 4 The world is dangerous.
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As a journalist you are a target 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 5 (source: RSF) This part has never been so small Country classification Belgium Press freedom in 2021.
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As a journalist you are a target 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 6 (source: RSF) Country classification Belgium 5% 24% 30% 23% 17% PRESS FREEDOM 2023 good fairly good problematic bad very bad.
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In Belgium ... 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 7.
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Cas de censures préventives 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 8.
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Une très grande fragilité économique 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 9.
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News business has evolved • More freelancers • Citizen journalists • Autonomous contract employees è Many journalists are • responsible for their own preparation, equipment, insurance and care • work on their own è They have to take care of their Digital Safety 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 10.
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Digital technology ... ... For better and for worse 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 11 (Unesco, 2018).
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2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 12 « It used to be the news organizations that were attacked but now it is the journalists themselves as individuals » RSF, report on Online Harassment, 2018.
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Context 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 13 The world is under surveillance.
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What can you get to know about yourself on the internet ? • Use someone else’s computer (or an Incognito window) • See if you can get your phone number, address, friends, posts, etc • Configure privacy settings properly ! 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 14.
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You leave digital traces almost everywhere • Everytime you connect to the internet • Most of the time when you are in a public space • Always when you carry your (smart)phone • GPS • Phone logs • Connection to cell towers 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 15.
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Tell-All Telephone (zeit.de) 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 16 link.
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Phone logs 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 17 link.
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2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 18 (FTC, 2011).
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Mass-surveillance government programs X-Keyscore, unveiled by Edward Snowden • Network of IP traffic recording stations • Logs of cell traffic (recorded from embassy roofs) • US-UK-Canada-Australia-NZ help each other monitor electronic communications (“5-eyes system”) • Federated (one query scans all sites) • Soft indicators (“all PGP usage in Iran”) rather than strong indicators (IP-Address or email) • Many other regimes have likely the same (at least domestically) • Cfr Huawei ban 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 19.
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Censorship Example of the Great Firewall • Political tool implemented by the Chinese government to strictly control information inside the country • Chinese information control regime is the most sophisticated that humanity has ever produced 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 23 Source: NYT.
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Censorship Example of the Great Firewall • Punish news organizations • Main (GAFAM) platforms are unavailable in mainland China • Some (controlled) access through VPN • Automated deletion of group chats on specific topics • At the expense of killing freedom of expression, it also faces much lower online debate polarization, like in western countries 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 24.
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2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 25 The environment in which journalists operate is an environment where every communication is recorded somewhere.
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Digital Security Best Practices 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 26 Passwords.
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Login hygien Good password + 2-step login 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 27.
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Login hygien Good password + 2-step login • Don’t use common password • Avoid words in the dictionary • Prefer passphrases to passwords 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 28.
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Login hygien Good password + 2-step login • Obviously : don’t share password ! • If really needed : never login & pwd in the same channel ! • Don’t use the same password for all sites • Otherwise your password is only as strong as the security of the weakest site • Use at least one different for main email account • Or use a password manager (LastPass, 1Password, BitWarden, ProtonPass) • Check if your email or password has been found in a data breach • Use Two-Factor Authentication when available • Something you know + something you have 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 29.
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Digital Security Best Practices 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 30 Beware of phishing.
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Beware of phishing The most common attack Phishing = send a message to a user to make him/her click on a URL or open an attachment in order to • Bring him/her to a fake login page to steal a passwd • Install a spyware / ransomware / malware • ... Spear-phishing = phishing + social engineering Not technical attacks ! Only confidence tricks 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 31.
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Beware of phishing The most common attack 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 32.
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Beware of phishing Also in the news ... Associated Press Twitter account hacked by phishing 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 35.
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Beware of phishing Also in the news ... Phishing email 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 36 The link does not point to WP website Very generic Other example (J.Podesta).
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Beware of phishing everywhere actually ... 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 37.
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Beware of phishing everywhere actually ... 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 38.
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Beware of phishing It can install malware like PEGASUS • Targets iOS and Android • Based on zero-days vulnerabilities • Developed by NSO group (Israël) • Probably sold to regimes that abuse human rights 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 39 Couverture Le Monde Révélé par Forbidden Stories.
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Beware of phishing It can install malware like PEGASUS 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 40.
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Beware of phishing countermeasures • Be suspicious of generic emails • Read the URL before you click • Check the URL in the browser (+HTTPS) before entering credentials • Report suspicious links to security and to initiatives like citizen labs. 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 41.
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Quiz time ! • Quiz 1 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 42 Détecter les indices du phishing.
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Quiz time ! • Quiz 2 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 43 Reconnaître l'identité d'un site web.
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Quiz time ! • Quiz 3 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 44 Cryptolocker, ransomware et prises d'otages.
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Quiz time ! • Quiz 4 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 45 Usurpation d'identité et arnaque au président.
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Digital Security Best Practices 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 46 Safe data storage.
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Safe data storage Turn on automatic disk encryption + smartphone encryption (turned on by default on recent devices) 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 47 MacOS Filevault Windows BitLocker.
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Safe data storage Check apps & cloud storage / services • Privacy checkup: on Google, Facebook, etc • Download your data and see what they know about you • Google Takeout • Verify permissions of all apps installed on your smartphone • Some new feature in iOS 14.5 ... • Avoid storing sensitive data on cloud services 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 48.
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Safe data storage How many copies do you have ? • Backups ? • Local ? In the cloud ? • Encrypted ? • Email attachments ? Prefer « secure erase » options 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 49.
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Safe data storage Additional tools • VeraCrypt • Encrypt files and volumes • Include plausible deniability • Free • Tails • Portable operating system that protects against surveillance and censorship • For bootable USB for instance • Persistent encrypted storage on the USB • Not compliant with Apple M1 or M2 chips L • Free 2025-2026 UCLouvain - LCOMU2124 - Compétences numériques du journalisme 50.