Security Planning

 

Security planning helps you to identify what could happen to the things you value and determine from whom you need to protect them. When building a security plan answer these five questions:

1. What do I want to protect?
2. Who do I want to protect it from?
3. How bad are the consequences if I fail?
4. How likely is it that I will need to protect it?
5. How much trouble am I willing to go through to try to prevent potential consequences?

There is no “one size fits all” approach to protecting yourself and your loved ones from threats. That’s why it’s important to consider what is important to you, and what you’re willing to do, if confronted with threats and harassment, or are otherwise targeted by corrupt government agents.

Consider your intangible assets. Who/what do you want to protect?

Personal privacy
Personal control over identity
Access to free flow of information
Separation of online personas
Integrity and trust you have built

Also consider your tangible assets. What do you want to protect?

Physical assets like car, laptop, phone
Photographs or video - on phone, laptop, in the cloud
Private documents, like financial statements and client reports
Online accounts
Contact lists of sources, partners, clients
Communication with editors, activists, and/or colleagues
Time-sensitive research and data
Draft documents and articles, sometimes involving collaborators

Who do you want to protect it from?

Abusive partner or ex-partner
Corrupt and abusive police
Criminals (burglars)
Cybercriminals (hackers)
Online abusers (trolls)
Other abusers (in the workplace, at home, etc)
Government agencies
Individuals looking to discredit you (partner’s ex-spouse, online adversary, etc)
Individuals looking to get access to information you have (other writers, etc)
Roommates or guests in your home

Determine how likely it is that you will need to protect the assets you listed

Severity of threat to assets you listed (high, moderate, low)
Capabilities of adversaries (highly capable of carrying out threat, etc)
Trustworthiness of individuals (highly trustworthy, less trustworthy, etc)

Determine how bad the consequences will be if you fail

Do you have any intangible assets that are at risk? At home? At work?
Do you have any tangible assets that are irreplaceable?
Do you have time and/or money to replace assets?
Do you have insurance to cover stolen goods?
Do you have protection and/or support from your employer in the face of threat?

What are you willing to do to prevent or reduce these consequences?
Consider: Amount of money you are willing to spend on the following:

Physical security (lock, security box, security system, safes, etc.)
Digital security (VPN Services, upgraded secure hardware)
Emotional and mental health (counseling sessions, yoga classes, etc.)
Legal (hiring a lawyer, getting consultations, going to court, etc.)