Security First

secfirst.org

Security First is an organisation that works to increase the security of human rights defenders. Established in 2013 and based in London, the organisation is creating “Umbrella,” a mobile application that provides all the information and tools needed for a human rights defender (HRD) to operate safely. With step-by-step processes for every situation from sending a secure email to emergency evacuation - Umbrella will provide HRDs with a one-stop-shop for all the latest tools and information of how to operate securely as and when they need it. Technology is transforming the way civil society thinks, operates and interacts. It is also transforming the way civil society is targeted. Knowing how to operate securely is no longer an aspirational ideal, but a requisite for HRDs’ continued operation. Security must come first. While there exist a number of instrumental online tools for the security of HRDs, collectively, they face a number of problems – they are dispersed, complex, focused solely on cyber-security, quickly outdated, often unavailable on mobile devices, and are lacking in an overarching management system. In order to address these problems and reduce the risks faced by HRDs, we must significantly simplify this process. We need a simple, easily accessible tool that provides all the latest information, collates and automates existing tools and acts as a live management system. This is what Umbrella aims to provide.