![]() The New York Times set an important precedent last year by hiring a director of information security for its newsroom. It often publishes rigorously researched, well-written articles on online safety for journalists. The Intercept maintains rigorous standards for online privacy and has famously protected sources like Snowden. Some outlets already take security very seriously. ![]() First contacts can be the most dangerous: People may reach out to journalists via unencrypted email or phone calls that are easily traced. News outlets should also publish clear, easy-to-find information to help their sources share information safely. Privacy training should be required for new employees, with frequent updates for everyone. News companies should support efforts to stay ahead of the spies: At the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Edward Snowden and others are developing new privacy software and even a modified iPhone for journalists. Newsroom security is not a project that can be accomplished piecemeal, and it takes more than a handful of tech-savvy reporters to change the practices of a whole company.ĬEOs should appoint a newsroom privacy expert to keep abreast of the quickly changing landscape for online privacy-like this week's revelations from WikiLeaks. While it may be tempting to delegate this problem to the IT department or leave individual reporters to fend for themselves, it's the responsibility of company leaders, namely, the CEO, to make sure that the company is protecting reporters and their sources with the information and training they need and deserve. They have an obligation to learn about online privacy and to mandate responsible security practices from the newsroom to the boardroom. This is where managing editors, publishers, and CEOs must step in. Editorial boards, such as the one at The Philadelphia Inquirer that recently compared Donald Trump to a dictator, should probably also batten down the hatches. Teen Vogue is covering wiretapping Vanity Fair is reporting on the travel ban. Think about it: In recent weeks, we've seen front-page controversies about national parks, FISA warrants, education, healthcare, oil pipelines, fashion, hotels, and movie stars. In the meantime, the need for better security doesn’t just apply to investigative journalists. Notably, Snowden tweeted in response to the news: "It may not feel like it, but computer security is getting better." Notably, end-to-end encryption appears to remain intact. Is it the Tor-based operating system Tails? A retooled iPhone? Advocates, including Edward Snowden, are still sorting out the meaning of the files released this week. This week's publication of the Vault 7 files from WikiLeaks-which reminded everyone that if the CIA owns your whole device, it can even read your Signal texts-will likely cause privacy advocates to recalibrate what reporters (and everyone else) can consider safe enough to use.
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