Enhancing Cybersecurity and Resilience for Transnational Dissidents

Join the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity for an exciting webinar featuring Citizen Lab researchers Noura Aljizawi, Gözde Böcü, and Nicola Lawford who will present their report, "Enhancing Cybersecurity Resilience for Transnational Dissidents."

 

The report examines the cybersecurity challenges faced by grassroots transnational advocacy groups in the United States that are targeted by authoritarian regimes. These organizations play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable populations like asylum seekers and refugees, but often lack the resources to protect themselves from cyberattacks. This webinar will explore the specific threats these groups encounter, with a focus on exiled women dissidents who navigate issues of gender, politics, and digital repression.

 

Moderated by Ron Deibert, Director of Citizen Lab, the discussion will cover key findings on the cybersecurity threat landscape, strategies for safeguarding networks, and areas for action and improvement to enhance the cybersecurity of transnational activists in the U.S.

 

 

Noura Aljizawi is a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto. Her research focuses on digital authoritarianism, disinformation, and digital transnational repression, informed by her background in human rights activism during the Syrian uprising. Aljizawi holds a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from the University of Toronto and has been recognized for her work in online safety and digital security.

 

Gözde Böcü is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto specializing in Comparative Politics and International Relations. Her research interests include transnationalism, migration, and authoritarianism. In her dissertation project, Gözde explores authoritarian diaspora policies and their effects on diasporas from a comparative perspective. She is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Citizen Lab, where she focuses on digital transnational repression, cybersecurity and human rights.

 

Nicola Lawford is a Citizen Lab Fellow and Master's candidate in Technology and Policy at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) Internet Policy Research Institute (IPRI). She holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her work has focused on digital transnational repression, free expression, and privacy online.

 

Ron Diebert (moderator) is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto.