Kiron begins building the Digital Self Defense Center

We are in the process of launching the Digital Self Defence Center (DSDC) to strengthen civil society in the digital space throughout Europe. Uncensored access to culture and education as well as free spaces for unsurveilled communication are essential, especially in the cross-border exchange between cultural workers and cultural mediators. Starting in August 2020, Kiron began the implementation of the DSDC as a digital learning platform providing content and a digital community to improve the online safety of civil society actors.

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The learning space will be created by a team of online education professionals from Kiron in cooperation with domain experts like Werner Bogula, who has been working as a trainer for journalists and activists for more than 15 years. He says: “I am happy that Kiron realize[s] an open educational resource about internet security, which is so much needed by individuals and organizations from journalism, cultural cooperation and civil society.”

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In February 2020, we held our first co-creation workshop along with other NGOs and stakeholders to make sure their needs are being met. Applying the workshop’s feedback, Kiron will sharpen their development of course materials with perspective on the unique needs of organizations such as cultural mediators and NGOs. The course will cover the basics of data security and privacy protection, particularly on collaborative platforms. It will also provide the necessary skills to choose and apply security software and address how to deal with security emergencies. The platform will address security issues on five levels:

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Mindset und Awareness

Understand potential dangers and security threats.

Behavior

Advancing security awareness and action.

Skills

Development of basic security knowledge, anonymity, and privacy policy skills.

Tools

Software and Service offerings, according to the newest Standards Exchange: Exchange between users.

Emergency Support

Fast response through Help Desks and IT support.

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Kiron will provide the course on a free basis to the European civil society by the end of 2021.