Human Rights Defenders in Cyberspace: A Litmus Test for Cybe

Human Rights Defenders in Cyberspace: A Litmus Test for Cybersecurity


Human Rights Defenders in Cyberspace: A Litmus Test for Cybersecurity
By Pavlina Pavlova - 11 May 2021
Compromised accounts, device confiscation, censorship, surveillance, excessive monitoring – these are some of the threats in cyberspace with the potential to violate human rights. But not everyone is affected equally with their consequences. Human rights defenders have been pre-eminently targeted by their adversaries and opponents. They have witnessed human rights concerns being translated into threats to psychological and even physical security. Reflecting on their security needs and experiences can act as the litmus test when building digital societies that are democratic, secure, and resilient.       
Shortly after the word ‘cyberspace’ had been coined by sci-fi novelist William Gibson in the early ’80s, the prefix ‘cyber’ extended into multiple areas, denoting their relationship with information technology. The term ‘cybersecurity’ has by itself over 400 unique definitions recorded to date. This seeming plurality of definitions, however, does not translate into diverse views, and the field remains driven by a dominant national security-centric approach.

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