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Digital Safety and The Rise of the Home Office

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe more and more people moved their work, study, and social activities online. Many of these individuals were making the move to remote work for the first time leaving them vulnerable to a number of digital risks such

COVID-19 and the Hidden Digital Risks

  so·cial en·gi·neer·ing /ˈsōSHəl ˌenjəˈni(ə)riNG/ “The use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes.” ~Oxford Dictionary~ The novel coronavirus has changed the digital habits of millions of internet users. To address the need for social distancing a significant number

Concerns Rising Over Possible WhatsApp ‘blockade’ in Government-held Areas

Earlier this month, Syrians living in government-controlled territories are reportedly facing difficulties using WhatsApp for audio and video calls. No official response has been issued to address the rising concerns voiced by Syrians, who rely heavily on the mobile communication application to connect with family

Internet in Syria

Internet in Syria Remains Critical – and Challenged

By Abdulrahman al-Masri Internet in Syria remains critical – and challenged. Footage from Vice on HBO’s latest documentary, Assad’s Syria, shows​ a large web of exposed and intertwined wires in the street of a destroyed Aleppo neighborhood, an area​ that witnessed intense fighting between Syrian rebels and regime forces in late 2016. The tangle of

Empowering women to be Syrian journalists

Zaina Erhaim has studied journalism in the UK and worked as a journalist in England for two years before returning home to Syria in 2011. Upon finding that most journalists and citizen journalists were men, she decided to educate women in this sphere. After performing

What smartphones mean to Syrian refugees

The British Channel 4's documentary "Children on the Frontline" interviewed Hala, a refugee from Aleppo, Syria. She mentions what smartphones mean to her. “It has everything. All my family, all my world is here.” She had left her home after her husband was kidnapped by Isis. She went through

Why does every refugee have a smartphone? – a digital citizen report

Smartphones not only allow refugees to keep in touch with their families, but also to share crucial information about prices, traffickers or how to travel safely through Europe (CNBC).  While technology can be an essential resource for individual refugees, it’s also essential to the agencies