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Digital Security for Human Rights and Democracy Advocates

Human rights defenders face malicious digital threats but have only limited resources to respond.

Taiwan’s open environment and vibrant civil society have attracted many domestic and international human rights and democracy advocates (HRDs). However, the risks they face in their work remain under-discussed and under-researched. In recent years, as transnational authoritarian influence has intensified, we have repeatedly observed suspicious signs of attacks on devices used by human rights defenders in our collaborations with civil society groups, as well as confirmed incidents that have led to real harm, including account breaches and data compromise.

Yet under severe constraints in staffing and funding, most human rights organizations struggle to build robust digital security mechanisms and lack personnel with cybersecurity expertise, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to escalating digital threats. Although volunteer groups in Taiwan already provide basic training, one-off courses are insufficient to address the diverse sizes, structures, and risk profiles of different organizations. There is therefore an urgent need for long-term, tailored solutions.

This project focuses on two main outputs:

  1. Landscape of Digital Threats against Human Rights and Democracy Advocacy Groups in Taiwan Report: Using surveys and in-depth interviews, we map out the types, sources, and impacts of attacks experienced by human rights defenders, and analyze the current state of their digital infrastructure and security needs.
  2. Digital Security Empowerment Toolkit: Based on the research findings, we design a digital security toolkit tailored to the real-world contexts of human rights defenders in Taiwan, and make it publicly available to help more groups strengthen their defenses.

Overview of Digital Threats against Human Rights and Democracy Advocacy Groups in Taiwan

This project uses surveys (35 organizations and individual actors) and in-depth interviews (3 high-risk human rights defenders) to outline the digital security landscape of HRDs in Taiwan and explore holistic approaches to reducing digital threats.

Profile of Human Rights Defenders in Taiwan

  • Mostly small, formally registered organizations with fewer than 10 people, composed of full-time and part-time staff, interns, and volunteers.
  • Their digital tools are often pieced together in an ad hoc “patchwork” model, lacking overall planning and management.

Main Types of Digital Attacks

  • Most respondents believe foreign authoritarian governments are the primary potential attackers.
  • The most common incidents are social media harassment and phishing attacks.
  • However, respondents are even more concerned about attacks targeting internal digital infrastructure and compromising sensitive data.

Why Are They Worried about Digital Threats?

  • Most rate themselves as inadequately prepared for digital attacks.
  • Patchwork-style digital systems are hard to manage and maintain, increasing vulnerabilities and overall risk.

What Do Human Rights Defenders Need?

  • They show high willingness to participate in external capacity-building programs, but are constrained by limited staff, technical skills, and funding.
  • They hope for sustainable, long-term solutions that can strengthen their knowledge, problem‑solving capacity, and proactive learning mindset.

For more details on the digital attack experiences of human rights defenders in Taiwan, please refer to the report “Overview of Digital Threats against Human Rights and Democracy Advocacy Groups in Taiwan.”