Executive Summary

The ecosystem providing digital security support to human rights defenders (HRDs)—from journalists in conflict zones to organizations struggling to keep their websites online against cyberattacks—is broken.

Findings from an original survey of 44 human rights organizations included in this report illustrate these challenges. The report reveals that human factors, not technical ones, present the biggest cybersecurity challenges. Organizations rely heavily on trusted partners for security solutions and external support, highlighting a need for practical, actionable guidance over theoretical training. Despite investment and effort from civil society, governments, and the private sector, a fragmented approach and conflicting policies have left these vulnerable communities exposed to digital threats.

The report investigates the systemic failures that undermine effective protection of HRDs online and identifies three primary gaps in the current cybersecurity framework:

1. Organizations prioritize their primary mission over cybersecurity. Due to extremely limited resources, small teams, and tight budgets, human rights organizations are forced to focus on their core mission while leaving cybersecurity as an afterthought. This issue has been made worse by events like the July 2025 closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the elimination of around $60 billion in global assistance, which included support for HRDs and their digital security initiatives.¹
2. Threat environments differ depending on region and area of work. Digital threats are specific to the context in which they occur, meaning there is no universal threat model that can serve all HRDs. For example, an activist in Brazil facing threats from paramilitary groups has a different threat model than an activist in China who is targeted by sophisticated state surveillance. Therefore, a single solution for everyone will not work for digital security and could even put HRDs at even greater risk.
3. Global cybersecurity support systems are fragmented. The efforts of civil society, the private sector, and governments are often isolated and uncoordinated. Civil society organizations provide essential support but struggle with unreliable funding. Private sector companies offer help, but their products are often not designed for the unique threat landscape HRDs face, and some of these same companies contribute to those threats. Meanwhile, governments have contradictory policies—at times funding initiatives and tools while at other times expanding their own domestic surveillance powers.

The report highlights the real-world challenges faced by human rights defenders through firsthand accounts. These stories are critical for understanding HRDs’ experiences and provide much-needed evidence for illustrating systemic failures, building a data-driven case for policy changes, and helping preserve narratives and evidence that might otherwise be lost.