Table of Contents

1. Latest Publications
2. News and Announcements
3. Upcoming Events

1. Latest Publications

• Spying on a Budget: Inside a Phishing Operation with Targets in the Tibetan Community

  While we often think of digital espionage campaigns as requiring limitless resources, this new report shows just how effective a small scale (and small budget) campaign can be. For just over $1,000 USD, agents were able to coordinate and launch a phishing campaign against Tibetans, spoofing Gmail log-in pages in an attempt to intercept credentials.

• Fit Leaking: Citizen Lab Research on Fitness Tracker Privacy

  What can a fitness tracker say about your life? A lot more than if you're keeping your new year's resolutions, it turns out. Citizen Lab Senior Research John Scott-Railton analyzed data made available by fitness app Strava to identify the locations of secret US military bases in conflict zones such as Syria. By allowing Strava to track their movements, military personnel unwittingly showed patterns of movement in otherwise movement-free zones, creating a clear map of "dark" facilities.

• Citizen Lab and CIPPIC Release Analysis of the Communications Security Establishment Act

  What is Bill C-59 and what does it mean for state-sponsored hacking? The Citizen Lab and the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) have collaborated to produce a report which provides legal analysis, political context, and historical background on the proposed Communications Security Establishment Act and related provisions in Bill C-59. And on the heels of newly released briefing notes, we provided an analysis that shows the government's defence of the CSE Act falls short.

• Journalism Schools Still Behind on Cybersecurity

  How are schools helping young journalists ensure that they are protecting their sources and colleagues from digital attacks? In a recent submission to the Columbia Journalism Review, Citizen Lab researchers reveal the results of a new survey that illustrate journalism programs in the US and Canada have considerable room for improvement. In fact, the majority of schools surveyed devote less than two hours to digital security training.

2. News and Announcements

• A Citizen Lab App is Helping Iranians Access the Internet

  In the wake of political unrest and government censorship in Iran, a Citizen Lab-developed app saw a 1,650% increase in downloads in January. Psiphon, which was created at the Citizen Lab but now operates as an independent entity, is a firewall circumvention app that allows users to break through tight Internet controls and access otherwise blocked content.

• Ron Deibert Comments on Alleged North Korean Attack Against Metrolinx

  When Metrolinx, a Crown-owned Canadian transportation agency, claimed that a recent cyberattack was the work of North Korean agents, Citizen Lab Founder and Director Ron Deibert challenged them to support their claims. He argued that in the absence of any concrete evidence, it was irresponsible for the company to jump to conclusions. "Given the high stakes for public safety and foreign policy, there is no reason whatsoever for Metrolinx to not disclose whatever evidence they have."

• Improve your Online Safety with Security Planner

  If you've ever been confused about how to better protect yourself online, you're not alone. That's why the Citizen Lab has created Security Planner: a tool that provides personalized safety recommendations from the world's leading experts in online security. Answer a few questions about your digital habits and the devices you use, and our experts will provide easy and accessible options for staying safer online.

3. Upcoming Events
 

• Citizen Lab Researchers to Speak at U of T Law Panel Discussion

  9 February, Toronto, Canada - Ron Deibert will chair a panel discussion on the far-reaching policy issues and challenges in ongoing debates relating to encryption. The panel, which will also feature Research Fellow Lex Gill, will investigate issues ranging from civil liberties to national security as they pertain to encryption practices.

• Black Code Screening a KDocs Film Festival

  17 February, Vancouver, Canada - Black Code, the documentary based on Ron Deibert's book of the same name, will be screened at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Official Documentary Film Festival.

• Citizen Lab to Participate in UN Workshop on Digital Privacy

  19 - 20 February, Geneva, Switzerland - Citizen Lab Senior Researcher Sarah McKune will be participating in a workshop convened by the United Nation's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, focusing on the right to privacy in the digital age.

• IMAGINEPEACE Forum

  26 March, Toronto, Canada - Inspired by Yoko Ono's work, the IMAGINEPEACE Forum pairs academics with artists to discuss how we are shaping our futures in digital spaces. In the first of a series of conversations at the Gardiner Museum, Ron Deibert and local artist Yan Wu will meet at the intersection of art and technology to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lay at our feet.