Earthquake deepens people’s digital vulnerability – Syrian Arab Republic

In the aftermath of the earthquakes that rocked Turkey and northern Syria, another vulnerability quietly but surely deepened. Local members of the SalamaTech team help people protect themselves from subsequent digital harm.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks this month killed nearly 50,000 people. Homes, buildings and infrastructure are in ruins. Millions of people are seeking shelter in camps, emergency facilities and temporary buildings. The current humanitarian crisis does not exceed the unimaginable scale of the challenge of rebuilding in the future. In northern Syria alone, millions need food, medical assistance, better shelter, alternatives to broken schools, and the list goes on. And on that list is the 21st century’s very need: protection from mounting digital harms.

Understanding the urgency here means acknowledging the role digital technology plays for Syrians during a decade of war. Mobile devices, in particular, are an important link for the scattered family, supportive communities, humanitarian assistance, vital information, and more. But this lifeline also comes with a new world of digital threats – which is why SALAMA Technologies was founded in 2012, with the backing of the Foundation. Since then, this self-organizing team of community workers has helped Syrians protect themselves from hackers, extortionists, and a whole host of bad actors.

In the enterprise, we hear from members of the SalamaTech team on the ground. Many have seen their homes collapse. Some have lost family members under the rubble. But they are still joining the search for survivors and providing frontline assistance in and around their communities. And over time, they’ve found themselves once again promoting digital safety, too – cybercriminals move in to exploit their most vulnerable.

Digital harms: what we’re hearing

In one of several cases this week, team members successfully pressured Meta into suspending a Facebook account used by a blackmailer. He hacked into a woman’s phone, stole private photos of her without a headscarf, and threatened to post them on the Internet. In fact, he had already started posting samples to a local Facebook buy and sell group before losing his account. While it may reappear, blackmailers often disappear if they fear exposure. This has been the team’s experience helping countless women through such situations.

The big concern right now is the massive vulnerability of mobile devices. While many people are still connected to mobile phone networks, electricity for charging is scarce. Therefore, people are looking for any energy sources that are found in public places. And sometimes they leave devices unattended—whether it’s charging or keeping a spot on a waiting list—to focus on other survival challenges. Team members saw strangers volunteering to watch the collections of phones.

When Hardware Disappears, Will It Feed a Bullish Black Market? No doubt. Do hackers sometimes install backdoors first, giving them remote access to personal data? No doubt. The team also discovers strangers stealthily snooping on phones at charging stations. Were they looking for weak passcodes, or using monitors to monitor people entering their own codes? Do they install malware right away or do they hijack accounts? One team member said she’s concerned that a wave of hacked devices will spread among ordinary people, ready to be used for theft and extortion after the dust settles.

There has also been a wave of misinformation online. Scammers promote sites that promise to help people find lost loved ones – or better food or shelter – that turn out to be phishing to drop malware. On social media, it raises fake news about the ramifications of the sectarian divide and concerns about humanitarian actors. Some posters create panic with warnings of the possibility of floods or even tsunamis. They all tap into the basic fact that need, fear, and desperation can lower anyone’s guard.

Learning from the crisis

In the midst of a crisis, members of the Safety Tech team are looking for ways to help people protect themselves. Some are holding impromptu digital safety sessions in tented camps. Others are working together to post digital safety alerts and tips on social media. Under these circumstances, simple steps can go a long way. Like learning to protect a device with a strong password. Or how to recognize phishing attempts and malicious spam information.

This week, a member of the Salama Tech team said that, in two weeks, she gained a lifelong insight. Insights into people’s resilience to crises (in this case, based on crisis years). Reassurance about the dominance of empathy and community over hate and aggression. And lessons that may forever change their approach to helping people build their digital resilience.

What are these lessons? Can we integrate it into our work globally? We know this is not the time to put pressure on our allies in the field. That moment will come soon enough. Right now, in northern Syria, life-saving and resilience-building work continues. And here at the Foundation, we are honored to have found ways to support this work.

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