Scooped by lightbulbs, stalked by doorbells:

Devices that collect, transfer and act on data in our environments open up new vectors for attack, often in ways for which we’re not prepared. For high-risk communities like journalists, the consequences can be devastating. We’ve already seen examples of technology being used against members of the media, from Marie Colvin, located and killed after her satellite phone was tracked, to the use of spyware to track Jamal Khashoggi before his assassination.

The Internet of Things (IoT) introduces even more subtle, pervasive and unpredictable risks, which slip through the cracks of newsroom security training. The IoT refers to the growing network of everyday objects, from smart TVs and camera-equipped doorbells to connected cars and sleep tracking rings, that are linked to each other and often the Internet. These devices collect, share, and sometimes act on data, often without users being fully aware of the spectrum of information they hold and transmit.

This isn’t just about individual safety. IoT-enabled surveillance, disruption, and intimidation undermine the ability of journalists to work safely and independently. This undermines the capacity for societies to have a free press, which is a key marker of democratic health. That’s why we want to do our part to help journalists better protect themselves.

I’m Dr. Anjuli R. K. Shere, and this website delivers a practical toolkit based on my research into ways in which the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) creates new, complex risks for journalists and news organisations, and how we can build practical, usable defences against those threats. Based on that research, I wrote a comic book (art by Kame, lettering by Isabel Impink), which was intended to make cyber security against IoT risks accessible for a variety of audiences.

With this website, I've brought in Dr. Miranda Melcher to help develop the comic into a freely available training resource to give journalists and members of the media industry an immersive learning experience as they begin to navigate and combat these emerging cyber risks.

Here, you can find links to my original research, enjoy reading the comic, and engage with the site’s educational pages that break down the elements of the comic to highlight risks and offer practical suggestions for journalists and media professionals to strengthen their security.

If you’re interested in bespoke training for yourself or your organisation, please get in touch!