CRII: SaTC: Improving Computer Security Technologies through Analyzing Security Needs and Practices of Journalists

数字通信技术的进步及其在近几十年的扩散对新闻业产生了显著影响。 这些技术的安全漏洞使记者及其消息来源面临越来越大的风险，阻碍了调查性报道、透明度和举报的努力。由于他们愿意成为早期采用者，并公开交流他们的问题，记者提供了一个机会，以确定新的通信方法的安全问题和要求。 该项目将研究记者及其消息来源当前的计算机安全心理模型和实践，并最终设计出更好地满足他们需求的技术。由此产生的工具将以开源形式发布并部署，以直接使记者及其消息来源以及其他技术用户受益，最终帮助保护和改善国内和国际的言论和新闻自由。记者的脆弱性（以及一般用户）交流和存储敏感信息，这些敏感信息由几个因素引起，包括现有工具的可用性问题，心理模型和他们使用的工具的真实的安全属性之间的不匹配，以及可用工具的技术差距。为了评估和解决这些问题，该项目将分两个阶段进行：第一，通过深入访谈和大规模调查研究记者的现行做法，第二，设计新技术，以更好地满足他们的计算机安全需求。第二阶段将利用第一阶段的调查结果为技术研究提供信息，包括为利用现有计算机安全技术的记者开发更有用的工具，以及开发新的计算机安全技术（例如，协议或系统）。例如，该项目将考虑诸如保护通信的元数据和在第一次接触时引导安全通信之类的技术挑战。有关更多信息，请参见项目网站：https://journosec.cs.washington.edu

Advances in digital communication technologies, and their proliferation in recent decades, have had a remarkable impact on journalism. Security weaknesses in these technologies have put journalists and their sources increasingly at risk, hindering efforts at investigative reporting, transparency, and whistleblowing. Because of their willingness to be early adopters, and to openly communicate their issues, journalists provide an opportunity to identify security issues and requirements in new communication methods. This project will study the current computer security mental models and practices of journalists and their sources, and to ultimately design technology to better meet their needs. The resulting tools will be released as open source and deployed to directly benefit journalists and their sources, as well as other users of technology, ultimately helping to protect and improve freedoms of speech and of the press both nationally and internationally.The vulnerabilities in how journalists (and users in general) communicate and store sensitive information result from several factors, including usability problems with existing tools, a mismatch between mental models and the real security properties of the tools they use, and technological gaps in the tools available. To evaluate and address these issues, this project will proceed in two phases: first, studying the current practices of journalists via in-depth interviews and large-scale surveys, and second, designing new technologies to better meet their computer security needs. The second phase will leverage findings from the first phase to inform technical research, including the development of more usable tools for journalists leveraging existing computer security techniques, as well as the development of new computer security technologies (e.g., protocols or systems) where necessary. For example, this project will consider technical challenges such as protecting the metadata of communications and bootstrapping secure communications at first contact.For further information, see the project web site at: https://journosec.cs.washington.edu