“It takes a journalist.”
FSi Strategies is excited to announce that Microsoft has chosen to highlight our work with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in helping them safeguard the data and online protection of journalists worldwide. We are proud to partner with an organization dedicated to journalists’ in-person and online safety, helping cover the most critical issues of our time, and we are also honored to partner with Microsoft to bring them the best tools and solutions available.
ICFJ, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has been dedicated to protecting and supporting more than 177,000 journalists worldwide for the past 40 years. As Chris Kauffman, Technology and Data Operations Manager at ICFJ, explains, “We support this international community by providing resources to uplift them as much as possible.” In just the last year alone, their support and protection have enabled journalists to report from war zones and to build tools to combat the rise of disinformation and misinformation.
A study by PEW found that while the rise of online attacks on journalists has not stopped them from pursuing the stories, these security concerns have led 14% to not reach out to a particular source and 49% to seek another way to store and share potentially sensitive documents. Just 2% of journalists have complete confidence that their ISP can protect their data, and a staggering 71% have little to no confidence at all.
There is also the concerning trend of the rise of online attacks on women journalists. In 2022, the ICFJ reported that 73% of women journalists had experienced online violence. As a response, 30% of women journalists censored themselves on social media, and another 20% withdrew from all online interactions. Despite this exposure to hostile environments and enduring the threats of online and in-person violence, these journalists continue to “provide the trustworthy news essential to free and robust societies.
Recognizing the growing security threats, the ICFJ proactively partnered with FSi Strategies to bolster its security measures and implement robust processes to continue supporting and protecting its journalists. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner with designations in Modern Work and Security, FSi conducted a security audit and laid out and executed a plan to further protect the ICFJ, its staff, and all the journalists it supports.
These safeguards give the staff the confidence to focus on their work under challenging circumstances while knowing that their devices and data are safe no matter what. As new threats constantly evolve, Kauffman says, “We work alongside FSi to keep up to date and ensure our security structure keeps pace.” Partnering with FSi Strategies helps ICFJ take advantage of Microsoft security products, tools, and solutions to continually advance so they can continue to focus on their mission: the protection of journalists and freedom of speech worldwide.
To learn more about how FSi leveraged Microsoft’s industry leading security solutions to safeguard ICFJ’s data and privacy, check out the full case study. If you are a nonprofit looking to adopt a dynamic, comprehensive approach for your organization to proactively mitigate the risk of data breaches and modern threats, get in touch with us today!