Context
In today’s increasingly hostile digital environment, media organisations and human rights defenders in Nigeria are facing growing threats to their online safety, ranging from cyberattacks to state surveillance. These groups are on the frontlines, often working to expose injustices and advocate for human rights, yet they are frequently left vulnerable due to gaps in their digital security measures and a lack of necessary in-house expertise and resources. This vulnerability leaves them exposed to disruptions that can compromise their vital work. In response to these pressing challenges, Resilience Technologies launched the Infrastructure Hardening and Digital Resilience project, an initiative aimed at helping these organisations strengthen their digital defences.
Spanning a period of three months, the project focused on providing tailored solutions to the specific digital security needs of five carefully selected organisations. These organisations, each either facing or suspecting digital threats, participated in pre-assessment consultations where we engaged directly with them to understand their unique digital environments. By taking this approach, we ensured that our security assessments were highly relevant and specifically tailored to the challenges they faced.
Following the consultations, our team conducted comprehensive website security assessments. These assessments were designed to uncover vulnerabilities across their digital infrastructure—identifying weaknesses in their websites, hosting platforms, and online systems. The findings were documented in detailed reports, which classified vulnerabilities by severity and provided clear remediation steps.
However, the project’s goal extended beyond merely addressing existing threats. We aimed to empower these organisations with the practical knowledge that would enable them to recognise and mitigate future threats autonomously. To achieve this, we delivered in-office training sessions that equipped staff with the necessary skills to navigate today’s digital security landscape. These sessions covered essential topics such as threat detection, secure communication, and data protection practices. The training was also customised to reflect the specific risks and realities faced by each organisation, ensuring that the solutions provided were both relevant and sustainable in the long term.
Impact
One of the most immediate and visible impacts was the identification and mitigation of critical vulnerabilities within the organisations’ digital infrastructure