[liberationtech] Information Operations and Tibetan Rights in the Wake of Self-Immolations: Part I

[Ron Deibert]

Information Operations and Tibetan Rights in the Wake of 
Self-Immolations: Part I

We are pleased to share the first in what we anticipate will be a series 
of analyses by Citizen Lab on Information Operations and Tibetan Rights 
in the Wake of Self-Immolations.

This first post details the urgent and ongoing threat presented by 
information operations deployed against Tibetans and others who advocate 
for Tibetan rights and freedoms, including in Tibetan areas of China. It 
documents an apparent increase in the use of social engineering linked 
to the issue of self-immolation to target Tibetan activists with 
malware, as well as the reported increase in magnitude of information 
controls (in close coordination with more physical measures) utilized by 
the Chinese government in Tibetan areas. The post includes a number of 
recommendations regarding steps individuals can take to defend 
themselves against targeted cyber threats.

Particularly in light of the upcoming March 10 anniversary of Tibetan 
Uprising Day, Citizen Lab urges all human rights organizations or others 
concerned with Tibetan rights to exercise vigilance concerning their use 
of information communication technologies at this sensitive time, 
especially with respect to emails that reference self-immolation or 
anniversary-related activities.

The Citizen Lab will continue its investigation of information 
operations and Tibetan rights, and will post further analysis as it 
becomes available.

The post is here:
http://citizenlab.org/2012/03/information-operations-and-tibetan-rights-in-the-wake-of-self-immolations-part-i/

-- 
Ronald Deibert
Director, the Canada Centre for Global Security Studies
and the Citizen Lab
Munk School of Global Affairs
University of Toronto
http://deibert.citizenlab.org/
twitter.com/citizenlab
r.deibert at utoronto.ca