Surfshark
The 2025 International Press Institute World Congress and Media Innovation Festival in Vienna gathered the world’s leading journalists, editors, and media thinkers. In a field as crucial to the modern world as journalism, online information security isn’t just an advantage — it’s a necessity. Surfshark took the opportunity to present insights and discuss different ways cybersecurity influences the current media landscape.
What was the 2025 IPI World Congress?
The three-day event took place in Vienna from October 23 to 25. It was organized by the International Press Institute and aimed to address the challenges facing journalism today.
The event marked the 75th anniversary of the organization itself. However, the main topics had little to do with the past and were more focused on current and upcoming challenges, as highlighted by the theme “Defending the Future of Free Media.”
The 2025 IPI World Congress brought together 630 attendees from over 90 countries and territories. 184 speakers took the stage. And while the amount and the quality of subjects presented were impressive, there were at least as many connections and exchanges made between lectures and workshops.
How did Surfshark participate?
We hosted two discussions with very different agendas. The first session, led by our Public Relations Manager, Vaiva Norkūnaitė, focused on Surfshark’s Research Hub. The hub has published numerous studies featured in major media outlets, including the BBC and the New York Times.
The data-driven research was used to examine the role that statistics and online data play in the modern journalistic landscape.
And our Security Governance and Compliance Manager, Miguel Fornés Belcasem, showcased what hacking looks like in real-time. Using both technological and psychological tactics, the workshop highlighted how easily personal data can be misused. In a profession as high-stakes as journalism, online hygiene can have life-changing consequences.
“Journalists and media organizations today face a range of threats and attacks in the online space, including targeted cyberattacks and surveillance. These attacks put journalists’ safety at risk, compromise source protection and communications security, and undermine the public’s ability to access news and information online. Strong cybersecurity and privacy measures and policies are crucial to ensuring journalists around the world can do their work freely and safely, which means that cybersecurity companies are essential allies in supporting press freedom and human rights online more broadly.” — Scott Griffen, IPI Executive Director.
Staying safe in the online world
Participating in events like the 2025 IPI World Congress is part of Surfshark’s goal of improving global online security. At Surfshark, we collaborate closely with non-governmental organizations, such as the Open Rights Group and Access Now, to defend the rights of at-risk users. In addition, we support the efforts of organizations that advocate for digital freedom, like EDRi, which promotes online safety laws and the advancement of digital rights. Find more of our social responsibility initiatives here.
We also urge organisations working with journalistic freedom to take note of our Emergency VPN program.
By the way, the experts at IPI have compiled an incredible list of 75 must-read books related to press freedom and independent journalism. If you’re interested in these topics, we highly recommend checking out the list here.
