Surfshark
In a world where threats evolve faster than most can keep up, the need for skilled digital defenders has never been more urgent.
That’s why we’re proud to announce our partnership as a supporting partner of Amnesty International’s Digital Forensics Fellowship (DFF) — a program dedicated to equipping activists, journalists, and human rights defenders with the skills they need to protect themselves and their communities online.
To learn more, we spoke with Molly Cyr, the Training and Community Engagement Lead for the Security Lab at Amnesty International.
What is the Digital Forensics Fellowship?
The Digital Forensics Fellowship is a specialized training program run by Amnesty International’s Security Lab that teaches human rights defenders working at the intersection of human rights and technology how to conduct mobile device analysis. It’s not just theoretical learning — fellows gain hands-on experience in critical areas, including threat research, forensic analysis of Android and iOS devices, and malware traffic analysis.
“The Digital Forensics Fellowship, or DFF, is a training program geared toward upskilling human rights defender-technologists in mobile device forensics,” explains Cyr. “After the Pegasus Project, the DFF emerged in response to the growing number of civil society organizations seeking to protect themselves from advanced attacks made possible by spyware. […] From the first edition […] to the fourth edition, starting in 2026, the program has evolved organically from an introductory level training program to a more advanced program tailored to organizations that are regularly doing mobile device forensics, and who want to deepen their understanding and skill set.”
Why digital forensics matters for human rights
Digital forensics might sound highly technical — and it is — but its importance is deeply human. For those working to expose injustice and defend human rights, understanding how to analyze devices and detect surveillance can be the difference between continuing their vital work and being silenced.
“Our team is focused on consensual mobile device forensics, which refers to analysis and research that is done with a person or an organization,” says Cyr. “We work together with an individual or group who comes to us to analyze their mobile device […]. In contrast, non-consensual forensic analysis is conducted without the individual’s informed consent […]. Our way of working, using a consensual forensic model, is critical for the human rights movement because it allows individuals or groups who have been targeted with highly sophisticated surveillance tools to understand what has happened to their device, and then be in a decision-making position to determine what happens next.”
The threats are real and pervasive. Activists and journalists face sophisticated attacks designed to compromise their devices, steal sensitive information, track their communications, and identify their sources. These aren’t abstract risks — they’re daily realities for people documenting abuses, exposing corruption, and advocating for change.
According to Cyr, “This depends on a person’s context and factors related to their profile or identity, but we are seeing an increase in surveillance – both physical and digital – across the spectrum. Technologies for digital surveillance are being rapidly developed and deployed, and used in conjunction with other tools and tactics to monitor people and movements in innovative ways. Human rights movements that are researching these evolving surveillance strategies are also seeing the number of countries deploying these tactics against their own citizens at home and abroad increase, as conflicts multiply and intensify around the globe.”
Advanced technical capacity is needed in all world regions to conduct research into these sophisticated threats and to support impacted individuals. That’s exactly what the DFF provides.
Who benefits from the digital forensics fellowship?
The DFF is designed for human rights defenders working at the nexus of human rights and technology — people who are already engaged in this challenging work and need advanced technical skills to do it more effectively and safely.
These fellows come from diverse regions around the world, often from places where digital threats are most severe and technical resources are scarce. The fellowship provides them with the training they might not otherwise have access to.
“This year, the curriculum will include work on Android and iOS forensics, and a new focus on setting up and maintaining sustainable helplines for Fellows’ organizations,” Cyr notes. “Ensuring that an organization has a clear procedure for receiving cases in a secure way is crucial, and it also includes knowing when to orient the individuals or organizations that contact them to other types of support services for physical security or wellbeing needs, for example. […] We have witnessed the ripple effect of training individuals and organizations, who then go out and directly support or train their communities, in turn.”
By training fellows across different regions, the program creates a global network of experts who can respond locally to digital threats.
How does this align with our vision
You might wonder: Surfshark doesn’t offer digital forensics tools, so why support this fellowship?
The answer is simple. Our vision is a world where everyone is secure in their digital lives.
“That vision isn’t limited to our products — it’s about the broader ecosystem of digital safety and privacy. While we help people stay safer online through accessible security solutions, the DFF addresses a different but equally critical piece of the puzzle: building the expertise needed to investigate and respond when digital rights are violated,” says Dovydas Godelis, CEO at Surfshark.
Giving the most at-risk users the tools and support they need to work more securely benefits everyone. “For example, when industry partners make tools and services with at-risk users in mind, the higher security standards required for those users ultimately benefit us all. When civil society organizations […] research and publish about sophisticated threats or campaigns targeting at-risk activists and journalists, it behooves all users as it increases awareness and can lead to accountability and changes in policy or tools,” Cyr states.
Why businesses should support online safety
Our partnership with Amnesty International reflects a broader principle: businesses have a responsibility to contribute to the goals and values they match.
It’s not enough for companies to simply offer privacy-focused products. If we believe in a free and secure internet, we need to support the organizations and initiatives working to make that vision a reality — especially when their work addresses challenges we can’t solve alone.
When businesses align their resources with organizations like Amnesty International, we help create lasting change that goes far beyond what any single company can achieve. We believe this kind of collaboration is essential — and we encourage other businesses to consider how they can support shared visions for online safety and privacy.
