Overview
Marwa is a 20-year-old journalist who grew up in Syria, later moving to a neighboring country due to increased violence in her region.
This experience has made her resilient and quick to adapt. Although she has fled the physical danger of conflict in Syria, she now faces new threats because of her profession, from targeted surveillance to advanced malware, as well as an increasing number of border skirmishes and assassination attempts on journalists.
She uses a wide-range of applications, but most notably Facebook, to share her stories with a broader audience inside and outside of Syria. She is often willing to take risks and has been desensitized to a point where securing her data is not a high priority most of the time.
Goals
She needs to communicate and share what is happening in Syria as efficiently as she can, sometimes as a form of criticism or dissent, but mostly to disseminate information and raise awareness.
She also requires regular communication with her vast network of friends and followers (some of whom she does not necessarily know personally).
Threats
Phishing attacks and malware exposure to her devices both from state and non-state actors.
Surveillance of her communication by both the hostcountry and Syria and misinformation about their capabilities.
Imprisonment and unintentionally putting others at risk through their connection with her, particularly family.
Revealing networks due to device confiscation.
Strengths
Fearless journalist with a strong voice and a powerful message.
Very adaptable to a range of circumstances.
Committed to returning home and supporting her people in the meantime.
Questions
How can I trust that what you’re telling me is true?
How do I secure my social networks? And how can communicate with my network if they don’t use a particular tool?
Getting my message out is more important than security. What are some ways I can balance this?
How can I protect myself and my friends?
