EAGER: SaTC: Early-Stage Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Understanding group digital security practices

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

Grassroots groups seek to protect their digital security but also to be transparent and open, and to affirm their legitimacy and authority. This research will examine how organizations and groups shape the ways they balance what may be conflicting needs to avoid censure and harassment while being open enough to encourage trust and participation. The research will examine the role of organizational structure and digital security practices, and to uncover processes, practices, or behaviors that increase or reduce security threats to online groups. This project enlists graduate students in computer science and social sciences in the research process. The research will also develop security training programs for nonprofit and community groups. The research methods for this project include semi-structured interviews with small and informal activist collectives as well as larger, bureaucratic NGO organizations. The data will be used to develop principles and methods for secure practices in grassroots groups and community organizations. The findings will contribute to fundamental knowledge of how organizational characteristics intersect with security protection choices and new ways to counter threats of harassment, privacy violations, and surveillance without impinging on openness and legitimate advocacy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.