Bareedo Platform Somalia, with the support of the Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP), conducted a two-day training in Garowe, Puntland, Somalia, from June 27 to 29, 2024, for over 42 civil society organizations from various regions of Somalia. In this training, Bareedo Platform trained them on how they can use Microsoft technology, software, and products provided for nonprofit organizations after they have received approval from Microsoft to use these products free of charge. They received training on utilizing Microsoft-provided security tools, which aid in preventing cyber-attacks, detecting and resolving threats, and responding to data breaches.
Bareedo Platform previously identified and recognized 91 civil society organizations, predominantly led by women human rights defenders, feminists, and minorities, as the most vulnerable to digital attacks and threats in Somalia. These groups have consistently faced severe digital attacks such as phishing, spyware, communication theft, surveillance, privacy breaches, censorship, and online harassment, which have significantly impacted their work. Their vulnerabilities mainly resulted from their lack of digital security knowledge and their use of insecure digital equipment and communication platforms, which made them more vulnerable to digital attacks.
Before this training, Bareedo Platform had been providing individual technical assistance for these civil society organizations for months to develop sustainable internal digital security policies and action plans to better respond to cybersecurity challenges and digital threats. The support included how these organizations could have access to Microsoft’s grants, donations, and discounted products and services specifically designed for nonprofit organizations, although these organizations could not afford to buy the expensive secure software and products.
With the technical assistance of Bareedo Platform, 40 out of 51 organizations that applied for Microsoft Nonprofit Solutions received approval from Microsoft to use their secure software and products free of charge or at a discounted price. Bareedo Platform conducted a two-day training for these organizations to teach them how to use the services provided by the Microsoft nonprofit to help them effectively protect themselves from digital threats.
With the use of Microsoft’s secure products and software, these civil society organizations, which have previously faced digital threats and attacks, can now keep their data safe from cyberattacks and help manage their network security.
As part of this project that is funded by Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP), Bareedo Platform previously conducted three-days long digital security awareness and training for 108 civil society organizations, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists in Somalia who have been facing digital attacks and risks. The training which was held from March 2, 2024 to March 4, 2024 in Garowe, Somalia and facilitated by a professional digital security expert, the participants learned the following digital knowledge and practices to respond to the digital security challenges they face in their work and daily lives.
Bareedo Platform also reached out to and provided direct digital security support for 49 NGO staff, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists across Somalia and also helped 21 civil society organizations, particularly those led by vulnerable groups such as women, feminists, minorities, and LGBTQ people, solve some immediate security threats and risks they have been facing digital threats throughout Somalia, as well as develop sustainable internal digital security policies and action plans to better respond to cybersecurity challenges and digital threats.
Bareedo Platform also developed the first draft of a digital risk assessment tool that will be available online for more than 10,000 civil society organizations, human rights defenders, activists, and journalists in Somalia to identify their online security strengths and weaknesses and get relevant recommendations and resources for improvement.
Bareedo Platform appreciates Puntland NGO Network (PUNTNGO), an umbrella body that brings together all registered local non-governmental and non-profit organizations (NGO) operating in Puntland, Somalia, for facilitation of the training, as well as their close collaboration on referral and bringing the most at-risk groups facing digital attacks to our attention.