Disclaimer

Both teachers are U.S.-based and most examples in the class will draw from the U.S. context, but the strategies and concepts we learn will be broadly applicable. We'd happily work with students in office hours to help them research their security contexts, and we strongly encourage all students to bring their own examples to class.

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• Level: All

• Tools: Computer, smartphone

• Focus: Reimagining approaches to digital security while building practical skills to assess tools and threats.

• Prereqs: None

• Project: Reworking or developing a training for your own and/or a community partner's digital security practices; reflections in a physical class zine.

Full Description

What is digital security? Is it a lost cause in our age of mass surveillance? How do you determine which practices are feasible, worthwhile, or ever “enough”? This class will teach practical skills for making security decisions for individuals and organizations, while experimenting with artist interventions, analog alternatives, and speculative exploration about the future of our tech tools.

Our class is rooted in the philosophy that there is no one technology that will make us safe, only a combination of technical and social solutions that help us make each other safer. Therefore, in addition to evaluating various digital platforms and tools, we will discuss questions such as: how do we decide what information needs to be recorded and stored? How do we understand "identity" beyond identity markers and public recognition? What would it mean to approach communication as a gift? We will discuss examples such as Minneapolis, where widespread adoption of platforms such as Signal transformed the collective response to federal occupation, and local responses to Flock across the United States. Our hope is that this class serves as a starting point not only for individual digital security practice, but collective, place-based interventions. Thus, we encourage folks to apply with a group of friends from the same city, or with a local community partner in mind.

Course of Study

• Week 1) Introduction: What is our terrain?

• Week 2) Communication: How we talk to who, about what, where?

• Week 3) Presence: How do we move through physical and digital space?

• Week 4) Memory: What do we leave behind?

• Week 5) Identity + final projects: How do we balance authenticity and anonymity?

Expectations

Time & Workload

• Homework is optional, but will enrich your class experience.

• We encourage participants to engage with local community partners during the course, which will require some time outside of class.

Technical Experience

• None required; any experience level welcome

Materials

• Computer, smartphone

Is this class for me?

This class may be for you if you:

• Are a digital security beginner and want to learn more and share with your friends and comrades. We encourage people to apply as part of collectives!

• Are knowledgeable in digital security practices, but want to explore alternative ways of thinking and teaching about it to expand your lens on digital safety.

• Know the tools you're "supposed to have" to be digitally secure but don't know why

This class may NOT be for you if you:

• Are only interested in getting a list of the best VPNs and other digital tools

• Believe you know the best and only correct digital security solutions