Group/Organizational Safety

Signal offers encrypted messaging for groups, but the threads themselves are only as safe from infiltration (or being discovered on an unlocked device) as are the users and settings. 

How to increase Signal safety:

• Do not post anything sensitive in large threads. Threads are easy to infiltrate. Post with caution (assume there's a cop or journalist lurking in the thread).
• Create a vouching protocol for adding new people to your threads.
• Burn threads (everyone leaves) after they have served their purpose.
• Delete old threads from your devices - leaving a thread isn't enough. Threads you have left still stay on your devices until manually deleted.
• Turn on disappearing messages.
• Change your name to something anonymous if security is a concern. 
•  "here’s how you can turn off notifications or at least make it so Signal message content isn’t visible in your push notifications on your iPhone" (IG) by 404Mediaco  

Signal's response to a subpoena for data (3-6-26). (website)

Elusive: ICE Masks Up in More Ways Than One (website)

• by Ken Klippenstein

Security In-a-Box (website)

The Importance of Digital Inclusion in Disaster Recovery: A Response to Climate Change (website)

• by National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Portable Network Kits (website) and Portable Network Kits Zine (Google doc)

• by Community Tech NY

Community Safety and De-Escalation Directory: Trainings Available in Your State (website)

• by Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI)

Standing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ)

• Community Safety for All toolkit (website)
• Resources for a Strong Movement (website)
• Disability and Access (website)

Bringing "Safety Through Solidarity" To Life: An Abolitionist Guide to Jewish Community Safety (website)

• by Community Safety Campaign

A Troublemaker’s Guide (Updated 2025) (website)

• by Catalyst Project

Security Culture for Activists (website)

• by The Ruckus Society

InfoSec 101 for Activists (website)

Vision Change Win

• Progressive Safety Alliance (website)
• Vision Change Win Organizational Safety Planning Mini-Toolkit Series (website)
  • Assessing Risk toolkit (website/pdf)
  • Building an Inventory (website/pdf)
  • Get In Formation Toolkit (website/pdf) (in Spanish)
• Go Bag Ideas (public file share)

Workbook on Security: Practical Steps for Human Rights Defenders at Risk (public file share)

• by Front Line Defenders

Muslims for Just Futures

• Community Guide for Grassroots Groups: Fiscal Sponsorship, Bail Funds, and Mutual Aid Basics (website)
• The Criminalization of Solidarity (website)

Accomplices Not Allies, Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex: An Indigenous Perspective & Provocation (Instagram / pdf version)

• by Indigenous Action Media (2014) with annotations / formatting for IG via @endcivdistro  

Pods: The Building Blocks of Transformative Justice & Collective Care

• by SOIL: A Transformative Justice Project

International Center for Not-For-Profit Law

• Congressional Investigations: Investigations into US Nonprofits (website)
• Evolving Threats to the Tax-Exempt Status of 501(c)(3) Nonprofits (website/pdf)

Community Guide for Grassroots Groups (website/pdf)

• by Muslims for Just Futures