{
  "id": 1872363,
  "title": "Journalists facing growing digital threats – Cybersecurity expert warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/journalists-facing-growing-digital-threats-cybersecurity-expert-warns",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-19T05:36:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghana Business News",
    "slug": "ghana-business-news",
    "url": "https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/08/19/journalists-facing-growing-digital-threats-cybersecurity-expert-warns/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Professor Kofi Sarpong Adu-Manu, a cybersecurity expert, has cautioned journalists and media organizations to enhance their digital security practices due to escalating cyber threats. These threats pose risks to sensitive sources, unreported stories, and newsroom credibility. He noted that journalists are increasingly exposed to risks such as phishing, social engineering, account takeovers, malware, ransomware, spyware, device theft, and targeted surveillance. Adu-Manu, an Associate Professor of Wireless Communication Networks at the University of Ghana, provided this advice during the National Community Media Cyber Capacity Building Project in Accra. The project, implemented by the Cyber Security Authority, aims to improve cybersecurity awareness among community and mainstream media practitioners.\n\nDuring the session \"Introduction to the Fundamentals of Cybersecurity for Media Practitioners,\" Adu-Manu emphasized that cybersecurity should be a core component of editorial safety. He pointed out that compromised phones, email accounts, or contact lists could expose confidential sources and put them at risk. Stolen or manipulated drafts and journalistic materials could also undermine investigations and public trust. Many attacks begin with ordinary activities like opening suspicious messages, clicking malicious links, reusing passwords, or sharing excessive personal information online. Common threats include phishing emails and fake login pages, social engineering via calls and messages, account takeovers, unsafe attachments, infected USB drives, device theft, doxxing, harassment, and targeted surveillance.\n\nAdu-Manu highlighted that journalists and community media organizations are not just innocent victims of cyberattacks but can be deliberate targets because of their public visibility and access to sensitive information. He identified account takeover as a significant threat, as hijacked accounts can lead to data, revenue, and credibility loss. A single reused password can expose extensive journalistic work. Ransomware, phishing and spear-phishing, spyware and surveillance are also threats that can compromise journalists and their work. He cited Teixeira Cândido, an Angolan journalist, who had his phone infected with Predator spyware after clicking a malicious WhatsApp link in May 2024.\n\nAdu-Manu advised journalists to make security decisions based on the sensitivity of their stories and potential risks to involved individuals. He recommended agreeing on secure communication channels before contacting sensitive sources, avoiding unnecessary exposure of identities and locations, separating personal and professional accounts, safely verifying files and checking photographs and metadata before sharing them. The expert also urged journalists to determine what information should be retained, archived, anonymized, or deleted after publication. The training emphasized collecting the least sensitive information necessary, securing it properly, and sharing it only with those who need access. Adu-Manu urged journalists to have a response plan if their devices or accounts are compromised. He advised first disconnecting the compromised device or account without deleting potential evidence, documenting relevant messages and screenshots, reporting the incident to the editor or security personnel, changing passwords, revoking active sessions, and restoring backups. Media organizations should establish basic digital-security policies, enforce two-factor authentication, encrypt devices, maintain tested backups, and provide regular cybersecurity training for staff. Adu-Manu stressed that strengthening cybersecurity within newsrooms is crucial for protecting journalists, sources, journalistic work, and public trust.",
  "summary": "A Cybersecurity expert has warned journalists and media organisations to strengthen their digital security practices as growing cyber threats put sensitive sources, unpublished stories, and newsroom credibility at risk. The post Journalists facing growing digital threats – Cybersecurity expert warns appeared first on Ghana Business News .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Journalists and media organizations must now prioritize cybersecurity as a core component of editorial safety to protect sensitive sources, investigations, and public trust from escalating digital threats.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}