What are some strategies for protecting your sources during an investigation?

... and don't forget to clear the trash, in the computer and in the street. A secure channel is a means of data transmission that is resistant to overhearing and tampering. A confidential channel is resistant to overhearing, or eavesdropping like reading the content, but not necessarily resistant to tampering as in changing the content. An authenticated channel is resistant to tampering but not necessarily resistant to overhearing. You need to make sure you use a secure channel. One that is safe from both overhearing and tampering. In contrast to a secure channel, an insecure channel is unencrypted and may be subject to eavesdropping and tampering. You can be secure over an insecure channel if the content is encrypted before you transmit.

Sources also can have biases. Have observed this in my reporting of Russia-Ukraine cyberwarfare. So finding the hidden motivation and keeping your investigation and the subsequent reporting neutral without weighing in on just one side is important. Ask, verify and cross-check, fact-check and only then write about it. Building and maintaining primary sources is what will not just give you greater speed in breaking news or being one of the first few out there but also greater credibility.

We can be influenced in our motivation and behavior through boosting of self-esteem, stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, in-group bias, conformity and collective action: 1. Self-Esteem: It’s natural for sources to feel good about themselves when they identify with groups that are evaluated positively, and bad when they identify with groups that are seen in a negative light. They may manipulate information to show their group positively. 2. Stereotyping and Prejudice: To boost their self-esteem and help them feel good about their in-group, sources tend to stereotype and have prejudice towards groups that are different from their own.

3. Discrimination: Some sources can discriminate against out-groups in order to enhance the status and resources of their in-group. Their stereotyped information may be suspect. 4. In-group bias: There is a tendency to favor members of their own group over others, which can lead to unfair treatment of people perceived as different. 5. Conformity: Conforming to the norms and expectations of their group in order to maintain a positive self-concept and a sense of belonging to the group is very common. 6. Collective Action: Engaging in collective action to achieve goals that are important to their group can enhance the status and resources of that group. You can do a lot on your own, but you can do so much more with collective action.

Trust is important. Your source is not going to give you any valuable information if they don't trust you. They need a firm belief in your reliability, truthfulness, ability, and strength. Can you and will you protect them? "relations are built on trust" If you don't have it you won't get anything you are able to use for a practical purpose.

Have as much protection as possible. Always segregate your work and personal devices. For work, use secured Proton email, Signal and Telegram accounts, from different devices that are never used for personal work. Stick to this as if your life depends on it. Reporting especially on cybersecurity related to nation-state actors and data privacy in times of disinformation has taught me this.

While digital encryption can provide a lot of protection for communications with sources during an investigation, don't overlook the power of cryptic speaking; that is, referring to people, places, and things by code words, not real names. This may sound corny, but it can be very effective, particularly in real-time verbal communication, either over the phone or in person. Until they can figure out what the cryptic words represent, it will be hard for adversaries to gain actionable intelligence about what is being said.