Qurium’s Rapid Response Support: Digital Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Independent Media

In today’s authoritarian landscapes, repression goes far beyond arrests or censorship. Increasingly, human rights defenders, investigative journalists, and independent media outlets are targeted by digital attacks — including DDoS offensives, website takedowns, surveillance, and spyware. In such cases, professional and immediate digital intervention is critical.

Qurium Media Foundation offers a powerful response through its Rapid Response Program, a free support service for actors working in internet-repressive environments who are under digital threat or at high risk due to their work.

What Support Does Qurium Offer?

🛡️ Before the Attack (Preventative Support):

• Website audit & cleanup — identify vulnerabilities, clean outdated code, and upgrade platforms.
• Secure hosting — 12 months of protected hosting through VirtualRoad.org, including DDoS mitigation and forensic monitoring.
• Mentorship — a 3-6 month remote digital security training (available in English, Spanish, and Arabic).
• Special event coverage — high-risk monitoring during elections, unrest, or coups.

⚠️ During the Attack:

• DDoS mitigation
• Brute-force and unauthorized access prevention
• Probing and scanning defense

🔧 After the Attack:

• Secure hosting with DDoS protection and attack analysis
• Website sanitation — remove malware, backdoors, and insecure code
• Mirror sites for blocked content — using Qurium’s Bifrost technology for resilient access
• Digital forensics for:
  • Website attacks
  • Phishing attempts
  • Internet censorship (how, by whom, through what methods)
  • Compromised mobile devices

Who Is Eligible?

✔️ Independent media outlets
✔️ Investigative journalists
✔️ Human rights defenders (including women’s rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ activists)
✔️ Non-profits providing legal or technical support to these communities

Your organization must operate in or serve people in an internet-repressive regime to qualify.

How to Apply?

1. Fill out Qurium’s online request form.
2. Describe your organization, the emergency, and what kind of support is needed.
3. Qurium will respond within 3–24 hours:
   • Approved: You receive a support plan and sign a Memorandum of Understanding.
   • Request for more info
   • Rejected (with a justification)

Please note that Qurium’s Rapid Response support does not include:

• Website development
• Personal computer repairs
• CMS migrations
• Hardware procurement
• Fundraising support
• Requests from outside the target audience

Qurium’s work is made possible by Open Tech Fund and the Digital Defenders Partnership (Hivos).
https://www.qurium.org/rapid-response/