- Surfshark is now a supporting partner of Amnesty International’s Digital Forensic Fellowship (DFF).
- The DFF trains human rights defenders to securely scan Android and iOS devices for sophisticated spyware and digital threats.
- The partnership aims to equip at-risk communities around the world with the skills needed to investigate and respond to increasing global surveillance.
As the threat of state-sponsored spyware and digital tracking continues to rise, one of the best VPN providers on the market is supporting efforts to protect the world’s most vulnerable internet users.
Surfshark has officially announced that it has become a supporting partner of Amnesty International’s Digital Forensic Research Grant (DFF). Run by Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the DFF is a highly specialized training program designed to teach human rights defenders how to perform advanced mobile device analysis.
For the everyday user, a virtual private network acts as a shield against casual spying and data collection. However, for journalists, activists and civil society organizations, the threats are often more specific and sophisticated.
According to Surfshark’s announcement, this partnership is aimed at equipping these individuals with practical skills in threat investigation, malware traffic analysis, and device forensics.
Ultimately, this initiative is important because it helps decentralize digital security. By teaching regional activists how to detect digital surveillance on their devices, Amnesty and Surfshark are helping to build a global network of experts capable of exposing human rights abuses without relying entirely on Western technology centers for forensic analysis.
Frontline Digital Defenders
The DFF was born out of necessity following explosive revelations about global surveillance. Rather than simply teaching theoretical cybersecurity, the program provides hands-on experience analyzing Android and iOS environments.
Speaking to Surfshark, Molly Cyr, Training and Community Engagement Lead at Amnesty International’s Security Lab, explained the origins of the program: “The Digital Forensics Fellowship, or DFF, is a training program aimed at upskilling human rights defender-technologists in mobile device forensics.”
He added: “After Project Pegasus, the DFF emerged in response to the growing number of civil society organizations seeking to protect themselves from advanced attacks made possible by spyware.”
Digital forensics and growing threats
A key pillar of the scholarship is its reliance on “consensual” forensic analysis. This means that the analysis is only performed with the informed consent of the targeted individual or organization, which puts victims back in the driver’s seat.
“Our team focuses on consensual mobile device forensics, which refers to the analysis and investigation that is conducted with a person or organization,” Cyr told Surfshark. This model allows those targeted by highly sophisticated tools to understand exactly what compromised their devices, allowing them to decide the best course of action.
This work is increasingly critical. Activists no longer face only physical risks; They are fighting an invisible and rapidly evolving digital frontline. As Cyr noted: “Digital surveillance technologies are being developed and deployed rapidly, and are being used in conjunction with other tools and tactics to monitor people and movements in innovative ways.”
Why a VPN Company Supports Forensic Investigation
While Surfshark is best known for its consumer VPN and antivirus products, the company does not create or sell digital forensics tools. However, the provider sees the partnership as a necessary step to protect the broader digital ecosystem.
“That vision isn’t limited to our products — it’s about the broader ecosystem of digital security and privacy,” said Dovydas Godelis, CEO of Surfshark, in the company’s blog post. “While we help people stay safer online through accessible security solutions, DFF addresses a different but equally critical piece of the puzzle: developing the expertise needed to investigate and respond when digital rights are violated.”
The reality is that protecting the most at-risk Internet users ultimately benefits the everyday consumer. When organizations investigate and expose sophisticated campaigns targeting activists, they force the broader tech industry to adopt higher security standards, increasing awareness and responsibility for everyone online.
