Jekyll2026-06-29T11:52:45+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/feed.xmlSatellite Communiction ThreatsThis is an adversary-neutral review of known risks when using Satellite communication tools such as satphones, BGANs, and even StarLink terminals.Jon CamfieldEnglish and Burmese/မြန်မာ Sat Phone Safety Guides released at RightsCon2023-07-08T18:30:18+00:002023-07-08T18:30:18+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/user-guidesThe Sat Phone Safety Guide, by Fasila was originally written to support activists in Syria to understand the risks they pose. Ten years later the idea to update this guide was born out of the internet shutdown struggle in Myanmar and the interest from people wanting to learn more about the safety of the satellite phone before using or even purchasing it.

While the rest of this site is for digital safety practitioners, these guides provide direct and actionable advice for defenders.

Visit the Guides page for PDF copies in English and Burmese/မြန်မာ .

]]>Jon CamfieldAdded Burmese/မြန်မာ localization of Mitigation 1-pager2022-05-11T10:10:18+00:002022-05-11T10:10:18+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/burmeseWith huge thanks to Khin, please find 1-page mitigation summary now also in မြန်မာ (Burmese), included in-line in the guide and available for direct download:

မြန်မာ

DOCX PDF

]]>Jon CamfieldAdded Mitigation 1-pager for download2022-04-14T21:08:18+00:002022-04-14T21:08:18+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/mitigation-docsWith specific thanks to Carlos Guerra and our translators, please find 1-page mitigation summaries in English and Ukranian, included in-line in the guide and available for direct download:

український

DOCX PDF

English DOCX PDF

In addition, the guide itself has been re-organized to prioritize the most impactful risks and reduce or move introductory/overview/reference material, and with added formatting to hopefully improve readability throughout.

We continue to welcome public issues on github, as well as private comments to satcomms@openinternetproject.org.

]]>Jon CamfieldUpdated with Initial Reviews2022-04-06T19:08:18+00:002022-04-06T19:08:18+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/initial-reviewsWith many thanks to largely anonymous reviewers (see the credits), significant updates, clarifications, and typos have been addressed.

We continue to welcome public issues on github, as well as private comments to satcomms@openinternetproject.org.

]]>Jon CamfieldSatellites, Shutdowns, and Silver Bullets.2022-03-14T13:08:18+00:002022-03-14T13:08:18+00:00https://satellitesafety.joncamfield.com/satellites-shutdowns-silverbulletsInternet shutdowns continue to be used to silence voices, limit freedom of expression, restrict access to information, and disrupt the efforts of civil society, political opposition, and marginalized populations during political and social unrest. The past year has been a stark reminder of the willingness of governments to use complete Internet blackouts to exert illegitimate, authoritarian control over citizens, use political violence with impunity, restrict media coverage, and hamper human rights documentation efforts.

Through the use of intentionally timed blackouts, and violent attacks on human rights defenders (HRDs), protesters, media, and civil society, these shutdowns impact all citizens, even those trying to stay out of conflict. Everyone is put at risk when their ability to communicate is removed.

However, no one technology is a silver bullet. While satellite-based Internet is receiving increasing attention and continues to offer a unique solution to connectivity that is less reliant on local infrastructure, its use during crises is complicated, and absolutely not risk-free.

During a crisis, threat models are hyperlocal and evolve rapidly. Responding appropriately and effectively is simply beyond the abilities of any static document, international organization, or technology. This resource is built to provide on-the-ground digital and operational security experts with a reference of well-documented research into known capabilities a wide array of potential adversaries could leverage against satellite communications users to intercept or block their communications or even locate the device being used.

With this information and some suggestions for mitigating each risk, local experts will be able to more rapidly provide contextualized and nuanced guidance and help make risk-informed decisions.

As this is the first comprehensive risk review of satellite communications in a dexage, this first public draft is intended to help draw additional reviews and refinements, so feedback is welcome.

Next steps beyond this review stage are:

  • Review and finalize suggested mitigations
  • Translate the entire document into additional languages
  • Update the Small World News Guide To Safely Using Sat Phones
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