The digital forensics fellowship is a hands-on training program run by Amnesty International’s Security Lab, designed to upskill human rights defenders, journalists, technologists, and activists in investigating compromised devices and responding to digital attacks. Surfshark, a VPN provider, has joined as a supporting partner to expand the program’s reach and capacity.
Key Takeaways
- Digital forensics fellowship trains 5-7 fellows annually in mobile device forensics, malware analysis, and threat research.
- Program evolved from introductory to advanced level; fourth edition launches in 2026 with deeper specialization.
- 2025 cohort runs April-July, combining remote sessions (10-12 hours monthly) with one in-person week in June.
- Surfshark partnership expands ecosystem support beyond VPN products into investigative expertise.
- Fellowship addresses post-Pegasus Project surge in spyware targeting activists and journalists globally.
Why the Digital Forensics Fellowship Matters Now
The digital forensics fellowship emerged directly from the Pegasus Project, which exposed how state-backed spyware was deployed against activists, journalists, and public figures at unprecedented scale. Since then, Amnesty International has documented similar surveillance campaigns in countries including Morocco, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Serbia, Mexico, and Pakistan. Civil society organizations realized they needed internal capacity to detect and respond to these threats without relying entirely on external security firms. The fellowship fills that gap by democratizing forensics expertise among the defenders who need it most.
Molly Cyr, Training and Community Engagement Lead at Amnesty International’s Security Lab, explained the program’s evolution: the digital forensics fellowship has grown from a basic introductory course to a more advanced program tailored for organizations already conducting regular forensics work. This progression reflects the real-world sophistication of the threats activists face. The fourth edition, launching in 2026, will deepen that specialization further.
What the Digital Forensics Fellowship Teaches
The curriculum centers on practical, defensive skills. Fellows learn consensual mobile device forensics—analyzing Android and iOS devices only with informed consent to identify compromise indicators. They study malware traffic analysis to spot suspicious network activity, conduct threat research to understand adversary tactics, and learn to build sustainable secure support helplines for at-risk communities. This isn’t theoretical cybersecurity; it’s applied investigation work that organizations use immediately after the program ends.
The 2025 cohort will train 5-7 fellows over three to four months, from April through July. Training combines remote sessions of 10-12 hours per month with a one-week in-person component scheduled for June 2025. Selected fellows receive a monthly stipend of £500, totaling £2,000 for the program duration. The application deadline for the 2025 cohort has already passed (January 23, 2025), but future editions will open applications periodically.
Surfshark’s Role in the Broader Digital Safety Ecosystem
Surfshark’s partnership with the digital forensics fellowship signals a shift in how tech companies approach digital rights. Rather than limiting involvement to their own VPN products, Surfshark is supporting investigative infrastructure that complements—but exists independently of—their commercial offerings. Dovydas Godelis, CEO of Surfshark, framed the partnership this way: while VPNs help people stay safer online through accessible security, the digital forensics fellowship addresses the critical work of investigating and responding when digital rights are actually violated.
This distinction matters. A VPN can prevent real-time monitoring, but it cannot help an activist determine whether their device was already compromised before they started using it. The fellowship trains the people who answer that question. Surfshark‘s support acknowledges that digital safety requires both preventive tools and investigative expertise—and that the latter is often missing in regions where human rights defenders face the greatest threats.
Who Should Apply to the Digital Forensics Fellowship
The program targets regions experiencing severe digital threats and limited access to cybersecurity expertise. Ideal candidates are technologists, security researchers, and organizational leaders working within human rights organizations, media outlets, or civil society groups. The fellowship prioritizes applicants from vulnerable communities and regions where digital surveillance is weaponized against activists. Future editions will announce application windows through Amnesty International’s Security Lab website and partner channels.
How Does the Digital Forensics Fellowship Compare to Other Security Training?
Most cybersecurity training focuses on enterprise IT teams or individual technical skills. The digital forensics fellowship is distinct in centering human rights defenders and civil society organizations as its primary audience. Rather than teaching broad IT administration or general penetration testing, it specializes in the forensics skills activists need: detecting spyware infections, understanding attack timelines, and building organizational response protocols. This focus on applied, rights-centered investigation sets it apart from generic cybersecurity bootcamps.
What Happens After the Digital Forensics Fellowship?
Fellows leave the program with hands-on forensics skills and direct experience supporting at-risk communities. Many return to their home organizations to establish or strengthen internal digital security capacity. The fellowship also creates a network of trained practitioners who can advise each other and share threat intelligence. In 2022-2024, the first two editions trained 10 fellows from diverse regions, many of whom now lead security work within their own organizations.
How can I stay updated on future digital forensics fellowship applications?
Follow Amnesty International’s Security Lab website and social channels for announcements of the next application cycle. The fourth edition starts in 2026, and details will be published well before applications open. You can also check the opportunities pages of organizations working in digital rights and human rights technology, as they often share fellowship announcements with their networks.
Is the digital forensics fellowship free?
The program is free to accepted fellows. In fact, selected participants receive a monthly stipend of £500 to support their participation during the training period, recognizing that many human rights defenders work in resource-constrained environments.
What skills do I need to apply for the digital forensics fellowship?
The program welcomes technologists at various skill levels, from those with foundational cybersecurity knowledge to experienced practitioners. You should have a commitment to digital rights and work within a human rights, civil society, or journalism organization. Prior forensics experience is not required—the fellowship teaches it. However, comfort with command-line tools and mobile operating systems is helpful.
The digital forensics fellowship represents a practical response to a real threat: the systematic targeting of activists and journalists through spyware. By training defenders to investigate their own devices and respond to compromise, Amnesty International and Surfshark are building distributed expertise that no single organization could provide. As digital surveillance tactics evolve, this kind of grassroots investigative capacity becomes increasingly essential.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
