Tech Safety for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Content warning: This guide discusses aspects of domestic violence and abuse.

Domestic violence is about the abuse of power and control, and it can take many forms. Technology can often serve as a primary tool for control and oppression, both online and offline.

Survivors are not responsible for, nor do they control, the actions of their abuser, but learning about how technology can be used against them can in turn help them take back control and take protective measures to keep themselves safe.

This guide provides advice on how to better secure and control technology, assert your autonomy in the digital realm, and work toward establishing safety and security.

The focus of this guide is specifically on coercive control and abuse related to technology. For help with other aspects of domestic violence, and for urgent assistance, contact a domestic violence organization you trust.

Before you start reading: if you believe someone is monitoring your devices, visit this page from a device that person has no physical or remote access to, such as a public computer, or use an anonymous browser window to view this page privately.

Jump to…

The importance of digital security in domestic violence situations

Section 1: Trust your device

• How to know if someone has tampered with your phone, computer, or another device
• Learn to trust your phone
• Learn to trust your computer
• Learn to trust the devices in your home
• Learn to trust your car

Section 2: How to secure files, data, and important information

• Save your files to the cloud
• Use two-factor authentication
• Use a secret USB stick
• Scan your most important records
• Secure your social media presence

Section 3: How to protect your communications from surveillance

• Encrypt your chats
• Watch out for phone metadata
• Protect your email account

Section 4: How to establish financial independence

• Securing your bank account
• Avoid online and telephone banking
• Hide your credit cards
• Don’t use joint bank accounts
• Open your own bank account
• Use cash and other bearer assets

Section 5: How to use TAILS to secure your computer activity

• Get a TAILS stick
• Boot up the computer
• Set a password
• Use the TAILS stick
• Things to keep in mind

Summary

The importance of digital security in domestic violence situations

We use technology in almost every aspect of our lives — to communicate with friends and family, to run a business, to manage finances, and even to control household appliances — and we almost always have at least one connected device on or near us. While it brings many benefits, this digitalization of our lives also means there is technology that abusers can use to monitor, track, stalk, and control their victims.

Domestic violence situations can present a unique set of digital security challenges not covered by other security guides.

For example, most people can reasonably assume that nobody has tampered with their phone or computer. Tampering with a device is expensive and risky, even for attackers like criminal organizations, hackers, and government agencies, partly because it usually requires physical access to your device. But in situations of domestic abuse, information security is a particular challenge because you cannot reliably trust your own hardware and devices, especially if you share your home with your abuser, as they may have access to your belongings.

On top of that, a controlling partner may try to access your online accounts — such as email, social networks, online banking, and more — through coercion or deception.

Being able to gain confidence that your devices are not compromised and establishing control over your online activities is an important step in regaining your digital autonomy.

How to regain your digital autonomy

Scope of this guide

Use this guide if…

• You are experiencing abuse involving household technology
• You suspect someone has spied on the activity on your computer or phone
• You fear you could be targeted by someone in your home or family
• You want a safe way to communicate with people you trust
• You are helping someone experiencing abuse at home via technology to increase their safety

This guide will show you how to use technology to protect yourself from surveillance, so you can safely maintain contact with the people close to you and privately seek help.

This guide should serve as a technical supplement to, not a replacement for, other guides on this topic, such as those from HACK*BLOSSOM and our friends at the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Section 1: Trust your device

To use your device safely, you need to know you can trust it. Your device might be a phone, a laptop, or a desktop computer — or it could be a car or a television. To be able to trust your device, it is best to keep it hidden and prevent anyone from learning of its existence. In the case of your car, hiding its existence is nearly impossible, so you may not be able to be completely confident in its safety.

Some devices are easy to physically modify, while others are not. For example, it is easy to attach a GPS tracker to a car, but it is hard to modify an iPhone, because an iPhone is harder to open and has no free space inside it for extra parts.

Here is what to look for if you suspect someone has tampered with your phone: loose parts, missing screws, or scratches where parts have been glued. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and assume your device is not safe.

How to know if someone has tampered with your phone, computer, or other devices

There is no reliable way to find out whether someone has tampered with your devices or whether someone is using your devices against you.

There are, however, a few signs that may indicate something is wrong. Further on in this article, you will learn how you can regain trust in your device.

Signs your device may have been compromised without authorization:

• Your device was taken from you for a period of time
• Your device behaves differently from what you expect
• Your abuser discourages you from using other devices or from leaving your device at home
• Your abuser knows things you would not expect them to know, such as who you talked to, where you have been, or the contents of your email
• You receive notifications that someone accessed your accounts without your knowledge or consent

Learn to trust your phone

Smartphones provide reasonable protection by default, but anyone with access to the device can compromise your phone’s security. If you set up the phone yourself with a good passcode, and if nobody else has had access to your device, you can probably assume it is safe.

If you did not set up the phone yourself, your abuser could be using your phone to track you. They may have installed spy software on your phone that lets them monitor your phone’s location at any time. “Breaking into” a phone requires physical access to the device, but it can be done in less than an hour. This process, called rooting, removes the security features and safeguards that your phone’s manufacturer preinstalled.

Rooting allows any software to be installed on your phone, invisible to the untrained eye. This software runs in the background and delivers details about where you are to the abuser. It is hard to know whether a phone has been rooted or not. Furthermore, many phone repair shops offer rooting as a service, so even if your abuser is not tech-savvy, they will still be able to find a way to track where you are.

Reset your phone to factory settings

When you are not sure whether someone has installed tracking software on your phone, reset the phone to factory settings. For most devices, such as newer Android phones and iPhones, resetting your phone to factory settings will return the device to a reasonable state of integrity. On most Android phones, you will need to “flash” the device with a fresh version of Android (aka a ROM) from scratch. This requires some expertise, but there are guides online that show you how to do it.

After you reset the phone to factory settings, set it up with a strong passcode (a hard-to-guess, randomly generated password you do not use anywhere else, or a number with at least six unique digits) and make sure you enable device encryption. Do not use the built-in fingerprint scanner on the phone, as that can allow someone to unlock your device without your knowledge — for example, by using your finger while you sleep. With a strong password and encryption enabled, you can now trust your device again.

Learn to trust your computer

As with smartphones, you can probably trust a laptop if you set it up yourself, used encryption on the hard drive, and you are the only one with access to it. Unfortunately, securing a computer is not as easy as setting up a smartphone, because computers rarely come with a factory-reset option.

Watch out for keyloggers

In general, it is much easier for someone to tamper with the hardware of a desktop computer than a laptop. An external mouse and keyboard make it easy to attach a physical keylogger to your machine. A keylogger is a device that records all your keystrokes and allows someone to see sensitive data you have typed, such as passwords, addresses, and correspondence.

To find out whether a physical keylogger is connected to your computer, follow the keyboard cable to the point where it reaches your computer. If there is a small device (similar to a USB stick) between your cable and the computer, the device could be a keylogger (or, less worryingly, just an adapter). Keep in mind that more advanced keyloggers are placed on the inside of the computer case and are hard to spot.

When in doubt, go to the library

If you cannot trust your own computer or smartphone, you can find a trustworthy computer at the library. The library also offers options for copying and scanning documents, and library staff are helpful and well trained in helping you secure documents online and communicate with others, even if you do not have a trustworthy computer at home.

Half-trusting a device

Even if you cannot fully trust your device, chances are your abuser is not a super-hacker who can deploy sophisticated malware and negotiate with your hardware to keep you under their control.

In this case, here are simple measures you can take to use a computer safely and privately:

• Keep files on USB drives and hide the USB drives in safe places. For extra security, consider encrypting the drive and setting a password (this functionality is built into Windows and macOS).
• Browse the internet in an anonymous window to prevent your abuser from viewing your internet history.
• Use strong passwords.

You can also keep a copy of the Tor Browser on a USB stick and use it to browse the internet privately. At the end of this article you will find an introduction to TAILS, an operating system that runs from a USB stick to protect your data and online activity — even on computers that cannot be trusted.

Learn to trust the devices in your home

Everything mentioned above also applies to the other networked devices in your home, especially if they come with features that can be abused for surveillance, such as cameras, microphones, or motion sensors. These devices often have weak security; it is easier to be out of sight or recording range of these devices when you need privacy.

Learn to trust your car

Physical modifications to your car can be hard to spot if you are not a car expert. You could hire a mechanic to inspect your car for bugs or GPS trackers, but that can be expensive, not to mention dangerous if your abuser has insight into your whereabouts and financial activity. Trusting your car can be difficult. An abuser’s knowledge of your car’s make, model, and license plates will also make it easier for them to track you down.

Ridesharing with someone is a good alternative to using your own car. Taxis, buses, and trains are also good options, as long as you pay in cash. Paying in cash eliminates any financial trail your abuser can follow.

Be careful with ride-sharing apps, as they can make your detailed trip history available through the app and leave evidence on your credit card statement.

Trusting your device is a powerful step toward achieving personal autonomy, because it lets you keep the device on your person without compromising your privacy, and it allows you to install messaging apps so you can communicate safely with people you trust (more on that below).

Section 2: How to secure files, data, and important information

Save your files to the cloud

If you have a device you can trust, you simply need to keep your files and data safe from your abuser. You can sign up for online storage services (aka cloud storage services, like Dropbox or SpiderOak) and store as many files as possible over the internet. Even if you lose access to your device, you will still be able to access your files stored in the cloud. Don’t forget to protect your online storage account with a strong password known only to you — otherwise, the files in your cloud storage account could become vulnerable to theft or snooping.

Use two-factor authentication

To protect your cloud data and accounts from unwanted access, make sure you have sole, exclusive access to your email address and that you are the only one who knows the password. If you have a device you trust and you know your abuser has no access to it, two-factor authentication will stop them from accessing your account. If you cannot trust and secure your device, do not use it.

If you are asked to enter a backup email address or second phone number, consider entering the email or phone number of a trusted friend rather than your own. Some services, like Google’s 2FA, give you the option of printing a set of “backup codes” you can use in case you lose access to your phone. Make sure you have a safe place to store the backup codes if you use this feature.

Use a secret USB stick

If you cannot trust your device, you can still store data safely, although it is harder to keep your files secret. Secret USB sticks will do the trick — as long as you hide them somewhere safe.

Better still, store files on USB sticks with hidden partitions; if your abuser found one of these partitioned USB sticks and plugged it into a computer, the USB stick would appear to be broken rather than revealing all your files. If you are technical, or if you have a friend who is, you can encrypt the USB stick or create a hidden encrypted volume with the free program VeraCrypt.

Scan your most important records

Scan, photograph, or make copies of all important documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, immigration documents, your children’s documents, school diplomas, passports, visas, credit cards, medical records, court filings, police reports, insurance papers, and driver’s licenses. These records will make it easier to replace those documents if your abuser takes them. Without these documents you may face difficulties if you want to leave the country, work, vote, or drive a car, and, in some cases, receive basic medical treatment.

If you do not have access to a scanner or photocopier, head to your local library.

Secure your social media presence

As with your cloud storage or email, you will need to secure your social media accounts from intrusion. Take advantage of two-factor authentication and make sure the email address you provide when signing up is secure.

Your abuser may use your social media presence to monitor you. Review the privacy settings for each of your accounts, and consider withdrawing location permissions from apps entirely. You might want to set your account to private, or create accounts under pseudonyms only. Be warned, however, that apps like Instagram and Twitter could still recommend your false identity as a suggested friend to the person you are trying to hide from, based on your phone number, email address, and other activity on your phone.

You also need to be careful not to share sensitive information on social media, such as card numbers, identification documents, or details that reveal your exact location, like street signs.

Section 3: How to protect your communications from surveillance

Maintaining secure communication with friends is far easier if you have a trustworthy device. Without a trustworthy device, you will need to take extra precautions to keep your chats and phone calls private. If you feel you cannot trust your phone, use the following tips.

Encrypt your chats

Always choose encrypted communication over unencrypted communication. The encryption features in apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Viber prevent anyone who seizes your account from reading your previous chats.

Telegram has a number of features that are especially useful if you want to keep in touch with people or reach out for help. In the Telegram app, you can configure messages to “self-destruct” after a certain amount of time, so even if someone gains access to your device, they won’t see your previous exchanges.

Telegram lets you link your account to a username in addition to your phone number. Try to memorize the usernames of your frequent contacts so you can still reach them if you lose access to your phone number and address book. Telegram also lets you set a password, which makes it harder for people with access to your phone number to take over your account.

Watch out for phone metadata

In the case of your phone, the numbers you call can appear on your bill. The person paying your phone bill can access even more detailed information — for example, when you called which number, for how long, and, in some cases, your location at the time of the call. If the person trying to obtain your call data is close to you or is a family relation, they may be able to get a wealth of your metadata from your mobile phone provider. They could also have all incoming calls to your phone forwarded to another number, which means they could receive your phone calls and texts, including those used for the security checks of your online accounts.

To keep information related to your phone activity out of your abuser’s hands, you can ask your provider to add a “high-risk” flag to the account when you call customer support. Better still, you can get a prepaid SIM card that you pay for in cash and keep somewhere safe for your secret communications.

Protect your email account

Protect your email account the same way you protect your cloud storage. If you have a phone you can trust and that only you have access to, secure it with two-factor authentication. Many email providers, including Gmail, let you review when and where your email account was recently accessed. If you have reason to suspect someone is reading your email messages, we recommend reviewing this activity log. As such, your email address is an important tool for staying in touch with old friends and family.

Section 4: How to establish financial independence

Abusers often use financial dependence as a way to gain power and control. Securing access to and oversight of your own finances is an important step on the road to independence.

Securing your bank account

If you have a bank account in your own name, you already have a powerful means of financial independence — and you should make sure you secure it. Protect your bank account by ensuring it stays in your name. Ask your bank what would be required for a family member to take over your account, so you have some idea of how easy or hard it would be for your abuser to gain access to your finances. Usually this procedure requires a death certificate or power of attorney, which is not easy to obtain or forge. You can also ask your bank to add a “high-risk” flag to your account, which places a barrier in front of anyone trying to get information about your account or take it over.

Avoid online and telephone banking

Doing your banking over the phone or the internet leaves you vulnerable to someone impersonating you to access the account. If you do not have access to a computer or phone you can trust, you can visit your bank in person and ask them to permanently disable telephone and internet banking for you.

Hide your credit cards

Credit cards are much harder to manage if you cannot keep them safe; all someone needs to abuse your cards are the numbers on the front and back. With just a name and a few digits from your card number, anyone can cancel your card. To make matters worse, there is no way to “turn off” a card once it has been compromised.

Credit cards are also hard to hide if you want to use them regularly. If you notice fraudulent charges on your card, you can call your bank in the hope they will reverse the charges, but that only works a few times and will inevitably hurt your credit score. In that case, it may be better to cancel the card and get a new credit card that you keep hidden — or you might consider not getting a new card at all.

Don’t use joint bank accounts

The money in a joint account is not yours. While you may be able to withdraw money from it, your transactions can be limited, subject to scrutiny, and it definitely allows the other signatory to see what you spend your money on and which ATMs you use.

If you are being pressured into having your monthly income sent to your joint account against your will, you might want to explore arrangements with your employer that slowly give you back agency, such as arranging for raises or unexpected bonuses to be paid in cash or by check.

Open your own bank account

Depending on where you live, you may be able to open a bank account in your own name and keep it secret from your abuser. Since many banks will ask for “proof of address” to open an account — such as a utility bill — you will need to have a trusted partner or family member who can provide you with an address. Once your bank account is open, you will be able to deposit savings into the account or use the associated debit cards for private transactions.

Use cash and other bearer assets

Without your own bank account, there are still a few ways you can achieve financial autonomy, save for the future, and spend money without giving yourself away. Cash immediately comes to mind, although it can be hard to store. Setting aside $10 each week might not raise much suspicion, but it will add up to a respectable emergency fund after just half a year.

Gold is also an option, especially for long-term savings. Significantly large amounts of gold take up very little space, and unlike paper money, they do not degrade over time. Gold can also take the form of jewelry or be embedded in other everyday items like watches, which often makes it easier to claim ownership, for example in court.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin let you spend money online relatively anonymously. Unlike cash or gold, Bitcoin can be stored online, where it is harder to steal and easier to hide than cash or gold.

You can buy Bitcoin with cash or accept payment in Bitcoin for your services, for example, if you are a freelancer. You can use Bitcoin to pay for hotels, plane tickets, and SIM cards without any of these transactions appearing on your credit card or bank statement.

Section 5: How to use TAILS to secure your computer activity

TAILS (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is an operating system (like Windows) that runs from a USB stick on any computer. With TAILS you can protect files, browse the web on untrusted computers, and store your Bitcoin.

Using TAILS is not a cure-all. For example, if you lose the USB drive or your USB stick is stolen, you lose all your files too. But with a little technical knowledge, TAILS gives you access to an operating system you can trust, even if you cannot trust the computer you load it on.

Get a TAILS stick

A TAILS stick is a USB stick with special software installed on it. Since TAILS requires very little storage, this stick can be very small and relatively easy to keep secret. Making a TAILS stick and configuring it with a persistent volume is not hard, but it does require some technical knowledge. If it is not easy for you to make a TAILS stick yourself, a local library, a computer club at a nearby school, a community college, or domestic violence support groups might be able to help you.

Boot up the computer

TAILS works with almost any computer. To run TAILS, you need to restart the computer and press a special button right after turning the computer on. Almost all computers tell you which buttons you can press via a message similar to this one: “Press F9 to enter the BIOS.” You can then choose to “boot from USB.”

Set a password

The data on your TAILS stick is protected by a single password. Create a strong password that only you can remember. Anyone who has this password will be able to see your data on the TAILS stick, so make your password strong and keep the password to yourself.

Click here for a guide on how to create strong and unforgettable passwords using just dice.

Use the TAILS stick

TAILS comes with a word-processing program, spreadsheet software, a browser, a Bitcoin wallet, and many other useful applications. With TAILS you can maintain your entire digital life while keeping your activity secret.

Things to keep in mind

While TAILS will protect you from malware installed on the computer you are using, it will not protect you from things like physical keyloggers. Your TAILS stick is also at risk of loss and theft. As long as you have set a good password on your stick, your data is safe. You may want to keep a backup copy around, especially if you store valuable things on your TAILS drive.

Summary

We hope this guide has helped you harness technology and turn it into a powerful shield that lets you plan for your own safety, protect yourself, and ultimately break free.

To recap, you now know how to:

• Secure your phones
• Determine whether you can trust a computer
• Back up your most important data
• Safely establish contact with friends and relatives
• Gain some control over your finances

Reach out to someone you can trust if you feel threatened or controlled.