Project Upskill
Empowering high-risk communities with simple, how-to guides for digital protection.
Cybersecurity is mission critical for individuals and organizations that belong to high-risk communities.
Disruption of Mission
A ransomware attack could disrupt your organization’s operations by denying you access to your own data, devices, and network, halting your humanitarian efforts.
Data Leaks
Data leaks of your organization’s sensitive information could enable cyber threat actors to target the vulnerable communities you serve.
Surveillance
Malware exploits could allow cyber threat actors to monitor and track your staff’s activities, communications, and location.
CISA, through the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), created Project Upskill to provide high-risk communities with simple steps to improve their cybersecurity.
CISA designed this guidance to empower all such individuals and organizations to improve their digital defenses, regardless of their level of technical expertise. While none of these steps will offer complete protection against cyber intrusions, this combination of best practices will make it harder to target high-risk individuals and organizations. They will also limit opportunities for attackers that leverage common techniques such as ransomware or malware.
How to use this Guide
- Each how-to guide will give insight into a particular cybersecurity threat or vulnerability and provide a walkthrough to mitigate the risk.
- Don’t expect to speed through these guides in one sitting! We recommend tackling one or two topics at a time to make your workload manageable.
Getting Started
Today’s world is characterized by rapid technological advancements and increasing cybersecurity threats. These realities make it challenging for users to manage their cybersecurity posture, especially when they don’t have the support of a skilled information security professional.
This is why the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) created Project Upskill: to provide users with simple methods to protect their devices, data, and ultimately themselves from cyber threats.
Why did JCDC create Project Upskill?
JCDC created Project Upskill to help users improve their defense against common cybersecurity threats. Project Upskill is an outcome of the 2023 JCDC High-Risk Communities Protection planning effort, which aimed to strengthen the digital security of communities at heightened risk of targeting by threat actors who seek to undermine democracy and human rights.
Project Upskill's guidance is intended to make it more difficult for ideologically or politically motivated threat actors to intimidate, silence, or suppress high-risk communities using cyber means. This series of lessons will break down threat actors’ varied avenues of attack to help users understand the steps they can take to mitigate risk. After completing Project Upskill, users should feel more confident that they can implement basic cybersecurity protections.
Who can benefit from Project Upskill?
While Project Upskill was developed as part of the JCDC High-Risk Communities Protection planning effort, this guidance will benefit any individual seeking to improve their personal cybersecurity posture. If you are someone without a technical background looking for straightforward ways to protect your privacy and security, Project Upskill is for you.
How is Project Upskill organized?
Project Upskill is composed of six overarching modules covering major cybersecurity concepts. Each module contains several topics with guidance on how you can best protect yourself from common digital threats to your privacy and cybersecurity.
DISCLAIMER: CISA does not endorse any commercial product, service, or enterprise, including any subjects of analysis. Any reference to specific commercial products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by CISA.