[Charity fundraising request]

Hi everyone!

I'm writing this as a "we're close to the day" note to share something very close to my heart and to ask for donations. Thank you so so so much to everyone who has donated, shared, and sent love. Your support means a great deal to me - and we're now only £255 away from my goal!

This weekend, I'll be participating in Macmillan Cancer Support's hashtag#BraveTheShave campaign. There are two main reasons for this:

(1) To donate my hair to The Little Princess Trust, who provide free real hair wigs to children and young people, up to 24 years, who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.

(2) To raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, who work to help people with cancer and those who care for them. Macmillan offers support with financial advice and a compassionate listening ear.

*Why now?*
You may know Meera Kumar as a multiple-award-winning audio producer, but few know about her prowess cutting hair! She will be gleefully taking clippers to my head.
The timing of the shave is particularly meaningful to us, as a loved one is currently losing their hair due to chemotherapy. This act of shaving my head is in part a gesture of solidarity (I will be buying us matching hats). It's also something for me, as caring for someone with cancer takes its own emotional toll, and while we know our efforts make a difference, we constantly want to do and give more. Choosing to donate my hair is a tangible way to feel like we're making a difference against a disease that's struck multiple family members, especially in the last five years.

Every donation, regardless of its size, has the potential to profoundly change the lives of those affected by cancer. If you can't donate, that's ok too! Thank you to anyone who's able to promote my fundraising profile and/or offer a kind word - all support makes a difference.

My profile: https://bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk/shavers/6e19e30d-1f96-4871-86be-77bbeec0efeb

📚 Exciting News! 📚

I'm thrilled to announce that "Newbie-Ginnings: A Cyber Security Comic Anthology" is now available for preorder! https://lnkd.in/eCkHZ4bC

This #comicbook anthology is close to my heart for so many reasons, but I'll keep this post just to the main two! First, I was lucky enough to be a co-editor with Allan Liska (founder of Green Archer Comics) and Emily Crose (author of Our Lady Maven), both of whom are inspirations in the #cyber #security community. We (along with Liezl Buenaventura and Saida Temofonte LLC, whose art design work was indispensable) put so much care into curating this 44-page anthology featuring 7 captivating stories from cyber security experts around the world that merge engaging storytelling with crucial insights into the cyber realm.

Second, I also contributed some scripts... notably, a 5-page comic that showcases my research on #InternetOfThings risk to journalists. Through my work, I discovered that while many #journalists are knowledgeable about traditional attack methods, they often lack awareness of the risks posed by newer technologies. The story follows a journalist working on an article that makes her the target of "The Adversary", who orchestrates a campaign of cyber-attacks through #IoT devices.

My goal was to provide a larger-than-life but still relatable and immersive exploration of less anticipated modern vulnerabilities and threats. Particularly in a year of so many elections, it was crucial for me to highlight that these risks to journalists extend beyond the abstract fear of #surveillance and can have tangible implications for their work and well-being - as well as for society because of the reach of the media and its role in upholding #democracy.

There’s something for everyone (in both my comic and the anthology as a whole!): By presenting the information in a sequential art format (complete with gorgeous art by Kame, and perfect lettering by Isabel Impink), I aim to make the topic more approachable and engaging for diverse audiences, including those who may not have a technical background in cyber security; journalists may appreciate that (like old newspaper comic strips) each page of the comic has its own title and story arc; cyber security experts will hopefully be tickled/intrigued by the novel approach to presenting complex #risks.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to this much-needed anthology, and I'm beyond excited for you all to read it and share the vision that Allan, Emily and I had throughout the editing process. And, if you enjoy it enough... the anthology's next CFP is out in October!

Pre-order your copy today and dive into the world of cyber security like never before! https://lnkd.in/eCkHZ4bC

#CyberSecurity #ComicBook #NewbieGinnings #CyberStories #PreorderNow

Horrified and saddened to see this news about Joan Meyer, whose death followed the unlawful search and seizure of her journalistic materials in #Kansas.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/13/marion-county-record-co-owner-joan-meyer-dies-kansas-police-raid?

I'm excited to share that I've completed my DPhil/PhD in Cyber Security in the Computer Science Department of Oxford University. I am now Dr. Shere!

My research looked at managing risk from emerging tech to the media. I was honoured to be supervised by Profs. Andrew Martin and @jasonnurse. Thank you both for the last 4.5 years!

It meant a lot to be able to use the viva time to discuss this area that still intrigues/excites/terrifies me with Profs. Paul Lashmar and Dave De Roure. Thank you for seeing the value in this research & making me feel so comfortable.

Thank you to my friends, family & professional networks for your support, which was crucial! I have *THREE PAGES* of Acknowledgements, and still didn't manage to get everyone in there. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm so proud of and grateful for this (our!) accomplishment.

This #WorldPressFreedomDay, I wrote a #commentary piece for the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School on the ways in which the #COVID-19 era has affected #mediafreedom.

It's adapted from an article I wrote for the Association for International Broadcasting in 2021, and I'm sad to report that the situation is worsening. This year's Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index shows that in only three out of ten countries, journalistic freedom is “good” or “satisfactory” (52 countries).

The situation is “very serious” in 31 countries (up from 21 countries in 2021), the most dire ranking yet.

https://shorensteincenter.org/commentary/threats-press-freedom-covid-19-era/

"During the 2022 Academic Consultation on the UNPA, CFOM conducted a literature stocktake to scope out the academic literature published in the area of #media freedom, #journalism safety and impunity. CFOM has collated this literature and has produced a #database containing this information. The database has been organised by themes or countries for accessibility."

This is a treasure trove of #research on #journalismsafety from #legal and #digitalthreats, and #mediafreedom!

For anyone who's interested, all my published #PhD papers can be found linked here: https://cfom.org.uk/database/

It is such a pleasure to have given a talk on my PhD #research for The Journalism Safety Research Network at #CFOM: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-symposium-on-digital-safety-issues-faced-by-journalists-tickets-559415856887?lang=en-gb&locale=en_GB&status=30&view=listing

Thank you to Dr Gemma Horton for organising today's #JSRNSymposium, and to the other panellists and moderators for sharing the knowledge gained from such inspiring work.

For anyone interested, here are The Journalist's Resource explainer articles I mentioned during my presentation:

1. #IoT devices by environment: https://journalistsresource.org/home/how-the-internet-of-things-poses-a-threat-to-journalists/

2. #IoT threats to the #media: https://journalistsresource.org/media/6-ways-the-internet-of-things-poses-security-threats-to-journalists/