For years, the government has had a history of using the limiting of internet access as a tool for censorship and oppression against the Iranian people. Therefore, the aim of this report is to provide guidance on how to counter this oppressive tactic.

In the past, the government has not only limited internet access during protests but also used it as a normal means of censorship. Unfortunately, Iran is currently experiencing a widespread internet blackout. We have previously shared reports on this topic, but in this report we will focus on the tools that can be used to counter internet shutdowns.

The website “Iran after Dark” offers valuable guidance on how to prepare for and deal with these internet outages. There are various tools that can be used during times of disruption and guidance for how to prepare for this in advance.

Preparing for threats:

• It is essential to pay attention to your digital security, including using strong passwords, two-factor authentication and identifying types of phishing attacks.

Issues faced during internet shutdowns:

• Insecure communication methods: an over reliance on unverified VPN’s, messaging apps such as Whatsapp and insecure international SIM cards
• Lack of access to secure tools: E.g satellite systems such as Starlink
• Surveillance: The government actively monitor communications, particularly during times of unrest and protests

During internet shutdown:

• Activate backup communication methods: ham radios, satellite phones, mesh networks and peer to peer messaging apps such as Briar, Delta Chat and Bridgefy
• SMS and voice communication (if mobile networks are still operational)
• Encrypt communications (encrypted secure messaging apps include Signal, Whatsapp and Telegram)
• Disable GPS and Bluetooth
• Avoid the use of insecure tools

Ways you can circumvent limitations:

Use secure email services such as ProtonMail and Tutanota. Both of these provide end-to-end encryption.

During a complete internet shutdown users can use satellite tools such as Starlink, Inmarsat or Iridium and Toosheh. Starlink is currently one of the most advanced and well used satellite internet services available.

VPN’s and anonymity tools can be used to bypass censorship and secure online activity. Recommended VPN’s are:

• Beepass (free, open source and easy to use)
• TorBrowser (provides anonymity)
• ProtonVPN
• Psiphon
• MahsaNet
• OblivionNet

Encryption and Obfuscation:

Encryption is vital for protecting your data and privacy. Using secure and encrypted tools can help protect your privacy and bypass censorship. Additionally, it is important to use encryption to ensure that only authorised individuals with the correct decryption key can access and read the data. Methods of encrypting your data such as securing emails, protecting files, ensuring personal data privacy to protect against theft and misuse and safeguarding your financial transactions are highly effective. Obfuscation involves making information or data deliberately hard to understand or read.