Digital safety tips if you are disconnected
Three steps to respond to a network disruption
This quick guide provides three steps to help you respond to a network disruption safely.
A network disruption, or an internet shutdown, is an intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications, rendering them inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a specific population or within a location, often to exert control over the flow of information.
This guide is for you if your daily life depends on the internet — whether it’s to study, do business and work, or contact people. If you are comfortable with technology, you can use the information in this guide to navigate your options for online protections. If you are looking for further technical assistance to enhance your safety online, this guide lists several organizations and resources at the end for you to contact. We recommend you save or print this guide in case you lose access to the internet.
Please keep in mind, this guide offers basic and general tips in tackling network disruptions. Based on where you are and your personal experience, some tools or means provided in the guide may not work well or as expected. Feel free to use any part of this document to generate your own guide for your community. If you identify any problem in the guide, please contact sage@accessnow.org and felicia@accessnow.org.
This guide is licensed under cc by 4.0.
Step 1.
Research for possible disruptions
of your network and electronic communications
In this step, you will answer two questions →
You’ve got answers? Let’s move to step 2 →
Step 2.
Prepare yourself before a shutdown happens
In this step, you will learn three actions to complete your preparation →
Action 1: Learn about different types of network disruptions and possible mitigations in the following pages. This can help you stay connected in certain types of network disruptions.
Action 2: Set up secure communication methods with your contacts. Having multiple options in place can help you to stay connected with important contacts and get further help.
Action 3: Test for ongoing internet shutdowns. Your test results can help others in the community better understand the technical details of what’s happening and to provide solutions.
Now, let’s get into the details of each action! →
Action 1: Learn about different types of network disruptions and possible mitigations.
You can avoid certain types of network disruptions with out-of-box tools, such as Tor browser, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and proxies that utilize encryption. The following table can help you understand what kind of shutdown you might be experiencing and what methods can help you stay connected.
Let’s take a closer look →
Symptoms | Possible type of network disruptions | Possible ways of mitigation |
All websites are immediately unreachable. No internet connection is available. | Full blackout: a complete shutdown caused by critical infrastructure manipulation, such as turning off the power grid, cell towers, or broadband services. | |
Websites and apps have become sluggish, slow, and frustrating to use. Downloads and/or uploads seem to take a lot longer than normal. | Throttling: intentionally slowing down internet speeds, making it difficult or impossible for users to upload or download information. | There are many ways to implement throttling, and some are more difficult to mitigate. To start, you can try using a VPN to see if the network bandwidth limits are lifted. |
Symptoms | Possible type of network disruptions | Possible ways of mitigation |
When you visit a website, you get messages saying “the connection is unsafe” or “DNS Server Not Responding,” or the webpage looks strange, different, or is not working properly. | DNS blocking and DNS poisoning: disrupting the domain name system (DNS) lookups so when you try to visit a website it points you to the wrong place. | Try using a reliable VPN. Install and test more than one in case some of them no longer work. You can also use a trusted DNS server with help from civil society help desks. You may also be able to visit the IP address of a website. |
The website/app or a version of it is not available, or the content you see is different from people in other regions. E.g. you can only visit the HTTP address of the website, not the HTTPS address. | Network filtering: using “middleboxes” planted in network traffic to interfere with communication protocols like Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). | A reliable VPN may work. You can also try switching to a different internet service provider (ISP), like using broadband instead of cellular data. |
Symptoms | Possible type of network disruptions | Possible ways of mitigation |
Specific parts of a particular app, service, or website don’t work or are unreachable (for example, you can make a new account but you can’t log in), while all other apps or services seem to be ok. | Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): using a checkpoint to detect detailed information about what internet traffic on a network, and using that information to block certain kinds of data from getting through. | If you have an idea of what is being targeted, you may be able to reconnect. Some possible remedies include using a reliable VPN, using circumvention tools like Tor Browser, or switching to a different ISP. |
The website or app that you are trying to use is slow or unresponsive. Sometimes it works and other times it is unreachable with things getting slower and slower. | Denial of Service: overwhelming the web server or related system of the website or app with so many requests that it slows down or crashes. | Try to visit the service or website from a different country using a VPN. You can also try visiting the IP address of the website or service instead of its domain name. |
In the next pages, you will find detailed information about some free-to-use VPNs and Tor Browser, including the official channels to download them.
Find out more about them! →
FREE AND EASY-TO-USE VPNS
P S I P H O N
A must-have to circumvent
the censorship
L A N T E R N
Fast, reliable, and secure
access to the open internet
FREE
FREE
AVAILABLE ON
AVAILABLE ON
→ Android 4.4 & up
→ iOS 10.2 & up
→ Windows (7/8/10)
→ MacOS 11 & up
→ Android 6 & up
→ iOS 12 & up
→Windows (7/8/10/11) → MacOS 10.11 & up
→ Linux Ubuntu
TO DOWNLOAD
AND USE
TO DOWNLOAD
AND USE
https://psiphon.ca/
https://getlantern.org/
P R O T O N V P N
High-speed VPN that safeguards your privacy
AVAILABLE ON
→ Android 5.0 & up
→ iOS 11.0 & up
→ Windows(7/8/10/11)
→ MacOS (10.12 & up)
→ Linux
TO DOWNLOAD
AND USE
https://protonvpn.com/free-vpn
FREE
T U N N E L B E A R
A VPN that enables private
browsing with no logging
Free 10GB/mon in selective countries
AVAILABLE ON
→ Android 8.1 & up
→ iOS 12 & up
→ Windows 10 SP1
& up
→ macOS 11.0 & up
TO DOWNLOAD
AND USE
https://www.tunnelbear.com/download-devices
Also available as browser extensions
CHROME | FIREFOX | EDGE
UPDATE: NOV 2023
FREE AND EASY-TO-USE BROWSING TOOL
T O R B R O W S E R
Protect yourself against tracking, surveillance, and censorship.
FREE
A V A I L A B L E
O N
T O D O W N L O A D A N D U S E
https://www.torproject.org/download/
→ Android
→ Windows
→ MacOS
→ Linux
→ iOS (download Onion Browser from the app store)
UPDATE: NOV 2023
Important note
A VPN can help you circumvent the blocking of websites or online platforms, including specific services such as social media platforms and instant messaging apps. Download several VPNs in advance if you are at risk of a shutdown.
Not all VPNs can guarantee your privacy or offer you the same level of protection. When choosing a VPN provider, opt for open source tools with publicly accessible codes and transparency on how they protect your data. You should also ensure that the VPN is public about their peer security review process and that their security has been reviewed by independent auditors. Read this guide from EFF to determine which VPNs would be the best in your specific case.
Be mindful: your internet provider, or other people in your network can tell if you are using VPNs or Tor. In some countries, the use of circumvention tools and VPNs are illegal or subject to restrictions. Make sure to consider any legal and personal safety risks that may arise from your use of such tools.
Action 2: Set up secure communication methods with your contacts.
Proactively establish multiple channels of communication with your important contacts — including people who can help you during an emergency — in case one or several channels become unavailable during an internet shutdown.
For safer communication, use applications and services that support end-to-end encryption. It is important to choose services and applications that are open source and undergo regular independent audits. For example, there are several open source instant messaging tools that use Signal Protocol — an end-to-end encryption protocol for messages and voice or video calls — including Signal and Wire. Read the guide provided by each tool carefully before you use them, as some patterns of use may put you or your contacts at risk.
Some important notes →
Important note
Make sure you install and test several options. When you lose access to the internet, you may not be able to use encrypted messaging tools. If you have to send messages without encryption (e.g. sending messages via SMS), be careful with the information and messages you are sharing. Consider who you are communicating with and any risks you may be exposing yourself and them to during your communications.
Action 3: Test for ongoing internet shutdowns.
When you lose internet connection or can’t visit certain websites, services, or apps, it is very difficult to tell the technical means behind these disruptions. However, there is a global internet measurement community that provides tools and data to help you investigate the technical details.
Monitoring tools such as the OONI Explorer, Internet Outage and Detection Analysis (IODA), and Google’s traffic and disruption tracker provide near-real-time data to identify internet outages on various networks. There are also country-specific shutdown trackers, such as killswitch.pk and internetshutdowns.in. You can test your internet connections using the OONI Probe app, which allows you to run tests and document evidence of various forms of network interference.
Let’s look at the OONI Probe app for example →
TEST YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION WITH OONI
A tool to test whether websites, social media
apps, or VPNs are blocked
O O N I P R O B E I S A V A I L A B L E O N
Android
& iOS
Windows,
macOS, Linux
https://ooni.org/install/mobile
https://ooni.org/install/desktop
For more information, including risks, visit
https://ooni.org/
N O T E S
W E R E C O M M E N D
Open this link in app to check social media blockings
https://accessnow.org/ooni-test-social
UPDATE: NOV 2023
Important note
Learning more from the measurement community can not only help you understand what is happening but also how to respond appropriately. Running these tests can also help the #KeepItOn coalition respond more effectively to shutdowns as they happen.
Step 3.
Defend yourself and your community during a shutdown
In this step, you will learn two ways to help →
Way 1: Get the information out safely. If your area is affected by a shutdown, use your available channels to get the information about the situation out. This can help people demand accountability and remedy. But always make sure what you are sharing will not affect the safety of you and people around you.
Way 2: Document the loss or harm caused by a shutdown. Documentation can take different forms, including videos, testimonies, photos, and written notes. Securing and storing this information is essential to make sure you do not lose it and to avoid taking personal safety risks. As you are able, the #KeepItOn coalition welcomes you to share your Shutdown Story directly with us.
Again, important notes! →
Important note
To avoid becoming a target of stalking or harassment, minimize the personal information you are sharing on social media or other communication channels. Check the privacy and security settings of your accounts to make sure no information about you is being shared without your knowledge.
It is also important to ensure the security of your accounts and devices to avoid losing access to your accounts and important information stored on your devices. Basic account security measures include using a long, strong, and unique passphrase for each of your accounts (use a password manager like KeepassXC to store them safely!), and activating two-factor authentication. Make sure your mobile devices are encrypted and the operating system and apps are up to date. If possible, back up your important data to an encrypted hard drive. More detailed tips can be found at Surveillance Self-Defense and Security Planner.
Okay! I learned all three steps.
But I want to know more to be fully able to conduct them.
Sure! Here are more resources and extended reading →
Useful resources
Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD):
Tips, tools, and how-tos for safer online communications
Chapter on network disruptions:
https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/understanding-and-circumventing-network-censorship
Chapter on mobile phone privacy:
https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/privacy-breakdown-mobile-phones#playlist
Useful resources
Access Now community documentations
Anti-doxxing guide: https://guides.accessnow.org/self-doxing.html
Tips and resources for exploring open source intelligence on yourself to prevent cyber stalking
Circumvention and anonymity: https://communitydocs.accessnow.org/175-Circumvention_Anonymity_tools_list.html
List of tools in response to network disruptions
Safe travel guide: https://guides.accessnow.org/safer_travel_guide.html
A guide to help you prepare for your travels
Useful resources
Security Planner:
https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/
Keep your data secure with a personalized plan
Digital First Aid Kit:
A guide designed to get you to the right civil society help desk
Down For Everyone or Just Me?
https://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/
A tool for you to check if the website is down for everyone or just for you.