Cybersecurity: By refugees, for refugees

Buzz. Buzz. 
 

You unlock your phone and open the message.  
 

An unknown account says, “I know where you live. I know who you are. Watch your back.”  
 

Your stomach drops. Your palms pool in sweat. Your heart races. 
 

For Heily, this feeling is all too familiar. Forced to flee Nicaragua, Heily now lives in Panama, where she encountered a scenario much like the one above. She started social media accounts to amplify her work as the founder of a local NGO supporting refugees in entrepreneurship. What began as a tool for growth became a source of fear. 
 

She began receiving threatening messages from a stranger through her Facebook profile – a profile that also featured the faces and names of her friends, family, and children. As the threats started spreading to her loved ones, Heily took action: 

“I was so scared. I didn't think about it. … I told my son, you need to shut down that Facebook. Don't answer that email. Don't answer that message.” 

 

For refugees, digital threats can be life-threatening. Many have fled persecution or violence. Many depend on social media to run businesses and earn a living. Limited resources, shared devices and difficulties reporting online abuse can further increase their vulnerability to identity theft, phishing, doxxing, harassment, and tracking. 
 

At the time, Heily, like so many others, had no way to protect herself or her family. An initiative in Panama – supported through UNHCR’s Digital Innovation Fund – has changed that. 

Designed with communities, for communities 

In Panama, Carlos Salazar Boychev, UNHCR Information Management Associate, saw firsthand the growing cybersecurity risks facing refugee communities. With the support of UNHCR Innovation, he developed an initiative designed to enable refugees to lead online protection efforts for themselves and their communities. 

The first stage involved consulting with displaced communities to develop a digital training programme that teaches refugees practical cybersecurity skills through an accessible web platform. “I had my preconceptions”, Carlos explains, “but then the people informed me of what they really care most about. We covered those in addition to the aspects of digital privacy that experts consider essential.” 

Rather than treating the curriculum as fixed, the programme evolved alongside the community, with participatory assessments and refugee feedback helping identify the digital challenges that mattered most to participants and informing updates throughout its development. 

 

Refugees leading on protection 

Centering the curriculum around displaced populations was only the beginning of this innovative programme, which is led by refugees themselves. Based on referrals from UNHCR partners and a merit-based selection process, 10 participants – including Heily – were selected and trained as “cybersecurity champions.” These champions were equipped with a personal laptop as well as a shared toolkit of software and digital gadgets, which they could use to train others.  
 

Thanks to a global partnership with Coursera and a USD 3,000 stipend – which they could use on a discretionary basis to free up time for self-directed learning and support their professional development – the champions were able to achieve professional certifications, formally recognizing the skills and boosting their employability. So far, a third have reported additional income or professional promotion attributable to their new skills, credentials and experience.  

Rather than relying on standalone workshops, the training delivered by these champions has been integrated into existing UNHCR programmes and partnerships. For example, sessions have been delivered alongside the Ministry of Women, reaching refugee and asylum-seeking women at risk of gender-based violence. This approach allows the model to scale efficiently. 
 

What began with 10 participants has already reached more than 400 people directly. The question now is how far this model can go.

 

Digital protection for safety and self-reliance

The impact of this project stretches far beyond digital training. For participants, cybersecurity expertise has become a pathway to reconnect with loved ones, regain confidence, and access new professional opportunities. Carlos recalls: “We've had people who told us after the very first training, ‘I didn't dare talk to my family for years since I fled my country. I couldn’t risk contacting them. And now I have been able to talk to them without fear because I know that I cannot be traced’.” 

For Heily, this transformation has been both personal and professional. When she first received threats online, she had no way to fight back. Today, not only does she feel more confident online – with an enhanced understanding of how to secure her accounts, protect sensitive information, and reduce risks on social media – she also enjoys greater job security.  
 

Working in e-commerce, Heily knew cybersecurity was essential but found training too expensive. Through the project, she gained core competencies, helped reduce the credit card fraud rate at her company to 0.02%, and received a raise. “Before this programme, I was afraid I could lose my job at any time,” she says. “Now, I feel more confident because the training has helped me strengthen my skills and continue developing professionally in my current role.” 

 

Expanding opportunities 

Champions are also using their skills to give back to their communities. José, a political refugee from Venezuela, recalls arriving in Panama in a state of fear, constantly looking over his shoulder. He knew of others who had been targeted by the government he had fled from. “For me, it is very important – life-and-death important – to have security in my cyberworld,” he says. 
 

He applies his new cybersecurity knowledge to electoral observation work, helping protect data and identify potential manipulation on sensitive systems. “Nowadays, I know how to protect data, and how to prove if data is corrupt,” he says.  
 

Additionally, two of the champions are founders of Hecho x Refugiados – Panama’s first legally recognized refugee-led organization, which supports displaced entrepreneurs. As a result, more than 600 businesses led by forcibly displaced people are enjoying safer operations. 

 

A scalable, flexible model 

Digital threats are becoming a permanent part of displacement. Across Latin America, governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and individuals are facing increasing cyberattacks, fraud, data leaks, and online harassment. For refugees, the ability to navigate these threats safely is becoming an essential life skill and one that can also open doors to employment and leadership. For Carlos, the goal was not just to get people trained – but to enable refugees to translate expertise into skills that affect their quality of life. 
 

The Champions – with ongoing networking support and access to equipment and opportunities – continue to deliver workplace cybersecurity trainings on request. A referral protocol for refugees in need of individualized cyber assistance is currently being piloted for roll-out later in 2026. And Carlos and his team are proactively seeking support, including through UNHCR’s new Innovation Accelerator, to scale the initiative within Panama and replicate it across other countries. 
 

“Cybersecurity is not a service people receive,” Carlos says. “It is a capability they develop. It makes them harder to exploit, track, and silence – and better equipped to protect themselves and others.” 

 

Read more about the Digital Innovation Fund here.