As public and fundamental institutions in any democratic system, political parties must be transparent in their daily procedures and management, in order to endorse themselves as responsible actors who are accountable to citizens for how and why they make the decisions that guide their actions.

The Handbook is an open-source resource designed to help parliaments develop an understandable and implementable cybersecurity plan. It includes explanations of key security topics that parliaments and their staff should be aware of, essential strategies and recommended tools to limit risk, and tips and links to additional resources that can help a parliament implement such recommendations. The Handbook was produced by NDI and the House Democracy Partnership (HDP).

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world as many countries experienced high infection rates and overburdened healthcare systems throughout 2020 and 2021 while attempting to rapidly develop vaccines, obtain vaccines from foreign manufacturers, and identify new treatments. However, throughout the early months of the pandemic, Taiwan, an island country of over 23 million people, experienced mostly single digit case numbers and no deaths.

With the highest internet access in the western Balkans, Kosovo faces vast threats to its information integrity. NDI’s global mission in supporting and strengthening democratic institutions recognizes this growing threat to democratic institutions and political and social fabrics globally. While the internet has empowered billions with access to knowledge, it has also empowered those seeking to undermine democracy.

The Handbook is an open-source resource designed to help political parties develop an understandable and implementable cybersecurity plan. It includes explanations of key security topics that parties and their staff should be aware of, essential strategies and recommended tools to limit risk, and tips and links to additional resources that can help a party implement such recommendations.

Internet governance refers to the processes to make decisions about how the internet is managed locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. This sociotechnical infrastructure (which includes the people, practices, standards and institutions that govern different components of the internet) has evolved in a way that is often indifferent to questions of human rights, justice and democracy. 

The future of open societies in the digital age depends on the ability of those who believe in democracy and human rights to effectively and safely make use of the internet. Despite significant investments made by the US government and other donors, as well as the efforts of global democracy implementers to develop Internet Freedom and cybersecurity tools to keep at-risk groups connected and secure, the rapid evolution and proliferation of aggressive tactics from digital authoritarians have made democracy and rights organizations less safe than ever online.