Act Now: Survey on Threats Researchers and Journalists Experience Ends January 18

DataBreaches[.]net and Zack Whittaker at this.weekinsecurity[.]com are running a survey on the threats experienced by security researchers and journalists, including legal threats or legal processes and threats of violence by cybercriminals, with participation invited via a Google Forms link that runs until 18 January 2026.

The article notes recent reporting that the FBI searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, and cites analysis by Konstantin Zhukov of Indiana University and the Institute for Humane Studies on the threats such actions pose to independent media and free speech. It also mentions an uptick in entities obtaining court injunctions to prevent the download or sharing of breached data, while warning such injunctions may chill reporting beyond the country where issued.

The piece stresses that the survey is intended to share lived experiences and does not imply that injunctions effectively stop criminals from mishandling data, and again provides the survey link for participants. According to Washington Post, this context underscores the risks faced by those reporting on breaches and cybercrime.