Mutual aid is not a new concept, but over the past decade, as communities across the globe face increasing threats to their wellbeing and safety—and as surveillance and oppression on communities rise—the importance of mutual aid organizations is growing. This comes as no surprise, as history shows that mutual aid organizations serve as critical community pillars, often in times of need.
While there is immense diversity in how mutual aid organizations run and operate, a growing concern is the security of digital infrastructure, especially as many use digital tools to organize, communicate, and disperse aid.
For example, if a mutual aid organization loses access to its email account or payment service, it may not be able to provide support. Moreover, if they’re working in low-income or immigrant communities, protecting the identities of those receiving aid from increasing government surveillance and violence is also critical.
Seeing a major need, UC Berkeley’s Cybersecurity Clinic and the non-profit Fight for the Future have collaborated to create “Securing Mutual Aid: Cybersecurity Practices and Design Principles for Financial Technology,” a guide released in late 2025, aimed to help mutual aid organizations understand digital risks and enhance their cybersecurity.
“When we met with some mutual aid groups, we realized that they didn’t really have an understanding of their cybersecurity risk,” said Anna Lanzino, a technology policy expert and one of the authors of the guide, to Shareable. Over time, these conversations led to this guide, “For mutual aid organizers to recognize places where they could improve on cybersecurity.”
Everyday grassroots mutual aid organizations are playing a critical role in providing disaster relief, bail funds, nutrition, and health support, often filling in for the government as it cuts or denies public support. The guide emphasizes that the efforts of mutual aid organizations are under threat in a “hostile political landscape,” leading to increased susceptibility to online attacks.
“Any organization doing things maybe in a non-traditional way, according to norms, in the US faces the risk of things like surveillance and higher susceptibilities to being targeted in general, but then especially in the more polarized landscape in which we’re in now,” said Elijah Baucom, Director of the UC Berkeley Cybersecurity Clinic, to Shareable.
Beyond the obvious benefit of mitigating security risks, the guide highlights other positive outcomes from adopting their suggested measures. For example, the authors suggest limiting personal account information by using a dedicated account not tied to a specific member’s information.
“The information in this guide is for mutual aid organizations to protect themselves.” —Elijah Baucom
“We worked with a mutual aid [group] this past