Resilience Technologies: Getting to Know their Work in Advancing Cybersecurity for CSOs the African Way
The Community Series features stories of the people and projects behind the digital rights community.
Elizabeth Kolade, Resilience Technologies’ executive director
Resilience Technologies (RT) is a Sub-Saharan African organization committed to enhancing digital security and resilience for African civil society initiatives and at-risk communities. We spoke with their executive director, Elizabeth Kolade to gain insights into the digital security needs of regional organizations, their pioneering Spyware Fellowship program in Africa, and their Zeroth Cloud - an innovative tool that leverages artificial intelligence and open-source technology in a cloud-based setup that automatically detects and addresses threats before they can develop into full-fledged attacks.
How Resilience Technologies Started
RT offerings include incident response, threat investigation, customized training and resilience assessment for organizations.
RT was founded to provide accessible, high-quality digital security services to civil society organizations (CSOs) and at-risk communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Launched in 2023 in Nigeria, the initiative emerged in response to the urgent needs arising from increasing surveillance and targeted attacks. As security specialists, they recognized that robust digital defense is essential to safeguarding freedom of speech, privacy, and critical services across the continent. However, they also understood that human rights organizations often lack the resources to hire dedicated IT or security specialists.
Services they offer include, among others, incident response, threat investigation, customized training and resilience assessment for organizations. They also have a unique fellowship, and are developing tools that promise to revolutionize incident response and threat intelligence gathering.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Digital Rights and Internet Freedom Challenges
Internet access remains a major challenge in the region. The digital divide persists largely because rural and low-income communities face high costs for both internet access and devices, limiting their participation in the digital economy. Elizabeth highlights several other critical issues facing the region:
“Freedom of expression is under threat due to government censorship, including website blocks, social media restrictions, and surveillance. Data privacy is also a concern, as many countries lack adequate laws to protect personal information. Civil society groups, activists, and journalists are vulnerable to cyber threats, and restrictive laws criminalizing online speech further exacerbate these issues. Internet shutdowns during political events also hinder communication and suppress opposition, emphasizing the need for reform and accountability in the region.”
RT's research report, RT-10: An Assessment of Digital Security Practices Among Civil Society Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlights key challenges faced by these organizations in maintaining digital resilience. Key findings include limited personnel and resources dedicated to digital security, slow response times to emerging threats, and disruptions caused by internet shutdowns and connectivity issues. These factors hinder the ability of CSOs to effectively protect themselves in the digital space.
Spyware Fellowship: An African-Centered Response to Escalating Surveillance
RT’s Spyware Fellowship explored the African civil society landscape, mobile forensics and open-source intelligence. Check their Instagram to learn more about it.
RT’s Spyware Fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative developed as an African-centered response to rising surveillance in the region. It equips Africans to investigate, respond to, and mitigate spyware threats. In its inaugural edition this year, the organization hosted a diverse group of young cybersecurity professionals in a four-month intensive program, offering both technical and non-technical training—from mobile forensics to open-source intelligence.
Interested participants for the next cohort can subscribe to their newsletter to receive updates as soon as applications open. Elizabeth explains that “the fellowship was designed by Africans for Africans… We recognized the growing use and deployment of advanced spyware like NSO Group's Pegasus and Cytrox's Predator on the continent, and the urgent need for local expertise to support CSOs and at-risk groups against malicious actors using these technologies.”
Mentorship is a core element of the Spyware Fellowship, pairing Fellows with cybersecurity and digital rights experts to deepen their learning experience. Beyond empowerment, the program aims to build an accessible network of trained professionals who can offer guidance, enhance incident response, and provide protection to at-risk communities across the continent.
Zeroth Cloud: Changing the Incident Response and Threat Intelligence Game for CSOs
Organizations interested in Zeroth Cloud can join RT's waiting list.
The organization recently launched Zeroth Cloud to enhance incident response and threat intelligence for CSOs. This tool uses artificial intelligence and open-source technology in a cloud-based system that automatically detects and neutralizes threats before they escalate into major attacks.
“Most help desks across the Global South are up against increasingly sophisticated, persistent threats, often backed by state actors, and the current response approach just isn’t cutting it. These help desks aren’t just stretched thin on resources—they also lack the critical threat data needed to make smarter security decisions and share insights across the board. That’s where Zeroth Cloud comes in: imagine having eyes and ears across every part of an organization’s digital environment—laptops, websites, cloud workloads, mobile devices, networks, you name it,” Elizabeth shares.
Zeroth Cloud monitors these touchpoints 24/7, flagging unusual activity and alerting operators through a central dashboard.
The team is also excited about fostering shared threat intelligence within the community, aiming to share Zeroth Cloud’s threat data with other help desks and networks like CiviCERT, creating a collaborative network to strengthen defenses collectively. They will begin deploying the tool in January 2025, and organizations interested can join the waiting list.
Looking for Partnerships to Scale Services and Expand Reach
Resilience Technologies is seeking partnerships to scale their services to reach more organizations. They are particularly interested in organizations that can provide funding, mentorship or placement opportunities for their Spyware Fellowship. If interested, they encourage you to reach out to them via email at info@rtafrica.org
The Future of Digital Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
RT addresses growing surveillance and targeted attacks.
The future of digital rights and technology in Sub-Saharan Africa holds the potential to significantly enhance the region's social, economic, and political landscape.
“As connectivity expands, building a robust digital security culture will be essential to protect civil society organizations and at-risk communities. Investments in innovative, affordable, and locally relevant digital solutions, along with increased digital literacy initiatives, will empower individuals and organizations to navigate the digital landscape safely. Strong regulatory frameworks for data protection will also play a crucial role in fostering trust and ensuring that digital rights are upheld amid growing concerns over surveillance and data privacy,” Elizabeth shares.
Elizabeth also emphasizes the importance of regional collaboration to address emerging digital threats, enabling CSOs to pool resources and expertise to build a collective defense strategy:
“As the demand for cybersecurity professionals grows, developing local talent through education and training programs will be essential to meet the region's needs. Balancing security measures with respect for individual freedoms will ensure that digital rights are protected while enhancing overall security. By prioritizing these efforts, we can create a secure and inclusive digital environment that supports innovation and protects the rights of people,” she adds.