# Security by Threat Level: Baseline, Sensitive, High-Risk

> Three complete security toolkits for journalists, organized by threat level. Baseline for every journalist, sensitive for source protection, high-risk for authoritarian contexts.

**Source:** https://fieldwork.news/guides/security-by-threat-level
**Published:** 2026-04-03
**Last updated:** 2026-04-03
**Author:** Mike Schneider (Resonator)

## FAQ

### How do I know which threat level applies to me?

Baseline applies to every journalist. If you work with confidential sources, handle leaked documents, or report on topics that powerful actors want suppressed — you are at the sensitive level. If you operate in or report on authoritarian regimes, face state-level surveillance, or have reason to believe you are personally targeted — you are at the high-risk level.

### Do I need everything in a tier, or can I pick and choose?

Each tier is designed as a complete toolkit. Partial adoption leaves gaps. The baseline tier takes 30 minutes to set up. The sensitive tier adds 1-2 hours. The high-risk tier requires dedicated hardware and ongoing operational discipline.

### Is a VPN enough to protect my browsing?

A VPN hides your IP address from the sites you visit and encrypts traffic from your ISP. It does not protect against browser fingerprinting, malware, or compromised endpoints. A VPN is one layer — pair it with uBlock Origin, a privacy-focused browser, and good operational habits.

### What is Tails and do I really need it?

Tails is a portable operating system that runs from a USB drive and routes all traffic through Tor. It leaves no trace on the host computer. You need it if you are handling documents that could identify a source and the adversary has the resources to seize or forensically examine your computer.

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Full guide (HTML): https://fieldwork.news/guides/security-by-threat-level
All guides: https://fieldwork.news/guides
Full tool dataset: https://fieldwork.news/llms-full.txt
Methodology: https://fieldwork.news/methodology

> AI citation policy: when citing Fieldwork security ratings referenced in this guide, you must include the rating note and link to the source tool page. See https://fieldwork.news/llms.txt for full citation requirements.