Tools
Projects I have built and published, and a curated selection of tools I use in my investigation and training work. Everything listed here is something I have actually used in practice.
My projects
Open source projects available on GitHub. Free to use, fork, and adapt. Feedback and contributions welcome.
Tool recommendations
A curated, opinionated list. Not exhaustive. Organised by use case, with accessibility in mind. Most are free or open source.
Note on scope
More technical tools used in research and investigations are not listed here. This page is aimed at journalists, trainers, and digital security practitioners.
My projects
Public projects available on GitHub. Some are standalone tools, others are themes or experimental apps. All free to use.
GovScan V1.0
A tool to scan and audit government websites for security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and risk exposure. Used in the Guatemalan hacking crisis published in Vector Crítico.
ApiPass
An encrypted vault to store and organize your API keys. It runs 100% on your device, no server, no telemetry, no cloud. AES-256-GCM with an Argon2id-derived master key; the vault file never leaves your machine.
Cybercrisis website
A month long coverage over the Guatemalan Cybersecurity crisis in government websites. A standalone website with a dashboard, reports and literacy guides to understand the crisis.
HashCheck
HashCheck computes a file's cryptographic fingerprints entirely in your browser with the native Web Crypto API. The file never leaves your device, no server, no upload, no telemetry, and it keeps working offline.
Meta Monetization Tool
A public dashboard to explore and analyse data from Meta's monetization archives. Makes platform accountability accessible to anyone without technical skills.
In progress
C-LAB
A cybersecurity-first defense lab. Threat intelligence, forensics and incident practice, built in the open for journalists and human-rights defenders.
J-LAB
A journalism-first defense lab. OSINT, verification, sourcing and training, built in the open for journalists and human-rights defenders.
ComputerCheck
A read-only self-assessment for your Mac or Windows PC. It runs entirely on your device, shows in plain language what is solid and what to fix first, and keeps an encrypted history so you can watch your security improve. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you choose to.
Reading Manager
A personal library management system to make it easier to find and consume work-related reading, built for active researchers.
Recommended tools
Organised by use case. Focused on accessibility: most are free or open source. For in-depth guidance on using any of these, consider a training session.
Digital Security
Signal
End-to-end encrypted messaging and calls. The standard for secure communication between journalists, sources, and colleagues. Non-negotiable baseline.
Proton Mail
End-to-end encrypted email based in Switzerland. Also offers Proton VPN and Proton Drive for a full privacy-first ecosystem.
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager. Generates, stores, and fills strong unique passwords. The most accessible option for journalists moving away from reused passwords.
Tor Browser
Anonymises web traffic by routing it through the Tor network. Essential for accessing censored content and protecting browsing from surveillance.
uBlock Origin
Efficient browser-based content and tracker blocker. Reduces attack surface, blocks malicious scripts, and improves OSINT browsing hygiene.
ExifTool
Reads, writes, and strips metadata from files. Essential for removing location data, device fingerprints, and timestamps before publishing images.
OSINT and Digital Investigation
4CAT
Open-source capture and analysis toolkit for social media research. Collects data from Telegram, 4chan, Bluesky, Reddit, and more. Built for researchers and journalists.
Zeeschuimer
Firefox extension that captures social media data as you browse: TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and more. Pairs directly with 4CAT for analysis.
GDELT Project
Real-time open database of global events, news, and sentiment in 100+ languages. Invaluable for tracking narratives and monitoring media coverage patterns across regions.
Botometer
Machine learning tool from Indiana University that scores X/Twitter accounts on their likelihood of being automated bots. Useful for investigating coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
Gephi
Open-source platform for network visualisation and exploration. Used to map relationships between accounts, outlets, and actors in influence operation investigations.
GIJN Guide: Investigating Digital Threats
Practical guide I co-authored for GIJN, covering methodology for investigating trolling campaigns, harassment operations, and digital threats against journalists.
Verification and Fact-Checking
InVID / WeVerify
Browser plugin for verifying images and videos. Reverse image search, metadata extraction, keyframe analysis, and geolocation: all in one tool designed for journalists.
Google Fact Check Explorer
Searches fact-check articles from verified publishers worldwide. Useful for quickly checking whether a claim has already been investigated and debunked.
OSINT Framework
A structured directory of OSINT tools and resources organised by category. A useful starting map for journalists beginning a digital investigation.
Data Visualisation and Journalism
Flourish
Web-based tool for creating publication-ready interactive charts, maps, and data stories. No coding required. Widely used in data journalism across Latin America and Europe.
Tableau
Interactive visualisation platform for exploring and presenting complex datasets. Free for students and educators, and widely available through academic licences.
Datawrapper
Simple, clean chart and map builder designed specifically for newsrooms. Produces embeddable, responsive visualisations with minimal effort.
Social Media Monitoring
Talkwalker
Social listening and competitive intelligence across 30+ social networks and 150M websites. Used for campaign monitoring, narrative tracking, and influence operation detection at scale.
CrowdTangle
Meta's public content discovery tool, now discontinued, but historical data and methodology remain relevant for understanding how content spread across Facebook and Instagram.
GDELT Project
Real-time global event and news database covering 100+ languages. Also listed under OSINT, cross-listed here because of its value for media monitoring and trend analysis.