SecureDrop

SecureDrop is a whistleblower submission system that allows sources to send documents and messages to journalists while protecting their anonymity. The platform routes submissions through the Tor network and applies end‑to‑end encryption to safeguard both the content and the identity of the sender. The Guardian operates a SecureDrop instance as part of its newsroom to receive confidential tips from whistleblowers. This service is intended to facilitate secure communication between the public and the newspaper’s investigative teams.

SecureDrop is an open‑source project originally created by Aaron Swartz and Kevin Poulsen and is now maintained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non‑profit organisation focused on press freedom. Its design emphasizes strong security properties, including forward secrecy and metadata protection, making it suitable for high‑risk environments. The platform is used by a variety of news organisations worldwide, positioning it as a leading tool in the field of secure journalistic communication.

The Guardian’s SecureDrop instance is hosted by the newspaper, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom, and is administered by its security and editorial staff. In September 2019 the instance was targeted by a phishing campaign that impersonated the legitimate site to harvest source codenames and distribute a malicious Android application. Although the fraudulent infrastructure was taken offline, the incident highlighted the risks associated with credential harvesting and malware distribution against whistleblower platforms.