Digital safety lab

Practical guides for setting up private, resilient tools in shelters or community spaces.

Shelter Security Stack is a practical toolkit for domestic violence shelters working with survivors of tech-enabled abuse. We know resources are tight, maybe you’ve got an old computer gathering dust and hopefully a Raspberry Pi. That’s enough. This project helps you set up stalkerware detection without needing a tech background or expensive equipment. Using free, open-source tools, you can check clients’ phones for spyware, block tracking domains across your shelter network, and collect evidence that holds up in court. Everything is designed around one principle: a survivor’s safety comes first, always. The technology serves the person, not the other way round.

We’re actively building this together with advocates, survivors, and technologists who understand that detecting stalkerware is only half the battle, the other half is doing it safely, with clear protocols for what happens when you find something. The documentation lives in our wiki in English, and we hope to get around to translations soon. It explains everything in plain language: how to analyse Android and iOS devices, what to look for, how to preserve evidence properly, and crucially, when not to remove stalkerware because doing so could put someone in danger. We’re learning as we go, updating based on real-world use, and we’d love your input.

If you work in a shelter, support survivors, or have insights to share, please contact us.