We build open-source software to tackle SpywareMalwareSurveillance Censorship Spyware

We are a non-profit group of public interest technologists working within and for civil society. We're a hacker collective working on research and development, open tools, and public-interest defense against spyware, malware, and digital repression.

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  1. WARD project logo

    WARD

    Open-source Android evidence collection and structured device triage. WARD helps people preserve useful artefacts and identify activity that needs deeper review.

    See project

  2. MESH Project Logo

    MESH

    Consent-based remote evidence collection for cases where an investigator cannot reach the device. MESH is designed to be self-hosted by the communities using it.

    See project

We research how software is exploited, then build open-source forensic tools for civil society.

BARGHEST is a security research and development team. Our offensive security and exploitation research informs the tools we build in house. We want to decentralize forensic capability so communities can investigate spyware without depending on big tech, closed services, prestigious organizations, or a small number of distant experts.

  1. Offensive security research

    We hack software to understand how it fails. Our work includes penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, reverse engineering, and exploitation research, with responsible disclosure when we find security flaws.

  2. Research-led development

    Our security research feeds directly into our software. Our in-house engineers turn what we learn about attacks and spyware into open-source forensic tools. Development is never outsourced or subgranted.

  3. Forensics commons

    Forensic capability should not be controlled by a few companies, governments, or specialist labs. We publish tools and methods that others can inspect, operate locally, and adapt without sending sensitive evidence to a central gatekeeper.