CryptoPartyGuide

A CryptoParty is a public event in which people are introduced to the basic concepts of practical cryptography; typically involving topics such as Tor, public key cryptography, disk encryption, email encryption, and encrypted off-the-record instant messaging. Further background on the origin of cryptoparties may be found on Wikipedia.

This page is an active project for crowdsourcing and developing resources for running a successful CryptoParty. For collaborating upon resources for CryptoParties, please check the State Advisory Board mailing list, and also the Talk page of this article.

Requirements

Before having a cryptoparty, these requirements should be met:

• Public Location
  • Capable of having 15 guests at minimum.
  • If nearby parking is limited, then include on the event announcement or flyer, of the proper location for parking.
• Internet access: Required for allowing people to download cryptography software directly from their source
  • If network bandwidth is limited, it's recommended to have a caching proxy, to speed up the process of large file downloads
• Public Announcement
  • The CryptoParty should be announced no later than a week from the planned time.
  • The event should be announced on social networks as an event, and shared
  • Notify your State party, and/or the United States Pirate Party, to get additional awareness of your cryptoparty.
• Bring Your Own Device
  • It should be noted in any public announcement, that participants should bring their computer along, to get the most out of the event
  • If you intend people to bring their desktop computers as well, then have tables, and note of whether or not that monitors will be provided (in the announcement).

Recommended Software

• Email Encryption
  • Enigmail, a PGP extension for Thunderbird.
• Encrypted Off-The-Record Messaging
  • Pidgin OTR, an OTR extension for Pidgin, allowing encrypted discussion on all instant messaging protocols that Pidgin supports (Google Talk, Yahoo, Windows Live, Facebook Chat, etc)
  • Cryptocat, a web-based application supporting one-on-one and group encrypted OTR discussions.
• Disk Encryption
  • TrueCrypt, a cross-platform disk encryption tool.
  • Ubuntu's built-in home folder encryption

External Resources

• Original CryptoParty Handbook
• EFF Surveillance Self-Defense
• Encrypt Everything (Pirate Party of Canada)