#encryption
A brief history of GnuPG: vital to online security but free and underfunded
Most people have never heard of the software that makes up the machinery of the internet. Outside developer circles, its authors receive little reward for their efforts, in terms of either money or public recognition.
One example is the encryption software GNU Privacy Guard (also known as GnuPG and GPG), and its authors are regularly forced to fundraise to continue the project.
GnuPG is part of the GNU collection of free and open source software, but its story is an interesting one, and it begins with software engineer Phil Zimmermann.
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well my night consisted of sitting on my bed at midnight researching cryptography and trying to become homies with the spirit in my room
Free Encryption Trainings
So I know blaze posts are supposed to be silly, but I wanted to do a quick, overly-earnest one. Encryption and online privacy have been in the news this week and so a group I volunteer with is starting a monthly Encryption Training series for 2022, 3rd Mondays at 4-5pm PT, every month this year. It is open to anyone; each session will be half the same overview and half small-group help; the vibe is tactical tech support and it will be pretty interactive. The agenda is below. Please register here. Our first training is this 4-5pm Monday, May 16th, 2022.
Training Description: Are you or someone you love seriously considering how best to protect your private searches and personal information online, in light of current news?
To help our attendees navigate the encrypted tools, technologies, and good habits to protect their data and online activities, we will be hosting monthly 1-hour free Encryption Trainings for all of 2022. The training draw on the technologies highlighted in these 4 guides, amongst others:
- Internet Society’s Encryption Training
- Electronic Frontier Foundation's Reproductive Healthcare Service Provider, Seeker, or Advocate Guide
- Digital Defense Fund’s Keep Your Abortion Private & Secure Guide
- Reproductive Legal Helpline's Internet Safety Guide
Please come with your questions, ideas, concerns, and technical issues.
Agenda:
- 5 mins: Introductions from the trainers (the first month the San Francisco Bay Area Internet Society Chapter President will be teaching; if you would like to learn to run a training, please attend a meeting and volunteer)
- 25 minutes: Review key tools, technologies, and habits.
- 25 minutes: Small group help – we will partner attendees up to help evaluate and seek to address your specific encryption and privacy issue.
- 5 mins: Wrap-up.
You’re welcome to attend several trainings, but you should get what you need out of one.
Register here and please share this series widely.
Note: even though we are starting this series because of the U.S. abortion care context, the trainings are open to anyone from any nation who would like to join, and the tools are available internationally. If you have any requests – a training in a different language, at a different time, on a specific subset of information – please feel free to reach out to me.
PS: I have no interest in debating abortion care here. I spent 5 years as a volunteer clinic escort for Planned Parenthood and have testified in FACE Act cases; people I love are also pro-life. I’ll have discussions with them. But I’ll cheerfully block anyone who wants to pick a fight on this hellsite.
In a long-overdue launch, after several iterations, we’re happy to announce that HTTPS is now enabled on all Tumblrs!
Setting up a new Tumblr? It’s enabled! Already have one (or more) of the 464.5 million existing Tumblrs? It’s enabled! Adding a custom domain name to your Tumblr? It’s enabled! Nothing more for you to do except enjoy a more secure Tumblr experience.
Check out our help docs for more info.
Me, a computer nerd, when a friend asks me if they could use my Netflix account:
Yes covid19 is bad, but the US government is currently passing bills in regards to encryption and privacy via some of the population’s most used social apps. Please stay safe, but keep your ears to the streets. COVID19 is real, but it also shouldn’t eclipse the other news you take in guys.
