Ride the Lightning

Has There Been a Cryptoparty in Your 'Hood?

July 24, 2013

You learn something every day. Until yesterday when I read an article from The Washington Post, I had no idea that people were having "cryptoparties" in their neighborhood. Some are even monthly. They seem to be a result of the recent revelations of how much data on individuals the NSA has access to.

So .  .  . there is a move afoot to make changes both large and small on how people use computers, not because they are guilty of anything but because they don't want the long nose of the government prying into their personal affairs.

They are discussing whether to pull data back from the cloud, how to strengthen and manage their passwords, which encryption schemes to employ and whether to utilize the various sites which now pledge that they will not cooperate with the government. Some have moved data to Canada or Europe. Others have discontinued using Google Apps for Business and have scaled back their Facebook posts and unfriended people. They are using smartphones less – or making a decision about which uses are sensitive. They are paying with cash instead of using credit card to avoid leaving a written trail.

More than usual, Americans seem stirred from their complacency over privacy invasions.

So go ahead, party like it's 1984!