Dutch and English

DIT IS EEN HANDS-ON WORKSHOP. Breng je eigen DEVICE: laptop, tablet of smartphone mee.

Welkom bij Privacy Café - door Bits of Freedom

Tijdens deze 'hands on' workshop zullen vrijwilligers van de Nederlandse burgerrechten organisatie Bits of Freedom en de leden van de Eindhovense hackerspace MADspace je helpen bij het afschermen van jouw laptop, tablet of smartphone van de spionage ogen van bedrijven, overheden en cybercriminelen. Een soort 'digitale zelfverdediging', bij wijze van spreken. Meer veilig chatten, e-mailen met encryptie en anoniem surfen op het internet.

Hoe werkt een Privacy Café?
Het basisidee achter de Privacy Cafe is dat jij, de 'gast', ervaart welke benodigde software voor handen is om jouw digitale privacy beter te beschermen. Dus breng een apparaat mee dat je wilt beveiligen. We streven er naar om jouw digitale sporen te beperken en het afschermen van jouw communicatie zoals e-mail, chatten en surfen op het gedrag van spionerende ogen, te vergroten. Je gaat tijdens het Privacy Café zelf verschillende tools uitproberen op jouw eigen laptop, tablet of smartphone. Als je hulp nodig hebt kun je andere gasten vragen om hulp en natuurlijk de vrijwilligers van Privacy Café en MADspace.

Wanneer is het Privacy Café een succes?
Het Privacy Café is een succes wanneer jij, onze gast, een beetje beter weet hoe je volgende stappen zet in de beveiliging van jouw eigen laptop, tablet of smartphone. Deze beveiliging zal overigens nooit 100% zijn. Daarom leer je bij het Privacy Café ook beter te herkennen wat de risico's zijn van het gebruik van internet én leer je technieken toe te passen voor bescherming van jouw digitale-privacy.

THIS IS A HANDS ON WORKSHOP. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE: LAPTOP, TABLET OR SMART PHONE.

Welcome to Privacy Café by Bits of Freedom

In this ‘hands on’ event volunteers of the Dutch civil liberties organization Bits of Freedom and members of Eindhoven’s hackerspace MADspace will assist you in shielding your laptop, tablet or smart phone from the snooping eyes of corporations, governments and cyber criminals. A kind of ’digital self defense’, so to speak: Chatting more securely, mailing with encryption and surfing the internet anonymously.

Thanks to the revelations of Edward Snowden and the work of Bits of Freedom, we have a better understanding of the way in which our personal data are being abused. National security agencies, web shops, hackers, social media corporations and others, are tapping into this affluently filled barrel of personal data called the internet. Fortunately it is not that hard to improve your privacy and data security. But it does require a bit of time. Together with the Bits of Freedom volunteers, accompanied by friends, you can navigate through the basic steps of internet security in about three hours. And it doesn’t matter if you think about security for the first time ever or if you are ready to take a next step in digital security. Privacy Café is a public event for anyone who wants to improve his or her internet security.

Hans de Zwart, Director Bits of Freedom: “We all know our shopping behavior is being tracked by loyalty programs and their so-called ‘discount cards’. But at least we have the choice of using them, or not. On the internet this is a different story. Everybody on virtually every website is automatically being tracked the moment you visit without the choice of opting in or out and without any of the benefits. The Privacy Café hands that choice back to its rightful owner: you, the citizen.”

How does Privacy Café work?
The basic idea behind the Privacy Café is that you, the ‘guest’, experiences the necessary software hands on. So please bring a device you want to secure. We aim at limiting your digital trails and shielding your communication like e-mail, chat and surfing behavior from snooping eyes.

In the Privacy Café you can choose and try different tools, or ‘dishes’ if you like, from a very tasty ‘menu’. If you get stuck using such a tool, you can ask a guest next to you or ask one of the ‘regulars’. These regulars are the volunteers of the Privacy Café and MADspace.

Many of the tools we suggest are Open Source. We prefer open source software because everyone with the right knowledge can go through the code and attempt to find vulnerabilities. Obviously there is no guarantee this actually gets done, but with proprietary software we know for sure no third party is checking it. In addition we do not know if the publisher of proprietary software is doing something he doesn’t want us to know.

Depending on your level of expertise you could be working on ‘dishes’ like:
• Digital do’s en dont’s: pass words, physical security, who and what to trust on the internet
• Limiting your trails on the internet: cookies, tracking, secure connections
• Browsing anonymously: with Tor
• Encrypting e-mail: with PGP, like Edward Snowden
• Encrypting chat sessions: with CryptoCat and OTR
• Protecting your data files: with Truecrypt

The Privacy Café is a success when you, our guest, know your computer a little better and you know how to take the next step in security on your own. And although there is no such thing as 100% security, you can get better at recognizing risks and applying techniques for protection – a never ending work in progress.

For more information surf to privacycafe.nl (Dutch) or mail to info@privacycafe.nl.

The Privacy Café is an initiative of volunteers of the civil liberties organization Bits of Freedom.

Bits of Freedom (2009) is striving to defend your rights by influencing Dutch and European government policy. Part of this effort is the ‘Election Guide’ where the public can see what political party is defending their digital interests best.
In addition, Bits of Freedom fights for the security of internet users by informing the public. An example is the Digital Freedom Toolbox, a set of guidelines for safer computing. The Privacy Café is the most recent project of Bits of Freedom.

MADspace is a place where technically and creatively motivated people can have a place to meet and work together. Activities can be in visual installations, malware analysis, telemetry and domotics, musical experimentation, rapid prototyping and transfer of knowledge in the shape of workshops and readings. MADspace is a member of the united Dutch hackerspaces.nl and part of an international network of hackerspaces.
For more information on MADspace please visit MADspace.nl (Dutch) or mail to info@madspace.nl.