Boston Linux Meeting Wednesday, September 18, 2019 - Crypto News, Historical Vignette, and Our Annual PGP/GnuPG Key-Signing Party

[Jerry Feldman]

When: September 18, 2019 7:00PM (6:30PM for Q&A)
Topic:  Crypto News, Historical Vignette, and Our Annual PGP/GnuPG
Key-Signing Party
Moderators: Bill Ricker
Location: MIT Building E-51, Room 315

Note: Parking at E-51 is now free. See note below

Please note that Wadsworth St is open from Memorial Drive to Amherst St,
but is closed between Amherst St to Main St. See the ling below for
additional details.
https://courbanize.com/projects/mit-kendall-square/updates

Summary:

A review of the past year in crypto and some crypto in history, followed
by our annual PGP keysigning party. Register your key in advance to
participate!

Abstract:

Bill gives his annual review of what has transpired in the world of
cryptography over the past year, and shares some interesting stories
about cryptography in history. Afterward, we hold our annual keysigning
process.

———————————

A key signing party is a get-together of people who use the PGP
encryption system with the purpose of allowing those people to sign each
others keys. Key signing parties serve to extend the web of trust to a
great degree. Key signing parties also serve as great opportunities to
discuss the political and social issues surrounding strong cryptography,
individual liberties, individual sovereignty, and even implementing
encryption technologies or perhaps future work on free encryption software.

The basic workflow of signing someone's key is as follows:

Verify that the person actually is who they claim to be;
Have them verify their key ID and fingerprint;
Sign their key;
Send the signed key back to them

At the meeting, we go through the first two steps. Each person who
preregistered their key will announce their presence and then read off
their key ID and fingerprint, so everyone can verify that their copy of
the list of keys is correct. Once we've run down the list, we line up,
and each of us examines everyone else's photo IDs to verify that they
are who they claim to be. After the meeting is over, each participant
can then retrieve the keys that they've personally verified, sign those
keys, and send the signed keys back to their respective owners.

In order to complete the keysigning in the allotted time, we follow a
formal procedure as seen in V. Alex Brennen's “GnuPG Keysigning Party
HOWTO”, attached below. It is strongly advised that if you have not been
to a keysigning party before, you read this document. We're using the
List-based method for this keysigning party, and the keyserver at
subkeys.pgp.net.

It is essential that, before the meeting, you register on the signup
form listed in the attachments. You should bring at least one picture ID
with you. You must also bring your own printout of the report on that
page, so you can check off the names/keys of the people you have
personally verified.

The list will be printed on Wednesday afternoon, the day of the meeting;
be sure to register your key for the keysigning before that. The
official cutoff time is 3:00 pm.

Attachments

BLU keysigning - key registration:   
http://blu.org/keysignings/keypartyregister.php
<http://blu.org/keysignings/keypartyregister.php>
GnuPG Keysigning Party HOWTO:
http://www.cryptnet.net/fdp/crypto/gpg-party.html - Note, I'm having
trouble loading this. Here is another resource
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KeySigningParty
GNU Privacy Guard                           
http://blu.org/keysignings/keypartyregister.php
<http://blu.org/keysignings/keypartyregister.php>

For further information and directions please consult the BLU Web site
http://www.blu.org

Parking:
On-Campus Free Parking (These parking lots are free after 5pm)

The Amherst Street/E51 parking lot is the best parking option. It
probably will have plenty of spaces. During the school year the lot
tends to be full, but tends to clear out after 6:30 or 7PM.


Due to the never-ending construction, Sloan's Hermann Garage is only
accessible via Main Street. It is a small garage without a gate, and
directly under the Sloan library.

All other MIT lots require permits after hours.

The closest public parking
is Kendall Center Green Garage, next to the Marriott Hotel. The entrance is
90 Broadway Street. For other parking options, see
http://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/parking/visitors/public_parking.html


All Cambridge parking meters use Passport by Phone:
https://www.cambridgema.gov/traffic/Parking/paybyphone
This is active on all Cambridge metered parking spaces. Meters are free
after 8PM

For further information and directions please consult the BLU Web site
http://www.blu.org

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf.linux at gmail.com>
Boston Linux and Unix http://www.blu.org
PGP key id: 6F6BB6E7
PGP Key fingerprint: 0EDC 2FF5 53A6 8EED 84D1  3050 5715 B88D 6F6B B6E7




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