How To CryptoParty

CryptoParty is a global and decentralized grass-roots movement. We share the same ideals (see Guiding Principles). We have no central organization and everyone is welcome to join. This text is an attempt to make it as easy as possible for you to start your own CryptoParty.

If you prefer video over text: How To CryptoParty (recorded at initlab in April 2014).

Or join us on IRC channel or the mailing list.

Please contact us through one of the above channels if you have a question or need help.

With a CryptoParty you create an environment where people from different backgrounds come together and learn from each other. Hence you want to include all kinds of people independent of their age, gender or background.

Doors open, people arrive, find a seat and socialize. A short intro officially opens the event and then it's off to the tables. Each table covers a topic and people decide what they'd like to learn or teach.
People will be more comfortable given enough time for socializing. They will be more likely to ask questions then.

The intro speech is short and gives people an overview of what to expect (see dedicated chapter for more details).
Some cities have talks, too. This works very well when people look for in-depth introductions. Most of the time though they want to get to the hands-on part rather sooner then later. Depending on the group you could offer both in separate rooms.

Right after the intro people move to the table and topic of their choice. Don't worry if it gets a bit chaotic for a few minutes. Each tables opens with an introduction before installing, configuring and using a specific tool. Encourage everyone there to ask questions any time.

The ability to improvise is very useful at a CryptoParty. When something unplanned happens is when the interesting stuff tends to happen.

If everything worked you'll be amazed by the positive energy, by people being highly engaged, concentrated and enjoying every aspect of it. Great CryptoParties usually last until late in the evening despite a long day (or week) at work.

The recommended length for a CryptoParty is three to five hours.

CryptoParties for specific groups can help lower the barrier of “but I don't know anything about computers, I won't understand anything”. Consider organizing CryptoParties for journalists, students, specific activist groups, etc.

If you want to reach people who are too shy to attend or if finding a good location is too hard, you might want to offer visiting people at their place for a so-called “house/living room CryptoParty”.

As with any event there are different roles at a CryptoParty. This chapter will give an overview of all the roles.

• organizer
• intro speaker
• crypto angels
• meta angel

As a CryptoParty organizer, you find a nice location where people coming to the event feel comfortable. You keep in touch with the people running the space and find a date suitable for everyone. Locations can be community spaces, cafes, libraries, schools, universities, hackerspaces or any location you like. Any place cozy and inviting with enough chairs, tables, power plugs and fast enough Internet works.

You take care of outreach as well to spread the word of when and where the CryptoParty happens. Outreach has a dedicated chapter (see below).

Last but not least you need enough people to explain specific tools. We call them crypto angels. Keep groups as small as possible. You want one angel for up to five people. The lower the ratio the better.

A CryptoParty is successful if the atmosphere is right. It does not matter how many people showed up. Be patient when starting to establish CryptoParty in your city or community. Spreading the word takes time.

As intro speaker your task is to open the CryptoParty before people move to the table of their choice. It can be be a rather down to earth “this is what CryptoParty is about and these are the topics” affair or a fiery “for your privacy, for our freedom, encrypt now and make the surveillance bastards cry” rally speech. Every speaker has their own style.

For notes on talking points see the Intro Speech section below.

As Crypto Angel your task is to explain crypto on a conceptual level, what it protects from (or doesn't) and help with installing and using the related software.

Keep explanations suitable for beginners. Encourage interaction and questions whenever they arise. When someone else knows the answer let them answer first.

Most people are visual learner so try to draw little pictures or diagrams. Learning-by-doing works very well, too. So try not to touch other people's computers unless absolutely necessary.
Admit when you don't know something and offer to find an answer with them instead.

The idea is that people know how to use the tool they learned about on a basic level when they leave the CryptoParty. And even better, they can then tell their friends they now use “tool xyz” and thus get them to understand that it can't be as hard as they previously thought.

If you need more Crypto Angles, find them:

• at a CryptoParty
• among your friends
• at a hackerspace
• in university

Meta angels are optional. It helps to have them at larger CryptoParties or if you expect late arrivals.

As meta angel you don't have a topic or table. Instead you have an overview of the angels available. What their strengths are and what table covers which topic.

You help late comers finding a table.

You facilitate communication between tables. Assume there's a question at a table and the local angel has no answer to it. You help them find another angel who might.

If someone seems to have dropped out help them find the right table.

If someone is undecided about what they want to learn, you can have a chat with them to help them to understand what they'd like to learn and to choose their table.

The main criteria for a good location are

• cozy
• has drinks
• ideally has food, too
• has chairs & tables
• has extension cords & power plugs
• has fast enough Internet connection

Keep in mind that your main audience is not familiar with the hacker scene.

Suitable locations can be

• cafe
• community spaces
• libraries
• schools
• universities
• hackerspaces
• night clubs
• any place you like

Whether you host the page for your CryptoParty on your own server or use cryptoparty.in is up to you.

Some elements you might want to have on it are

• welcome text
• next party dates
• locations list
• contact info (preferably email)

Let's assume your city does not have a page. Create one for the whole city. That's where the information above goes. Locations or parties should have separate sub pages. This allows others to organize parties without having to create a second version of the city page.

Please add your CryptoParty dates to the global dates list even if you don't use the wiki as your main website. Help us show how global the movement ist. You can find a dedicated How-To for adding your own CryptoParty there.

Feel free to remix any existing city page (for example Berlin).

Outreach helps you to make it known that a CryptoParty is happening. First you need to think of your “target audience”. That would be people not encrypting anything yet. They know how to use a computer but don't have advanced knowledge on the topic.
Start small. Depending on the number of angels available you probably don't want a hundred people showing up at your first CryptoParty.
Locations tend to come with a community. If they are interested in hosting a CryptoParty then their community is likely interesting in attending one. If you manage to make them happy they will tell their friends how amazing it was.

You can use different channels for outreach.

• online
  • mailing lists
  • blog posts
  • social media
• offline (see github.com/cryptoparty/flyers for templates to remix)
  • flyers
  • stickers
  • posters
  • word of mouth
  • local media

Maybe the location would like to put up poster and flyers in a good spot? Maybe they have a mailing list as well? Consider creating a mailing list and social media accounts for your city. Being strong proponents of privacy some options are better than others. Mailing lists, Diaspora and Twitter seem to be very popular in the CryptoParty community.

Connecting to the worldwide CryptoParty community can be useful to learn from past experience and bring in new impulses.

• mailing lists
• irc
• Twitter

Decide what topic you'd like to teach. To see how others explain it check the list of handbooks. Explanations will be aimed at beginners. Always keep that in mind. https://www.level-up.cc/ has a section specifically on how to be a better trainer.

Don't be judgemental. Respect people's choices of which tool to use and how far they are ready to go protecting their privacy. Don't answer questions as if they are stupid. Every question is a good one.

Contact the organizer and let them know what you'd like to teach. It helps them in planning the CryptoParty. The more angels there are the smaller the groups can be, making it a much better experience for the guests.
Should you find some spare time at the party use it and learn from the other angels.

Bring pen and paper to the CryptoParty to draw diagrams while explaining how something works.

List of things that might come in handy during a CryptoParty.

• table cards
• flyers (CryptoParty or related groups)
• stickers
• some USB sticks
• having all relevant software downloaded (and verified if possible)
• fingerprints of signing keys for Tor, Tails, PGP and other projects

The intro speech officially opens the CryptoParty. Depending on your style it will be a rather down-to-earth thing or more fiery and rousing thing.

If you want you can show a video (for example the CryptoParty intro video).

Potential talking points can be

• hello and welcome
• thanking the people from the location
• be excellent to each other
• what is CryptoParty
  • global and decentral movement
  • everyone can be a part of it
  • one topic per table
  • people choose topic
• security disclaimer
  • 100% security not possible (neither offline nor online)
  • using crypto is legal, but not in every country
  • CryptoParty is for beginners
  • forward journalists, activists to real experts (e.g. EFF, Tactical Tech, AccessNow)
• prejudice that crypto is hard exists
• security is a process
  • not a product
  • not something you install
  • something you do
• free software
  • free as in freedom
• decentralized services
  • not controlled by a single company
• list of topics presented at this specific CryptoParty

This list is only a suggestion. What you offer depends on the angels available. Further suggestions are listed in a separate tools overview. All of them are free or open source software. And of course we like decentralized services.

• discussion and orientation table
• encrypt emails with PGP
• encrypt your IMs with XMPP and OTR
• anonymous surfing Tor
• privacy enhancing browser plug-ins
• mobile security
• file and hard-drive encryption with TrueCrypt
• hard-drive encryption with LUKS
• password security and managers
• Linux installation
• Tails (safe and anonymous operating system… don't forget to tell people to bring a thumb drive)

A discussion and orientation table would cover how much surveillance is possible and why all of us have something to hide. Most people are not exhibitionists and do value their privacy. Hence it focuses on anyone curious but not yet convinced why they would encrypt or not sure where to start.

At the discussion and orientation table, you might have to deal with a lot of question you didn't expect. Some of them might even seem irrelevant to you. Don't try to direct the conversation, answer every question without judging instead.

Things you can do to help grow the local and global CryptoParty community.

In order to build a sustainable movement, you want people to form social bonds. A regular meeting night for crypto angels, organizers, etc might serve that purpose. Have fun and share.

Angels need a chance to learn some things themselves. At a CryptoParty there's usually not exactly time for this. Hence organizing a “train the trainer” session can be a good idea.

There's been a CryptoParty assembly at the CCC congress since the movement started. It helped us a lot to connect worldwide and exchange experiences.

Applying the concept to more conferences can help spread the word. And of course it's lots of fun to meet other like minded people. Or maybe someone already had the same idea and you join forces?