Where?

Knowledge Salon, Grand Front Osaka, North building, 7F (Elevator: North 3, 北3)

When?

March 1, 2014

2:00pm to 4:00pm

The ‘party’ will start at 2:00pm and go until at least 4pm or so. We will start the key-signing process promptly at 2:30pm. You may, of course, arrive after 2:30pm, but some people may have already left by then. Starting at 2:00 we will explain the keysigning process. We will also be available to help people who want to generate

their PGP keys at the party.

The Grand Front Knowledge Salon does have bar/cafe where you may purchase drinks and snacks (including beer). This is a cash on delivery service.

What’s a key-signing party?

A key-signing party is a get-together with PGP users for the purpose of meeting other PGP users and signing each other’s keys. This helps to extend the “web of trust” to a great degree. Also, it sometimes serves as a forum to discuss strong cryptography and related issues.

What do I need for this party?

Required Items

Physical attendance

Positive picture ID

Your Key ID, HEX fingerprint, and Key size

A pen/pencil or whatever you’d like to write with….

NO computer

Required Process

Generate a key/Remember your pass phrase

All attendees send their public keys to a public keyserver. For this party, we’ll use pgp.mit.edu. If for some reason you don’t want your key to be in a public keyserver, but still want to participate, please let us know.

All attendees add their key ID, and e-mail to the event organizers’ form. Alternately, send your key ID and key size to the host, osaka.keysigning@gmail.com, who will compile everyone’s key information.

The host will print a list with everyone’s key ID, key type, fingerprint,

and key size from the compiled keyrings and will distribute copies of the printout at the meeting.

and key size from the compiled keyrings and will distribute copies of the printout at the meeting. Attend the party. Bring along a paper copy of your key ID, key type, fingerprint, and key size that you obtained from your own keyring. You must also bring along a suitable photo ID.

At the party attendees will make two marks on the listing, one for correct key information (key ID, key type, fingerprint, and key size) and one if the ID check is ok.

At the meeting each key owner will read their key ID, key type, fingerprint, key size, and user ID from their own printout, not from the distributed listing. This is because there could be an error, intended or not, on the listing. This is also the time to tell which ID’s to sign or not. If the key information matches your printout then place a check-mark by the key.

After everyone has read his key ID information, we will have all attendees form a line.

The first person walks down the line having every person check his ID.

The second person follows immediately behind the first person and so on.

If you are satisfied that the person is who they say they are, and that the key on the printout is theirs, you place another check-mark next to their key on your printout.

Once the first person cycles back around to the front of the line he has checked all the other IDs and his ID has been checked by all others.

After everybody has identified himself or herself the formal part of the meeting is over. You are free to leave or to stay and discuss matters of PGP and privacy (or anything else) with fellow PGP users. If everyone is punctual the formal part of the evening should take less than an hour.

After confirming that the key information on the key server matches the printout that you have checked, sign the appropriate keys. Keys can only be signed if they have two check-marks.

Send the signed keys back to the keyservers.

Use those keys as often as possible.

Why shouldn’t I bring a computer?

There are a variety of reasons, why you don’t want to do this. The short answer is it would be insecure, unsafe, and of no benefit. For those not convinced, here are some reasons why it is insecure, unsafe, and of no benefit.

Someone might have modified the computers programs, operating system, or hardware to steal or modify keys.

If people are swapping media with their keys on them the computer owner has to worry about viruses.

If people are carrying their secret keys with them and intend to do the signing at the actual meeting by typing their passphrase into a computer, then they are open to key-logging attacks, shoulder-surfing, etc.

It is much better to just exchange key details and verify ID and then do the signing when you get home to your own trusted computer.

Someone might spill beer on it.

Someone might drop it or knock it off the table.

More reasons, we don’t feel like articulating 😉

If I want to bring a computer

If you want help to generate a PGP key, or if you’d like to sign keys at the party feel free to bring your own hardware. We will make WiFi available.

Other questions about signing keys?

You may want to read the Keysigning Party Howto which includes an explanation of the concepts behind keysigning, instructions for hosting a keysigning party, instructions for participating in a keysinging party, and step by step instructions for signing other’s keys. If you’re looking for quick answers you may want to look to the questions and answers below.

Other useful PGP links

A few more links for PGP newbies, or those who wish to re acquaint themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy — PGP on Wikipedia

http://pgp.mit.edu/ — MIT PGP Public Keyserver

http://gnupg.org/ — GNU PGP (Linux)

http://gpg4win.org/ — Gpg4win (Windows)

https://gpgtools.org/ — GPGtools (Mac)

What if I still have a question?

If you’d like some help answering it, you can contact the event coordinator, via email at osaka.keysigning@gmail.com or comment below.