Journalism Institute to hold classes in encryption techniques this spring

Classes providing hands-on training in encryption techniques for journalists will be offered this spring by the National Press Club Journalism Institute's Professional Development and the Freedom of the Press teams.

The classes will be one Saturday a month, beginning in March, for three months. The dates are March 25, April 29 and May 27. Classes will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bloomberg Room. Each session will cover different material.

The sessions, led by cyber security expert Aaron Rinehart and Club member Danny Al-Faruque, will also feature guest lecturers.

The cost of each class is $30 for club members and $45 for the general public. Boxed lunches will be provided.

Attendees must bring their smart phones and laptops to each session and will be asked to download encryption programs and apps to practice with during class.

The first class will focus on securely reporting using your smartphone and will cover:
Reporting with smart phones 101: security advantages and disadvantages, how metadata is used and stored:

Encryption 101
Authentication tools including multi-factor authentication and passphrase management
Mobile operating system’s built-in encryption features, anti-virus protections, MDM (mobile device management)
Secure messaging and VoIP
Best practices/wrap-up

The second class will cover personal computer security and encryption. The third and final class will be a tutorial on anonymous web browsing techniques using Tor.

Registrations below:
March 25: Secure Reporting with Smart Phones

April 29: Personal Computer Security and Encryption

May 27: Anonymous Web Browsing Using Tor

The Journalism Institute, the club's non-profit affiliate, conducts press freedom events and offers practical training for communications professionals centered on high standards, ethical conduct and best practices.

For questions, call Rachel Oswald, Press Freedom Committee vice-chair, at 202-486-9173.