1:00pm-1:45pm on Saturday 21 March
Times shown are in GMT (UTC +0) up to the 26th March. For events on or after 27th March times are in BST (UTC +1).
Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building 15 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FD
A free press plays a vital role in holding powerful people and organisations to account. But for journalism to thrive, citizens must be able to contact reporters securely – especially when they are revealing sensitive or controversial information. This is more difficult at a time when surveillance technology is everywhere and in countries where even the act of communicating with a journalist can raise suspicions.
That’s why researchers in the Department of Computer Science and Technology started developing CoverDrop, a secure communication system. It is now being used as part of the Guardian’s news app to help whistleblowers reach journalists without revealing their identity.
Unlike traditional secure messaging tools, CoverDrop hides not just the content of messages, but the very existence of communication. The news app automatically generates regular decoy messages to the Guardian that create ‘air cover’ for genuine messages. This stops eavesdroppers from finding out if any communication is taking place between a whistleblower and a journalist.
The researchers will explain how CoverDrop came to be and, with the help of a bit of audience participation, demonstrate some of the privacy properties of the system.
This talk is taking place as part of the Department of Computer Science and Technology Open Day.
