Cyber Security Skills for Journalists

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Bloomberg Room

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Professional Development

Now more than ever, it is imperative that all journalists equip themselves with the skills they need to protect their sensitive digital reporting information from prying eyes. To address this rising need, the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, Freedom of the Press Committee and Young Members Committee are holding a three-day hands-on training series for journalists.

This session marks day two of NPC Journalism Institute's three-day interactive workshop on cyber security skills for journalists.

The cost to attend the hands-on workshops on September 27 and October 11 is $40 for club members and $60 for non-members, and includes a box lunch for the Saturday sessions. NPC members should login for the discount code. Attendance at the hands-on Saturday trainings will be capped at 25 people so sign-up early!

This program is supported by a generous grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation.

Skills that will be studied in the Saturday workshops include:


  • Anonymize Internet traffic

  • Encrypted instant messaging, video chat, audio chat

  • Security on mobile phones, how to send secure messages and conduct encrypted video and audio calls

  • Securely storing and transferring your files

  • Configuring your laptop to send encrypted email and to digitally sign a message

  • Effectively managing your passwords

  • Vanish without a trace – how to securely and anonymously sanitize your computer.

  • Introduction to TAILS – the operating system that Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras used to communicate with Edward Snowden


    • Setting it up and getting around – creating text files, editing audio and video

    • Surf the Internet anonymously

    • Send IMs off-the-record

    • Sending encrypted email

    • Sending encrypted files

    • Creating encrypted storage volumes


Attendees of the Saturday workshops must bring a personal laptop and, if available, a personal smartphone. Each participant must have administrative access to their laptops. Participants should also bring a thumb drive or external hard drive to create encrypted volumes.

All sales are final; no refunds will be issued.