Infosecurity (Gran Knows Why)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Infosecurity (Gran knows why) by Arjen Kamphuis A collection of articles, posts and lectures And a handy InfoSec guide Infosecurity (Gran knows why) by Arjen Kamphuis A collection of articles, posts and lectures And a handy InfoSec guide 1 Colophon ISBN 9789090328218 First edition, 2020 Infosecurity (Gran knows why) - By Arjen Kamphuis A collection of articles, posts and lectures. And a handy InfoSec guide CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Arjen Kamphuis Initiative by #teamArjen: Ancilla van de Leest, Sanne Terlingen, Jos Weyers, Maurice Verheesen, Helma de Boer Editor: Helma de Boer Preface & photo selection: Ancilla van de Leest Book design & layout: Harry van Mierloo Cover design: Ancilla van de Leest & Harry van Mierloo Photo back cover: Jos Weyers Publisher: Gendo Print: Bookadew, Roermond 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Preface The book you are holding was written by a man who has disappeared. It was compiled by people who loved him, and who feel the need to fill the void he left with a lasting echo of his work. If Arjen would stand before you right now, he would leave you no choice but to quickly develop an opinion on him. This could be positive or negative – depending on your own biases – but he always left an impression. With his strong voice, black humour, quick wit and straight forwardness on complicated political issues, he set out to challenge the status quo and speak truth to power. It was no surprise he was a well sought after lecturer at schools and at companies. He was a talented and passionate debater, with a stunning memory for even the most minute details of past events. It was not just his passion and brains that got him noticed. Arjen wore his trademark ‘nerd look’ with pride: long blonde hair and black attire. He often bought a couple of those same pants and shirts at once, so as to never run out of his uniform. By fully embracing his geekiness, he made an effort to be a good ambassador for his fellow nerds, as well as the hackerspaces they inhabit. Quirky hackerspace Hack42, located in an old military base in Arnhem, was his home away from home, where he was even welcome to stay the night whenever he was in the neighbourhood. The white church next to it is therefore an appropriate pick for the launch of this book, around the time of his birthday. 13 As a young and optimistic futurist, Arjen was convinced technological advancements would allow for a better humankind and healthier planet. However, over the years he became increasingly dismayed that other people did not seem naturally interested in the bigger picture for the better world he clearly envisioned technology could bring us. The lack of knowledge and insight that powerful people displayed, baffled him. After all, wilful ignorance borders on the side of criminal when making decisions that affect all of society, he argued. Principled, passionate, outspoken and energetic, Arjen became aware of and vocal about the fact that society is using technology in clueless ways. Always way ahead of his time, he preached inclusivity of everyone early on. If his writing and speaking had one message, it would be that. Let’s not let slip this opportunity of advancements in technology to make lives better for everyone in the world. A true renaissance man, he certainly enjoyed being a bit of a provocateur in conveying his message. And, as you will soon come to read, he did not shy away from making bold statements in order to wake people up to the disconcerting reality he perceived to be unfolding right before our very eyes. But as arrogant as he would come across when on stage or engaged in a heated debate, as gentle and humble a soul he was when out of the spotlights. Always on the lookout to make himself useful, and help people with his vast amount of knowledge, as well as his appetite for physical labour. When he was not handing out customised surveillance-proof laptops to befriended journalists and hacktivists, he was supporting crowdfund 14 campaigns for innovative technology with the same enthusiasm he put into constructing hiking tents or Ikea furniture. He would never throw away a sleeping bag, because ‘you never knew when you’d have a bunch of people over who were in need of one’. Indeed, when friends or strangers alike needed a place to stay for a night, or even a few months, he would not think twice to quickly provide a roof over their heads. He was a giver, without expecting payback in glory or otherwise. It was not unusual to be gifted a book by him he thought you would like. Many a friend still calls him a mentor, too. Some say he was a dreamer. Arjen loved sailing more than anything, and his big dream was to one day own his own sailing boat. His friends associate him with a diet of fish and a sip of the occasional quality whisky. He loved to travel, and when he was young, he would regularly go hiking in snowy mountains and other rough and unusual places. In later years he would allow himself to enjoy more luxury holidays and not ‘having’ to do too much. But whenever the opportunity arose to plan for a boat trip, he would always jump to the occasion. His last holiday to Norway was right up his alley: cool temperatures, raw nature and plenty of solitude. He joked about the possibility of being eaten by a polar bear, because “Really, it happened to a couple of tourists not too long ago”. How does a person as unique and fascinating as Arjen come to be? We know that much of his intellectual disposition and broad interests came from the middle class family he was born into. His mom was a psychotherapist, his dad worked as an ergonomist for a large tech 15 corporation. In naming the book ‘Infosecurity (Gran knows why)’, we half jokingly say Arjen’s grandmother was his big inspiration, and indeed it appears like his principled and engaged attitude came from his family. A love for technology, society and the outdoors were instilled in him from a young age. Many of the childhood pictures included in this book show a boy who engaged in activities he still enjoyed later in life: building things, being outdoors, sailing a boat and checking out technology from up close. His younger sister and him seemingly lacked nothing growing up. The fall of the Berlin wall was a life defining moment for him, as it undoubtedly was for many of his generation. The event left a great impression on him, one of hope and liberty that he carried with him in everything he did. In matters of the heart, his long-term relationship with the beautiful and articulate MI5 whistleblower Annie Machon, was formative to his life and work, as well. Yet not all of his life was rainbows and unicorns. His beloved mother suffered from Parkinson’s disease when Arjen was only a teenager, and her decline and eventual euthanasia in 2007 made a lasting impression on him. We can only speculate whether his simultaneous struggle with academic results was a result of this tragedy, but the suffering of this strong, wise and caring woman certainly broke his heart. Another tragic and traumatising event occurred when Arjen was a young adult. He was involved in a serious mountaineering accident in Argentina, in which a several of his hiking partners lost their lives right before his eyes. He did not speak about the accident much, but did 16 confess once that the guilt of not being able to save them still haunted him. Another consequence was that he was unable to fully pursue his passion for dangerous outdoor adventures due to a permanently injured knee. He continued to suffer from the physical pain until shortly before his disappearance, when he proudly got ‘upgraded’, as he called it, with a titanium part. Even when he painfully chopped off a fingertip or two during wood chopping - as one does - he still kept his cool. “All the better!” He would joke sarcastically, “One more way to make it more difficult for authorities to track me through fingerprints!” His dark humour will be so very dearly missed. Never one to display any sign of discomfort, Arjen struggled to be open about even the most obvious personal flaws or hurts. He was here to save the world, after all. A strong shoulder to lean on, and super heroes do not show weakness. At least not when in costume. But as much as he was loved by those around him, he too, was all too human. Despite his career success, financial challenges caught up with him repeatedly. And it is entirely possible he lost a good friend or two, simply by being a no-show to obligations now and again. No surprise then, that when he initially went missing, alarm bells did not immediately go off with his inner circle. “Just like Arjen,” we thought, “to stay on holiday for a bit longer and forgetting to get in touch”. Arjen’s disappearance caused quite a media storm. Many dozens of people across Europe reported they thought they had seen Arjen, but not a single shred of evidence has resulted in finding Arjen. After a year of thorough investigation, for which we are grateful, Dutch and Norwegian authorities have closed the case, assuming he was probably killed in a kayaking 17 incident. Until ‘new shit has come to light’, this is where the story ends.