bluebird69
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Thank you Zazara. This at least is a positive step. Otherwise it seemed like Arjen had been almost forgotten. You guys rock!
Norway Norway - Arjen Kamphuis, 47, Dutch citizen, Bodø, 20 Aug 2018 - #2
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Chiatos
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I sincerely hope that those hackers will be able to retrieve some good information. (How ironic... they are planning to spy on others....) I wonder how they will do that.... What will be their starting point?
Although my preference goes out to dogs (as Zazara), or at least, combine both and more methods together....
As for Bodø aiming at becoming the center of the world; perhaps it is not that far fetched that Arjen chose to remain there for 10 days .... as there have been plans to build a new and large .... data centre in Bodø....
Although my preference goes out to dogs (as Zazara), or at least, combine both and more methods together....
As for Bodø aiming at becoming the center of the world; perhaps it is not that far fetched that Arjen chose to remain there for 10 days .... as there have been plans to build a new and large .... data centre in Bodø....
worldwatcher
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"Because all options are still open, we have ordered 30,000 stickers with the call to find Arjen Kamphuis. And / or if you know something to report."
35C3
It is from:
Datum
27.12.2018 - 30.12.2018
Seems to me, like a good platform (with more then 10.000 hackers) to exchange ideas about how to search. Possible with dogs too, as many pleaded. Plus local connections are already made by (previous) forums. Therefor, more then, happy to see that a worldwide attention is being raised
Most Bizarre Unsolved Mysteries of the Year | Reader's Digest
Dec 12 2018
The Dutchman who disappeared in the Arctic
MrPhotoMania/Shutterstock
"On August 20, a leading Dutch cybersecurity expert, Arjen Kamphuis, checked out of his hotel in Norway, telling friends he was flying back to Amsterdam. He was never seen again. In September, his ID card was pulled from nearby Arctic waters. Yet Kamphuis’s phones had been turned on more than 1,000 miles away in a small northern Norwegian town on August 30. Because Kamphius was an outspoken advocate for online privacy, some speculate he was assassinated. Others believe he’s become a spy."
Dec 12 2018
The Dutchman who disappeared in the Arctic
"On August 20, a leading Dutch cybersecurity expert, Arjen Kamphuis, checked out of his hotel in Norway, telling friends he was flying back to Amsterdam. He was never seen again. In September, his ID card was pulled from nearby Arctic waters. Yet Kamphuis’s phones had been turned on more than 1,000 miles away in a small northern Norwegian town on August 30. Because Kamphius was an outspoken advocate for online privacy, some speculate he was assassinated. Others believe he’s become a spy."
worldwatcher
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Time will tell ..but I do share your concerns about finding Arjen and what happend.
But by participate this thread,I did learn a lot about devices,security etc etc.and am sorry to say but my trust in the gov. has dropped to -zero.(it was already zero)
-Offtopic-
Now,with all the attacks going on in Europe I do feel that (an open internet) security isnt a high priority for politicians,but could /more an excuse to stripp citizen from their rights. (sleepwet)
Chiatos
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I know what you mean, I too have learned more about the cyber world lately. But I have also come to believe that encryption is a utopia.
What's more: I don't agree entirely with Arjen's standpoint about terrorist attacks and the like. A number of attacks have been foiled.
For instance: Grote aanslag in Nederland verijdeld: dit is wat we weten
and: Aanslag op Macron verijdeld: zes aanhoudingen
and there are more examples. Unfortunately, there is no 100% guarantee.
As I have stated above: I also believe that encryption is a utopia. Yes well, a provider won't able to read an end-to-end encrypted message (if it keeps to the rules). But a hacker will be able to.
I believe that every encryption can be decrypted.
Example: Doorbraak in onderscheppen cryptocommunicatie
As for CCTV, the presence of camera's in the streets won't prevent all crimes to be committed (Arjen is/was against CCTV for this reason), but they certainly do provide retrospective proof for crimes.
In the UK there are many CCTV camera's. Those camera's provide proof and are of great help in solving committed crimes.
worldwatcher
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I do think you are right about NASA not the only spy (on foreign ground)'Have read a lot about 5G and it seems several countries had banned Huawei.France, Japan,Australia and more...
Orange Rules Out Huawei for 5G in France | Light Reading
About CCTV can be indeed a good support to solve crimes and for your other statement about encryption...maybe that is why he deleted Open Signal..? (wich imo could mean that beside a vacation he also made/had other plans)
Good find!Most Bizarre Unsolved Mysteries of the Year | Reader's Digest
Dec 12 2018
The Dutchman who disappeared in the Arctic
MrPhotoMania/Shutterstock
"On August 20, a leading Dutch cybersecurity expert, Arjen Kamphuis, checked out of his hotel in Norway, telling friends he was flying back to Amsterdam. He was never seen again. In September, his ID card was pulled from nearby Arctic waters. Yet Kamphuis’s phones had been turned on more than 1,000 miles away in a small northern Norwegian town on August 30. Because Kamphius was an outspoken advocate for online privacy, some speculate he was assassinated. Others believe he’s become a spy."
Strange it is,but I do hope hope it will be solved for the better.Arjen spoke very passioned about internet security and there was a lot to learn about that subject!
I am very busy right now,swamped with work, but not a day goes by that I think of him and hope he is ok!!!!
worldwatcher
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Reporter from the Algemeen Dagblad (AD) announced on twitter (tweet date 13-12) that she is working on an article about Arjen,and that it will be published soon:
Annemieke van Dongen (@AnnemiekevD) on Twitter
Seems like she is gathering information (among other things: the closed forum and the possible connection of the UN wich could have been the reason of his booking in Bodø)
Twitter (for some reason I do think that the article of Vrij Nederland is translated in Norwegian on FB,but due to some reason
inaccessible)
Annemieke van Dongen (@AnnemiekevD) on Twitter
Seems like she is gathering information (among other things: the closed forum and the possible connection of the UN wich could have been the reason of his booking in Bodø)
Twitter (for some reason I do think that the article of Vrij Nederland is translated in Norwegian on FB,but due to some reason
inaccessible)
Last edited:
I hope it brings new info but I doubt it!
Chiatos
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Thanks for finding Annemieke's tweet. I hope she'll find out something.
Annemieke is probably referring to this article(?): Voor journalisten die échte journalistiek doen, is iemand als Arjen Kamphuis onmisbaar
The UN is probably Vrij Nederland (VN), not United Nations/Verenigde Naties?
For those who have not noticed yet: I have placed the link to Arjen's Timeline in my signature. The Timeline is therefore accessible on "every" page of the thread. To be able to see the link, you have to be logged in.
ZaZara
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So it has come to the point that we are now discussing what a journalist will write in an upcoming article.
Said journalist is requesting people on Twitter for info.
But never mind, let's hope for the best, and it is always better to keep Arjen's disappearance in the press than to remain silent and forget him.
#FindArjen
Said journalist is requesting people on Twitter for info.
But never mind, let's hope for the best, and it is always better to keep Arjen's disappearance in the press than to remain silent and forget him.
#FindArjen
worldwatcher
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Still dearly missed
Ancilla van de Leest
Dec 19
About the mysterious disappearance of Arjen Kamphuis
2018 has been a whirlwind of a year. Or maybe not a whirlwind, but a tornado. The phrase, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, is really hitting home with me. To start with the best of times; 2018 will always be the year that my son was born, and all the cliché’s are true, he’s the most wonderful little thing that ever happened to me. Unfortunately the year didn’t end then and there.
And so 2018 was also a year of several painful goodbyes for me. Some I’ll probably share at a later time, one in particular I’ve been asked to share my thoughts on.
By now you have probably read about the much publicized case of me losing my best friend Arjen. At time of this writing he has been missing for a very long four months. Leads are starting to dry up. As it goes with missing person cases; with every day that passes, chances that we’ll get him back are becoming smaller. It being such a bizarre and dramatic event, and because we can’t know exactly what happened, makes it hard to come to terms with it.
It feels impossible to give something closure and the appropriate time for grief when you still have hope that someone might return.
All three scenarios of what happened are left open; The first being that he had an accident by foot, or kayak and died in Norway. A heartbreaking scenario to imagine that he might have died alone, scared and in pain, with so much left to do and say. In that case chances are that the rough waters took him and we’ll never find him back. Police assures us they have given it their utmost effort to find him, and they’ve have come back empty handed. There is not much else we can do.
Another scenario is, that he was taken by someone. Arjen was known for speaking — often controversial — truth to power, and empowering individuals such as journalists and activists in challenging their governments when needed. I wish I could say that we live in a world where such a scenario could be totally ruled out, but unfortunately, I know better. In that case he might reappear in 10yrs and tell us all about it, but it’s hard to keep your hopes up. Not everyone who gets disappeared resurfaces again. Either way, not a pleasant scenario to have to consider.
The third scenario is that he vanished himself, and for this possibility, too, there are clues to be found.
I choose to believe this scenario, that he is or was alive at the time of him going missing. I’m not sure if this is what I believe or if that’s what I want to believe, but it’s the most positive conviction in a bad situation. It comes down to a gut feeling, but also one for which I can find plenty of rational proof.
People get into mental distress all the time. Being highly intelligent, dealing with stressful situations, and being socially isolated for a couple of weeks are perfect ingredients to make that happen. Something might have snapped in his mind, that would have made him do things he wouldn’t normally do. He wouldn’t be the first, nor the last person who finds himself in such a horrible situation.
With this scenario he did rob himself of his life as he knew it. He has good friends, great colleagues, family that cares deeply about him, many career accomplishments, a comfortable home, and frequently traveled the world to spread his knowledge and make a positive difference. I sometimes catch myself talking about him in the past tense, not because I feel like he’s no longer with us, but because if, and when he comes back, it will be a big rift between life before, and after his disappearance. Maybe the Arjen that disappeared and the Arjen that reappears are hardly the same person. These are all gut wrenching scenarios we have to consider.
He is one of the most kind hearted, skilled, and smartest people I have ever had the pleasure to get to know, and I’m proud to call him a huge influence in my life, and mentor in my professional activities.One thing I’m grateful for is that since we met in 2012, we have spent many, many days together, and I never let an opportunity go by to soak up his extensive knowledge. He lives on in my heart and mind. My son has partially been named after Arjen, and I hope I get to pass on the wisdom and ethics he taught me to the next generation, too. On all those who have met him, he made an impact to remember. He really is one of a kind and him being gone is leaving behind a gaping void in our community.
When things happen in my life and would have normally called him to talk to him about it, as I’d often do, I now have that conversation with him in my mind, and because we’ve had so many long and frequent conversations, I know exactly what his answer would be. When people attack his friends and family online with bizarre and hurtful accusations, I hear his voice in my head going, “No good deed goes unpunished!” as he’d often say, and we’d have a little chuckle about it.
Without much further information, what I have left are my gut feelings, and when I think about how I would feel if he had died in an accident in Norway, I am heartbroken. But that’s not how I feel. I don’t feel heartbroken. Oddly enough. I feel concerned and mildly upset with him. Upset for leaving us in the dark like this. And then I feel guilty for not feeling heartbroken.
I think in life people consciously or unconsciously choose their own destiny, and part of him chose to experience whatever happened to him. He made choices in his life that I would not have made, and maybe all those small choices added up and lead to where we stand now. We all have our demons, and maybe his caught up with him.
He possibly robbed himself of his life and identity, even if he’s not dead. And when someone robs themselves of their life, the people they leave behind are left to wonder what they could have done differently. And so do I.
I blame myself for not asking him how he felt or how he was doing. There were times when I had wanted to, but it felt like an awkward question to ask. Surely if there was something I should know, he’d tell me? Why does it feel awkward to ask your best friend how he’s feeling? Partly because our relationship evolved around discussing politics and having a cynical laugh at the strange state of the world. Wallowing in our emotions was generally not our way of spending a fun day together. But also, because he always gave the impression of being a strong, self sufficient and rational person. Always eager to help others, not so eager to be helped himself. Even that time when he accidentally chopped off his fingertips whilst chopping wood, or when he underwent heavy surgery and was clearly in vast amounts of physical pain, he still brushed it off as no big deal. Just a band aid on it and carry on. ‘There are more important things in the world! No time for self pity!’
When a loved one disappears, no matter how much of a privacy respecting person you are, you are left in the position of having to dig into their utmost private life. Going through their stuff, reading through their inboxes, asking anyone who they’ve ever met for anything of possible relevance, going through court to get a hold of their accounts and finances. You don’t have a choice, you’ll do anything to find out what happened or get them back. And the worst of all, we are now in the position of having to pack up his life into boxes and tying up a very big loose end. Having a son now myself, I can only imagine how much pain his family is in.
As I came to find out by digging deeper than what I felt comfortable with, he was not so open, even to his most intimate circle, about his totally human feelings and shortcomings. If I had asked how he felt, what would he have said? He would have said he was doing fine. I know that’s what his answer would have been. Which is why I didn’t ask, I think. But maybe, if only I’d asked, at least I’d know he had been lying.
My new year’s resolution for the rest of my life is to start asking people how they feel, even if, or especially when, it feels like an awkward or intrusive question to ask. And to ask myself the same question. To start respecting my own (gut) feelings. They are an important pointer in life and when you choose to not to honor them, in yourself or others, bad things will start accumulating until something snaps.
Because no matter how important The State of World Politics, how you are feeling will always be more important to discuss with loved ones. I hope anyone who reads this will remember that during Christmas dinner, opens up, and hug their loved ones tightly.
Arjen Kamphuis by Ancilla
Friends&Family of Arjen are starting a sticker campaign at our beloved international hacker conference 35C3 in Leipzig around Christmas. All we are asking for with this campaign #StillDearlyMissed is proof of life. Further details are welcomed but not demanded. For those who kindly asked to contribute, here’s a link:Hack42 » Blog Archive » Operatie #FindArjen tijdens #35C3
For press and journalists; if you can not take this piece of writing out of context, and point to this original document, I’d greatly appreciate it
Still dearly missed – Ancilla van de Leest – Medium
Ancilla van de Leest
Dec 19
About the mysterious disappearance of Arjen Kamphuis
2018 has been a whirlwind of a year. Or maybe not a whirlwind, but a tornado. The phrase, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, is really hitting home with me. To start with the best of times; 2018 will always be the year that my son was born, and all the cliché’s are true, he’s the most wonderful little thing that ever happened to me. Unfortunately the year didn’t end then and there.
And so 2018 was also a year of several painful goodbyes for me. Some I’ll probably share at a later time, one in particular I’ve been asked to share my thoughts on.
By now you have probably read about the much publicized case of me losing my best friend Arjen. At time of this writing he has been missing for a very long four months. Leads are starting to dry up. As it goes with missing person cases; with every day that passes, chances that we’ll get him back are becoming smaller. It being such a bizarre and dramatic event, and because we can’t know exactly what happened, makes it hard to come to terms with it.
It feels impossible to give something closure and the appropriate time for grief when you still have hope that someone might return.
All three scenarios of what happened are left open; The first being that he had an accident by foot, or kayak and died in Norway. A heartbreaking scenario to imagine that he might have died alone, scared and in pain, with so much left to do and say. In that case chances are that the rough waters took him and we’ll never find him back. Police assures us they have given it their utmost effort to find him, and they’ve have come back empty handed. There is not much else we can do.
Another scenario is, that he was taken by someone. Arjen was known for speaking — often controversial — truth to power, and empowering individuals such as journalists and activists in challenging their governments when needed. I wish I could say that we live in a world where such a scenario could be totally ruled out, but unfortunately, I know better. In that case he might reappear in 10yrs and tell us all about it, but it’s hard to keep your hopes up. Not everyone who gets disappeared resurfaces again. Either way, not a pleasant scenario to have to consider.
The third scenario is that he vanished himself, and for this possibility, too, there are clues to be found.
I choose to believe this scenario, that he is or was alive at the time of him going missing. I’m not sure if this is what I believe or if that’s what I want to believe, but it’s the most positive conviction in a bad situation. It comes down to a gut feeling, but also one for which I can find plenty of rational proof.
People get into mental distress all the time. Being highly intelligent, dealing with stressful situations, and being socially isolated for a couple of weeks are perfect ingredients to make that happen. Something might have snapped in his mind, that would have made him do things he wouldn’t normally do. He wouldn’t be the first, nor the last person who finds himself in such a horrible situation.
With this scenario he did rob himself of his life as he knew it. He has good friends, great colleagues, family that cares deeply about him, many career accomplishments, a comfortable home, and frequently traveled the world to spread his knowledge and make a positive difference. I sometimes catch myself talking about him in the past tense, not because I feel like he’s no longer with us, but because if, and when he comes back, it will be a big rift between life before, and after his disappearance. Maybe the Arjen that disappeared and the Arjen that reappears are hardly the same person. These are all gut wrenching scenarios we have to consider.
He is one of the most kind hearted, skilled, and smartest people I have ever had the pleasure to get to know, and I’m proud to call him a huge influence in my life, and mentor in my professional activities.One thing I’m grateful for is that since we met in 2012, we have spent many, many days together, and I never let an opportunity go by to soak up his extensive knowledge. He lives on in my heart and mind. My son has partially been named after Arjen, and I hope I get to pass on the wisdom and ethics he taught me to the next generation, too. On all those who have met him, he made an impact to remember. He really is one of a kind and him being gone is leaving behind a gaping void in our community.
When things happen in my life and would have normally called him to talk to him about it, as I’d often do, I now have that conversation with him in my mind, and because we’ve had so many long and frequent conversations, I know exactly what his answer would be. When people attack his friends and family online with bizarre and hurtful accusations, I hear his voice in my head going, “No good deed goes unpunished!” as he’d often say, and we’d have a little chuckle about it.
Without much further information, what I have left are my gut feelings, and when I think about how I would feel if he had died in an accident in Norway, I am heartbroken. But that’s not how I feel. I don’t feel heartbroken. Oddly enough. I feel concerned and mildly upset with him. Upset for leaving us in the dark like this. And then I feel guilty for not feeling heartbroken.
I think in life people consciously or unconsciously choose their own destiny, and part of him chose to experience whatever happened to him. He made choices in his life that I would not have made, and maybe all those small choices added up and lead to where we stand now. We all have our demons, and maybe his caught up with him.
He possibly robbed himself of his life and identity, even if he’s not dead. And when someone robs themselves of their life, the people they leave behind are left to wonder what they could have done differently. And so do I.
I blame myself for not asking him how he felt or how he was doing. There were times when I had wanted to, but it felt like an awkward question to ask. Surely if there was something I should know, he’d tell me? Why does it feel awkward to ask your best friend how he’s feeling? Partly because our relationship evolved around discussing politics and having a cynical laugh at the strange state of the world. Wallowing in our emotions was generally not our way of spending a fun day together. But also, because he always gave the impression of being a strong, self sufficient and rational person. Always eager to help others, not so eager to be helped himself. Even that time when he accidentally chopped off his fingertips whilst chopping wood, or when he underwent heavy surgery and was clearly in vast amounts of physical pain, he still brushed it off as no big deal. Just a band aid on it and carry on. ‘There are more important things in the world! No time for self pity!’
When a loved one disappears, no matter how much of a privacy respecting person you are, you are left in the position of having to dig into their utmost private life. Going through their stuff, reading through their inboxes, asking anyone who they’ve ever met for anything of possible relevance, going through court to get a hold of their accounts and finances. You don’t have a choice, you’ll do anything to find out what happened or get them back. And the worst of all, we are now in the position of having to pack up his life into boxes and tying up a very big loose end. Having a son now myself, I can only imagine how much pain his family is in.
As I came to find out by digging deeper than what I felt comfortable with, he was not so open, even to his most intimate circle, about his totally human feelings and shortcomings. If I had asked how he felt, what would he have said? He would have said he was doing fine. I know that’s what his answer would have been. Which is why I didn’t ask, I think. But maybe, if only I’d asked, at least I’d know he had been lying.
My new year’s resolution for the rest of my life is to start asking people how they feel, even if, or especially when, it feels like an awkward or intrusive question to ask. And to ask myself the same question. To start respecting my own (gut) feelings. They are an important pointer in life and when you choose to not to honor them, in yourself or others, bad things will start accumulating until something snaps.
Because no matter how important The State of World Politics, how you are feeling will always be more important to discuss with loved ones. I hope anyone who reads this will remember that during Christmas dinner, opens up, and hug their loved ones tightly.
Arjen Kamphuis by Ancilla
Friends&Family of Arjen are starting a sticker campaign at our beloved international hacker conference 35C3 in Leipzig around Christmas. All we are asking for with this campaign #StillDearlyMissed is proof of life. Further details are welcomed but not demanded. For those who kindly asked to contribute, here’s a link:Hack42 » Blog Archive » Operatie #FindArjen tijdens #35C3
For press and journalists; if you can not take this piece of writing out of context, and point to this original document, I’d greatly appreciate it
Still dearly missed – Ancilla van de Leest – Medium
Wondering when AK underwent heart surgery?
Back to my earlier speculations that AK may have been experiencing some kind of medical/mental duress. Some may become very tired, angry, paranoid and depressed for a period of time.
From what i have( privately not professionally) observed over many years is that sometimes heart patients, or those about to become one, can sometimes be clumsy in things they are normally careful with such as how they park their car ( askew) perhaps even causing one to wrongly follow directions such as assembling a kayak.
Medications might need to be adjusted.
Some want to prove they are every bit as capable as they were pre -diagnosis and want to conquer the world, climb mountains, live on a deserted island, or go visit the ice bears, ect.
Complete speculation, imo.
Back to my earlier speculations that AK may have been experiencing some kind of medical/mental duress. Some may become very tired, angry, paranoid and depressed for a period of time.
From what i have( privately not professionally) observed over many years is that sometimes heart patients, or those about to become one, can sometimes be clumsy in things they are normally careful with such as how they park their car ( askew) perhaps even causing one to wrongly follow directions such as assembling a kayak.
Medications might need to be adjusted.
Some want to prove they are every bit as capable as they were pre -diagnosis and want to conquer the world, climb mountains, live on a deserted island, or go visit the ice bears, ect.
Complete speculation, imo.
Chiatos
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Are you sure about the heart surgery? Ancilla said heavy surgery, perhaps she is referring to his knee operation?
If Arjen is still doing well, I hope he will be able to read Ancilla's message.
Quite right, thanks- heavy surgery is what Ancilla said!
Which tempers my speculation, but still wonder if he was experiencing a medical problem, imo, speculation.
worldwatcher
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Arjen Kamphuis chose for disappearance'
Arjen Kamphuis would still live, think his colleagues, family and friends. They keep in mind that the man has voluntarily left the anonymity, writes the AD.
MENTAL EMERGENCY
This is not the first time that Kamphuis has disappeared from the radar. "We take into account that Arjen might have been in a mental emergency," says Ancilla van de Leest on behalf of Kamphuis's family and friends. "His stressful life, combined with high intelligence and spending weeks alone on your own, could lead to this . "
The 47-year-old man has disappeared without a trace since August 20. He then left his hotel in the Norwegian Bodø, his kayak was later found back in a fjord. Kamphuis had a stressful period and went to Norway this summer to clear his head, he told friends.
GERMANY
"There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself," says Kirk Wiebe, an American NSA whistleblower and colleague from Kamphuis. Traces point to Germany, where Kamphuis lived. There, just before the disappearance of the man, a German SIM card was put in his phone. Witnesses have seen him in Denmark. Money was also transferred to Deutsche Bahn, which could indicate a trip to Germany. Yet an accident or crime is not excluded.
Next week we will be looking for Kamphuis again, during a big hackers congress in Leipzig. 60,000 Find Arjen stickers are distributed there. "Keep looking out for him is our message," says initiator Jos Weyers, friend and fellow hacker. "And perhaps we will reach Arjen himself. If he is still hanging around somewhere, that might be among like-minded people. And around 17,000 of them will come to Leipzig between Christmas and New Year's Eve. "
GT
'Arjen Kamphuis koos zelf voor verdwijning'
Also a read on:
Cookies op AD.nl | AD.nl
Talpa Network
Arjen Kamphuis would still live, think his colleagues, family and friends. They keep in mind that the man has voluntarily left the anonymity, writes the AD.
MENTAL EMERGENCY
This is not the first time that Kamphuis has disappeared from the radar. "We take into account that Arjen might have been in a mental emergency," says Ancilla van de Leest on behalf of Kamphuis's family and friends. "His stressful life, combined with high intelligence and spending weeks alone on your own, could lead to this . "
The 47-year-old man has disappeared without a trace since August 20. He then left his hotel in the Norwegian Bodø, his kayak was later found back in a fjord. Kamphuis had a stressful period and went to Norway this summer to clear his head, he told friends.
GERMANY
"There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself," says Kirk Wiebe, an American NSA whistleblower and colleague from Kamphuis. Traces point to Germany, where Kamphuis lived. There, just before the disappearance of the man, a German SIM card was put in his phone. Witnesses have seen him in Denmark. Money was also transferred to Deutsche Bahn, which could indicate a trip to Germany. Yet an accident or crime is not excluded.
Next week we will be looking for Kamphuis again, during a big hackers congress in Leipzig. 60,000 Find Arjen stickers are distributed there. "Keep looking out for him is our message," says initiator Jos Weyers, friend and fellow hacker. "And perhaps we will reach Arjen himself. If he is still hanging around somewhere, that might be among like-minded people. And around 17,000 of them will come to Leipzig between Christmas and New Year's Eve. "
GT
'Arjen Kamphuis koos zelf voor verdwijning'
Also a read on:
Cookies op AD.nl | AD.nl
Talpa Network
Last edited:
worldwatcher
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Disappearance of cyber expert Kamphuis remains surrounded by riddles.
reconstruction | Four months ago, Arjen Kamphuis disappeared from the radar. The disappearance of the cyber expert who took up the spying greed of world powers remains surrounded by riddles. Is he still alive? Did he want to disappear himself? Report of a strange quest.
Bodø, 15 September. After wandering in the rain for hours through the Norwegian town where Arjen Kamphuis was last seen, I return to my hotel in the middle of the afternoon. The reception is unmanned, the lobby is extinct. I take the elevator to the second floor. Once upstairs I see that a woman is walking out of my room. What was she doing there? As she passes, she mumbles something that looks like a greeting, without looking at me. The woman looks caught. Or do I picture that? She does not wear a hotel uniform. Is she spying on me?
Suddenly I am glad that I had my laptop with me, safe in my backpack. Although? If some secret service wants to know what I discover about the missing cybersecurity specialist, they have already hacked my laptop. Arjen Kamphuis would shudder at the total lack of security measures I was sent to investigate his disappearance.
Anyone who goes missing in the mystery of Arjen Kamphuis will almost automatically think of conspiracy scenarios. Kamphuis helps journalists, lawyers and human rights activists to stay out of sight of secret services and protect their sources. He advises European governments on how to prevent hacks from hostile powers, he assists whistleblowers who have to fear their lives because of their revelations.
Was Kamphuis himself also targeted? Did an accident happen? Or did he run? Four months after the disappearance, all scenarios are still on the table, although intimals increasingly take into account a self-chosen departure in oblivion.
Crusade
As a hacker and cyber expert Kamphuis - long haired hair, goggles, often dressed in black - performed a crusade against the, in his eyes, lax approach to information security. "There is irrefutable documentary evidence that virtually all systems we use can be manipulated and tapped," he once said in an earlier interview. "But in the Netherlands we do not even have a conversation about it."
He himself always runs several laptops and telephones. In order to work safely, according to Kamphuis, you must use a computer from before 2008 that has never made contact with the internet, encrypt your e-mail and avoid US services such as Facebook or Twitter. For googling or twittering, he uses a separate laptop, says journalist Gerard Janssen, who regularly knocked on his door. "He carries two USB sticks around his neck. One with sensitive data and one with Linux Tails control program for his laptop. At first sight absurd paranoia, but if you work on dangerous files, it is necessary. Thanks to whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, we know that conspiracy theories about secret services like the American NSA prove to be true time after time. "
In international media Kamphuis' connection with Wikileaks figurehead Assange is often mentioned. And indeed: the Dutchman sometimes visited the embassy of Ecuador in London, where the whistleblower is trapped, as it were, says Jos Weyers, good friend and fellow hacker. "But they've known each other for a long time. It is not that he really did projects for Wikileaks. Arjen just has a large network. "
With such criticism you seek quarreling with nuclear superpowers. That is risky
-Brenno de Winter
Criticism of the American spy service NSA does not hide Kamphuis or banks. During lectures and trainings, the data hunger and espionage of the Americans are regularly discussed. Kamphuis advises internet users to surf anonymously and use encryption programs, so that it is simply too expensive for the spy service to tap everyone. "With such criticism you are looking for quarrel with nuclear superpowers," says IT expert and knowledge of Kamphuis Brenno de Winter. ,, That is risky. ''
Do the American spies then hunt the Dutchman? It is only 'one of the scenarios', but the police can not exclude it entirely. Kamphuis sometimes knows more than is good for him. Through his cyber transmission work he will be on the radar of the intelligence services, he was aware of that. Last summer he told friends that he had been bubbling at the end of his front door. Earlier, when he was still living in Germany, he had felt that someone had been in his house.
Offline
Friends are not immediately worried when messages they send him via the encrypted message service Signal remain unanswered. In order to give his brain a rest, Kamphuis goes completely offline during vacations.
If he does not show up after appointments after his holiday, however, all alarm bells go off. "He would never just stay away without signing off," says friend Sanne Terlingen. So the friends, fellow hackers and acquaintances quickly get into action. Terlingen, who, as an investigative journalist, often searched for missing persons, makes contact with the Norwegian police and embassy. Girl friend Ancilla van de Leest, former leader of the Pirate Party, is a spokesman in the media. Cozy colleagues from Kamphuis hack his mailbox.
This way they discover that he never visited Spitsbergen. Booking confirmations from Booking.com lead the railway to Bodø, Norway's cybersecurity capital: the headquarters of the Norwegian army, a NATO air base and a branch of the Norwegian intelligence service are located in that town above the Arctic Circle. Kamphuis stayed there ten days before he checked out at his hotel on August 20, got on the train to Rognan and disappeared. In the water of the fjord, along the track, a local fisherman finds his pouch bag with an identity card. Later his folding kayak is also found.
Did Kamphuis have an accident? It is one of the scenarios. The second theory: that someone has done something to the cyberspecialist. The third option is that he himself has disappeared from the radar.
Hackers
Not only Dutch and Norwegian media are diving on the news about his disappearance. A tweet from WikiLeaks attracts attention in hacker circles, where Kamphuis is a familiarity. Intrigued by the special story about his disappearance, completely unknown people start to search. Like the Dutchman Louis Kramer living in Bodø. "It does not happen every day that a Dutch person goes missing here," he says. In Rognan, the terminal where a witness Kamphuis says to have seen at the harbor on the night of his disappearance, Kramer throws twenty plastic tubs with his contact details in the fjord. ,, To see where the current is leading them. "
Hearing that we would not want Arjen to be found is super heavy if one of your best friends is missing
-Sanne Terlingen
Soon Twitter explodes with tips and theories that are shared under the hashtag #findarjen. About 50 active investigators gather at a forum with family members and friends of Kamphuis. They are initially happy with the help: the more people search, the greater the chance that they will be found. And hackers can find things that remain hidden from others.
But after a few weeks there is a fight. Family and friends are accused of withholding information. They get the feeling that the missing person was hijacked by conspiracy thinkers. For example, unknown people on the forum require that they map all the coats that Arjen has ever had. ,, That did not seem to me the most needed of everything that had to happen, '' Terlingen explains. "To hear that we would not want Arjen to be found is super heavy if one of your best friends is missing."
Astray
The big question is whether Kamphuis - if he is still alive - wants to be found. He is not only a master in the erasure of digital tracks. He is also an expert in leaving behind physical traces of being able to conduct research without hindrance or to meet sources, says journalist Jeroen de Vreede, who asked Kamphuis for advice about the MH17 disaster and the investigation into Russian involvement. "That also dealt with methods to make yourself 'disappear': how to travel, so that government services can not follow you. Think about crossing the border on foot and ways to make the outside world think you are in the Netherlands, while doing research elsewhere. ''
Was it leaving the foldable kayak behind - half-heartedly put together, to simulate an accident? - and his ID such astray? Did he consciously book eleven different hotels in seven places in Norway, on Spitsbergen and the Lofoten, while he eventually slept in three? Did he choose the Bodø cyber security hotspot as a destination to misfire the outside world? And why did one of his phones shine for ten days after his disappearance at a mast in Vikeså, in the south of Norway, before a German SIM card was inserted and the device disappeared from the radar again?
The fact that he is still alive is a plausible theory for intimates. "There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself", says his colleague Kirk Wiebe, a former senior official at the US NSA who became a whistleblower. "Maybe he should put his thoughts in order, think about life."
There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself
-Kirk Wiebe
Kamphuis previously disappeared for a while from the radar during a stressful period in his life. ,, We take into account that he has been in a mental emergency, '' says Van de Leest. "His stressful life, combined with high intelligence and sitting on your own for weeks, could lead to this. A self-chosen disappearance is also the only scenario that we can do something with. If he is drowned in Norwegian sea water or taken away by a secret service, we will never find him again. "
During a big hackers congress in Leipzig, colleagues, friends and family will therefore do an ultimate attempt to track Kamphuis next week. As part of their new action #stilldearlymissed they share 60,000 stickers with Kamphuis' photo; a kind of mini-detection posters. ,, We do not ask to open a manhunt on him '', says Van de Leest, who published a piece last night in which she explains why the 'disappearance scenario' is the most likely. ,, But we just want to have a sign of life. ''
Weyers: "If he is still hanging around somewhere, that might be among like-minded people. And around 17,000 of them come to Leipzig between Christmas and New Year. "Kamphuis' American friend and 'privacy-type father' Bill Binney leaves a bad feeling about the matter: ,, But I hope he still shows up . Then I first give him a kick under the *advertiser censored* and then a big hug."
GT
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reconstruction | Four months ago, Arjen Kamphuis disappeared from the radar. The disappearance of the cyber expert who took up the spying greed of world powers remains surrounded by riddles. Is he still alive? Did he want to disappear himself? Report of a strange quest.
Bodø, 15 September. After wandering in the rain for hours through the Norwegian town where Arjen Kamphuis was last seen, I return to my hotel in the middle of the afternoon. The reception is unmanned, the lobby is extinct. I take the elevator to the second floor. Once upstairs I see that a woman is walking out of my room. What was she doing there? As she passes, she mumbles something that looks like a greeting, without looking at me. The woman looks caught. Or do I picture that? She does not wear a hotel uniform. Is she spying on me?
Suddenly I am glad that I had my laptop with me, safe in my backpack. Although? If some secret service wants to know what I discover about the missing cybersecurity specialist, they have already hacked my laptop. Arjen Kamphuis would shudder at the total lack of security measures I was sent to investigate his disappearance.
Anyone who goes missing in the mystery of Arjen Kamphuis will almost automatically think of conspiracy scenarios. Kamphuis helps journalists, lawyers and human rights activists to stay out of sight of secret services and protect their sources. He advises European governments on how to prevent hacks from hostile powers, he assists whistleblowers who have to fear their lives because of their revelations.
Was Kamphuis himself also targeted? Did an accident happen? Or did he run? Four months after the disappearance, all scenarios are still on the table, although intimals increasingly take into account a self-chosen departure in oblivion.
Crusade
As a hacker and cyber expert Kamphuis - long haired hair, goggles, often dressed in black - performed a crusade against the, in his eyes, lax approach to information security. "There is irrefutable documentary evidence that virtually all systems we use can be manipulated and tapped," he once said in an earlier interview. "But in the Netherlands we do not even have a conversation about it."
He himself always runs several laptops and telephones. In order to work safely, according to Kamphuis, you must use a computer from before 2008 that has never made contact with the internet, encrypt your e-mail and avoid US services such as Facebook or Twitter. For googling or twittering, he uses a separate laptop, says journalist Gerard Janssen, who regularly knocked on his door. "He carries two USB sticks around his neck. One with sensitive data and one with Linux Tails control program for his laptop. At first sight absurd paranoia, but if you work on dangerous files, it is necessary. Thanks to whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, we know that conspiracy theories about secret services like the American NSA prove to be true time after time. "
In international media Kamphuis' connection with Wikileaks figurehead Assange is often mentioned. And indeed: the Dutchman sometimes visited the embassy of Ecuador in London, where the whistleblower is trapped, as it were, says Jos Weyers, good friend and fellow hacker. "But they've known each other for a long time. It is not that he really did projects for Wikileaks. Arjen just has a large network. "
With such criticism you seek quarreling with nuclear superpowers. That is risky
-Brenno de Winter
Criticism of the American spy service NSA does not hide Kamphuis or banks. During lectures and trainings, the data hunger and espionage of the Americans are regularly discussed. Kamphuis advises internet users to surf anonymously and use encryption programs, so that it is simply too expensive for the spy service to tap everyone. "With such criticism you are looking for quarrel with nuclear superpowers," says IT expert and knowledge of Kamphuis Brenno de Winter. ,, That is risky. ''
Do the American spies then hunt the Dutchman? It is only 'one of the scenarios', but the police can not exclude it entirely. Kamphuis sometimes knows more than is good for him. Through his cyber transmission work he will be on the radar of the intelligence services, he was aware of that. Last summer he told friends that he had been bubbling at the end of his front door. Earlier, when he was still living in Germany, he had felt that someone had been in his house.
Offline
Friends are not immediately worried when messages they send him via the encrypted message service Signal remain unanswered. In order to give his brain a rest, Kamphuis goes completely offline during vacations.
If he does not show up after appointments after his holiday, however, all alarm bells go off. "He would never just stay away without signing off," says friend Sanne Terlingen. So the friends, fellow hackers and acquaintances quickly get into action. Terlingen, who, as an investigative journalist, often searched for missing persons, makes contact with the Norwegian police and embassy. Girl friend Ancilla van de Leest, former leader of the Pirate Party, is a spokesman in the media. Cozy colleagues from Kamphuis hack his mailbox.
This way they discover that he never visited Spitsbergen. Booking confirmations from Booking.com lead the railway to Bodø, Norway's cybersecurity capital: the headquarters of the Norwegian army, a NATO air base and a branch of the Norwegian intelligence service are located in that town above the Arctic Circle. Kamphuis stayed there ten days before he checked out at his hotel on August 20, got on the train to Rognan and disappeared. In the water of the fjord, along the track, a local fisherman finds his pouch bag with an identity card. Later his folding kayak is also found.
Did Kamphuis have an accident? It is one of the scenarios. The second theory: that someone has done something to the cyberspecialist. The third option is that he himself has disappeared from the radar.
Hackers
Not only Dutch and Norwegian media are diving on the news about his disappearance. A tweet from WikiLeaks attracts attention in hacker circles, where Kamphuis is a familiarity. Intrigued by the special story about his disappearance, completely unknown people start to search. Like the Dutchman Louis Kramer living in Bodø. "It does not happen every day that a Dutch person goes missing here," he says. In Rognan, the terminal where a witness Kamphuis says to have seen at the harbor on the night of his disappearance, Kramer throws twenty plastic tubs with his contact details in the fjord. ,, To see where the current is leading them. "
Hearing that we would not want Arjen to be found is super heavy if one of your best friends is missing
-Sanne Terlingen
Soon Twitter explodes with tips and theories that are shared under the hashtag #findarjen. About 50 active investigators gather at a forum with family members and friends of Kamphuis. They are initially happy with the help: the more people search, the greater the chance that they will be found. And hackers can find things that remain hidden from others.
But after a few weeks there is a fight. Family and friends are accused of withholding information. They get the feeling that the missing person was hijacked by conspiracy thinkers. For example, unknown people on the forum require that they map all the coats that Arjen has ever had. ,, That did not seem to me the most needed of everything that had to happen, '' Terlingen explains. "To hear that we would not want Arjen to be found is super heavy if one of your best friends is missing."
Astray
The big question is whether Kamphuis - if he is still alive - wants to be found. He is not only a master in the erasure of digital tracks. He is also an expert in leaving behind physical traces of being able to conduct research without hindrance or to meet sources, says journalist Jeroen de Vreede, who asked Kamphuis for advice about the MH17 disaster and the investigation into Russian involvement. "That also dealt with methods to make yourself 'disappear': how to travel, so that government services can not follow you. Think about crossing the border on foot and ways to make the outside world think you are in the Netherlands, while doing research elsewhere. ''
Was it leaving the foldable kayak behind - half-heartedly put together, to simulate an accident? - and his ID such astray? Did he consciously book eleven different hotels in seven places in Norway, on Spitsbergen and the Lofoten, while he eventually slept in three? Did he choose the Bodø cyber security hotspot as a destination to misfire the outside world? And why did one of his phones shine for ten days after his disappearance at a mast in Vikeså, in the south of Norway, before a German SIM card was inserted and the device disappeared from the radar again?
The fact that he is still alive is a plausible theory for intimates. "There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself", says his colleague Kirk Wiebe, a former senior official at the US NSA who became a whistleblower. "Maybe he should put his thoughts in order, think about life."
There are indications for the scenario that Arjen might want to disappear from the radar himself
-Kirk Wiebe
Kamphuis previously disappeared for a while from the radar during a stressful period in his life. ,, We take into account that he has been in a mental emergency, '' says Van de Leest. "His stressful life, combined with high intelligence and sitting on your own for weeks, could lead to this. A self-chosen disappearance is also the only scenario that we can do something with. If he is drowned in Norwegian sea water or taken away by a secret service, we will never find him again. "
During a big hackers congress in Leipzig, colleagues, friends and family will therefore do an ultimate attempt to track Kamphuis next week. As part of their new action #stilldearlymissed they share 60,000 stickers with Kamphuis' photo; a kind of mini-detection posters. ,, We do not ask to open a manhunt on him '', says Van de Leest, who published a piece last night in which she explains why the 'disappearance scenario' is the most likely. ,, But we just want to have a sign of life. ''
Weyers: "If he is still hanging around somewhere, that might be among like-minded people. And around 17,000 of them come to Leipzig between Christmas and New Year. "Kamphuis' American friend and 'privacy-type father' Bill Binney leaves a bad feeling about the matter: ,, But I hope he still shows up . Then I first give him a kick under the *advertiser censored* and then a big hug."
GT
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