Hardware registration
From 22C3
Dear Participants,
like last year your hardware won't be labeled at the entrance and won't be controlled at the exit, like it was used to in the past. But there will be controls at the exit to check for unusual equipment in big bags like Beamers for example.
Why we decided to change this now and if there is a risk of more thefts?
Here are the reasons which were brought up against the labeling:
- Up until now, only one component at max (if at all) has been stolen every event. This has been a WLAN-PCMCIA-Card, a Notebook and a video projector.
- No other almost equal event does this kind of controlling of the participant's hardware (e.g. BlackHat, HIP, HAL, DefCon, Hope, Wizards of OS, LinuxTag etc.). Nevertheless there are no significant cases of hardware being stolen.
- We trust in a honest hacker-community in which everyone respects the hardware and property of everyone else.
- We would like to avoid searching bags and doing strip-searches.
- We trust in the good in you and would like to call upon you to always have an eye on your neighbour's hardware. You should feel responsible for _all_ the hardware in the congress center.
- We want you to develope a feeling for personal security and not be monitored by us.
- We expect you to be responsible.
- Security checks contradict the philosophy of the CCC.
- You don't have to wonder, if leaving your notebook unattended in the cafeteria will result in a stolen one. This is also unusual at other events.
- Small devices (PDA, Subnotebook, Cell-Phone etc.) can always be removed from the building, even with hardware labels, since it's no big deal to hide them under your clothes for example.
- Hardware-labeling and the checks at the entrance occupy a lot of honorary volunteers, which might be better needed elsewhere.
- Labeling the hardware at the entrance leads to congestion and a long row. And nobody likes standing outside the building in cold december days.
- Abandoned hardware should be handed over to the Infotresen (Category: Lost Found).
- Missing hardware can be picked up at the Infotresen, after a ownership verification. Your hardware sure has been placed there by a responsible congress-participant.
- Everything's gonna be alright.
In this spirit.
Your
22C3 Orga Team
