Safer Practices for Sources How To Contact DER SPIEGEL with Confidential Information
SPIEGEL ONLINE
One basic safety tip is that you should never contact us from your own office. Work phones, mobile phones and your office e-mail address can all be easily monitored. In highly sensitive situations, you should not use your private mobile phone, personal landline or private e-mail account.
Most importantly: Never send us classified or confidential information through normal e-mail channels.
The best approach is take up direct personal contact with us. You have the choice of remaining anonymous and do not have to provide us with your name. You can get in touch in the following ways:
1. Telephone: You can reach us at +49 40 3007 0 (from outside Germany) or 040 3007 0 (inside Germany). Once connected, ask for "investigative." For additional security, you can use a prepaid SIM card purchased under another name and a disposable mobile phone. Every mobile phone has a unique (IMEI) identification number attached to it. That number can still be clearly detected even if you are using a prepaid SIM card. If you are using a landline, it is best to use one that is not registered in your name and to which you cannot be traced in any way.
2. Mail: Please write us at:
DER SPIEGEL,
"Investigative",
Ericusspitze 1
20457 Hamburg
The postal system is a reliable way of sending information. For further security, you can also encrypt your documents and place them on a CD or USB stick, and then send it by normal mail.
3. Email: You can also send a PGP-encrypted email to:
investigativ@spiegel.de
PGP Key
Fingerprint: 6177 6456 98CE 38EF 21DE AAAA AD69 75A1 27FF 8ADC
For matching purposes, you will also always find the fingerprint in the imprint of the printed issues of DER SPIEGEL (in the Reader Service section under "Notes for informants").
You can further increase your security by connecting a laptop that does not contain any personal data to a public WLAN network using the Tor anonymizing system .
4. About Our Anonymous SecureDrop Mailbox
Our SecureDrop mailbox provides you with the possibility to send us documents or information securely and, if necessary, anonymously. To do this, you will need the Tor Browser, which you can download here .
After installing the Tor Browser, open the program and type or copy the following URL into the address bar:
kxenegnp5vjtzfifupdaibxckguzitxyuqo2qoyj5riumorb54l3zdqd.onion
The URL only works with the Tor Browser. Once the page has loaded, you will find further information about how you can send messages and documents to DER SPIEGEL.
If you personally do not feel comfortable or confident using these technologies and encryption tools, you can also contact the appropriate editor at DER SPIEGEL and arrange a personal meeting. Sensitive documents and other pieces of information are best provided in person and in an encrypted form.
Once contact has been established, we are happy to provide you with advice on how you can take steps to protect yourself as an informant.
