How to contact me + other info
Hi.
My name is Christopher Bing. I am a reporter with ProPublica, based in Washington, D.C.
My work focuses on the intersection between national security and technology.
Below is some information on how to contact me, who I am, what articles I have previously written, and other hopefully useful background.
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(TL;DR — My work Signal number: 771–217–8550)
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Reach out (overt):
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bing_Chris
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-b-a4402566/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbing.bsky.social
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@Bing_Chris
My Email:
christopher.bing[at]propublica[dot]org
bing.chris[at]protonmail[dot]me
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Talk to me (covert):
If you prefer to contact me anonymously or through a more secure line of communication than traditional email, please do so by considering one of the following methods.
Contact details/apps:
1.) Signal (download link) — *preferred method*
Developed by Open Whisper Systems, Signal is a free, open source, end-to-end encrypted messaging platform popular on mobile devices. It will allow you to create a group chat channel to contact me.
My #: 771–217–8550
Username: chrisbing_propublica.11
2.) WhatsApp (download link)
Built on the Signal Protocol library, WhatsApp is a Facebook-owned cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) application that is available for mobile and desktop.
My #: 771–217–8550
3.) Keybase (download link)
Keybase is a key directory that maps social media identities to encryption keys in a publicly auditable manner.
Username: cbing017
My #: 771–217–8550
4.) Wickr (download link)
Wickr instant messaging apps allow users to exchange end-to-end encrypted and content-expiring messages, including photos, videos, and file attachments. The software is available for the iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems.
Username: Chris Bing
Email: christopher.bing@propublica.org
My #:771–217–8550
5.) Telegram (download link)
A free and open source, cross-platform, cloud-based instant messaging (IM) software. This service also provides end-to-end encrypted video calling, VoIP, file sharing and several other features.
Username: chrisbing017
My #: 771–217–8550
6.) Threema (download link)
Open-source end-to-end encrypted instant messaging application for iOS and Android.
ID: VFX4M6TS
Username: chrisbing
Cell #: 771–217–8550
7.) Wire (download link)
Wire is an encrypted communication and collaboration app created by Wire Swiss. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers such as Firefox.
email: christopher.bing@propublica.org
ID: chrisbing017
8.) Confide (download link)
An encrypted, ephemeral and screenshot-proof messenger that allows you to communicate with me easily.
Username: Christopher Bing
My #: 202–510–0174
Account Link: https://getconfide.com/add/ktmdpjyf
9.) ProPublica’s tip line
Link here — please address to Christopher Bing: https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/send-propublica-story-tips
10.) Mail me docs
Christopher Bing, ProPublica
155 Avenue of the Americas, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10013
*Other Recommendations*
Do you prefer a different communications platform than those listed above? Let me know via Signal.
I occasionally use a second cell number ending in 36, especially with known contacts. If for some reason this number interacts with you I will offer an additional verification step to confirm my identity.
Consider using the Tor browser when reaching out to me: Download Tor -> Open Tor -> Create a new email account(or other messaging application account), which you will only use in Tor (here’s one option) -> send me a message… [Full Tutorial]
Consider using the Tails secure operating system when reaching out to me: Download Tails onto a USB stick -> insert the USB into your computer and boot your computer using Tails (here’s a guide) -> once Tails has launched you can use the computer normally to create a messaging account or email account (Tor and other security tools come pre-installed) -> send me a message… [Explainer video]
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Background:
I grew up split between Caracas, Venezuela, and Montgomery County, Maryland. I am the son of an immigrant mother and American father — learning both spanish and english from an early age.
My interest in journalism originally came from my experience watching Venezuela collapse into an autocracy. Eventually, it became dangerous to travel to Caracas, so international wire reporting became part of how I remained connected. I am still thankful to the Reuters and Associated Press reporters that remained on the ground to cover the story.
Over the years, the free press was strangled out of Venezuela as successive regimes sought to control the narrative. This experience highlighted for me the importance of independent journalism.
I have always had a natural interest in how the U.S. national security apparatus functions. I was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and lived near Fort Meade as a child. Many of our neighbors worked in the U.S. intelligence community and I saw how they were deeply affected by the events of September 11.
My fascination with digital security and its importance in our society came later, after studying the Arab Spring and its aftermath during my undergraduate studies.
I attended St. Marys Honors College of Maryland from 2009 to 2013, where I studied political science and democratic stability.
In May 2024, I graduated from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University with a masters degree in intelligence, strategy and cybersecurity.
I pursued a masters in intelligence and technology studies rather than seeking a journalism degree because I fundamentally believe that in order to successfully cover this complex and challenging topic it requires a higher level of familiarity and expertise.
I remained connected with SAIS through the school’s Alperovitch Institute.
Career history:
My journalism career began in early 2014 as a intern for the Daily Caller, a conservative news outlet. I covered breaking news and other general topics.
I then became a local technology business journalist for a subsidiary of the American City Business Journals — then known as DC Inno, part of the Inno Media Group. I covered the D.C.-area business industry with a focus on technology startups and the investment community.
In 2016, I was hired to become the first cybersecurity reporter at Scoop News Group, a federal technology news outlet, working under its brand CyberScoop. I covered government cybersecurity matters with a focus on defense, homeland security and intelligence agencies. I was later promoted to an Associate Editor position, where I helped managed a group of interns.
In 2018, I was hired by Reuters, the global newswire, to cover cybersecurity and intelligence. I covered various government agencies including FBI, NSA, CIA, DoD, and DHS, among others. My coverage was focused on the intersection between technology and national security developments. I was later promoted to Team Leader, a position where I continued to pursue reporting work while also managing a four person team spread around the globe.
In January 2024, I was hired by ProPublica as an investigative reporter.
Tip for pitches:
I do not cover surveys, business “studies,” product news or events. I am interested in learning more about cyber espionage, warfare, crime and disinformation/digital propaganda.
Please no PR spam. My reporting is typically more investigative in style and length, so I do not cover quite as many breaking news incidents as some of my peers.
ProPublica is a general audience publication and as such, some technical cybersecurity research will be outside our focal area.
About my Twitter:
My Twitter auto-deletes ( https://tweetdelete.net/) old posts. So, if you’re looking for something I said previously or have a question about anything I have written: message me directly. (unclear if this function still operates since Twitter’s change to X)
My Work samples:
Link to Reuters author page: https://www.reuters.com/journalists/christopher-bing
