Anyone using Tor?

[TheDan]

The persistent impression in the darknet community is that paid VPNs are simply too easy to abuse. It is inconceivable that some are not set up specifically as traps. I have never figured out which ones are trustworthy and I don't know anyone credible who purports to be able to do so.

True, and you can also be tracked by your payment method, but it doesn't hurt to have as part of a total system. Tunneling all your traffic can have some nice advantages, and depending on the network you're connecting to you can add some more creative layers. You can use TOR over VPN, too. To your larger point, anonymity requires a whole philosophy; just clicking a button on one technology isn't going to cut it.

I gave up trying to be anonymous a long time ago, however. It's too much work and IDGAF anymore. Come and take it.

 

[Southpaw]

I gave up trying to be anonymous a long time ago, however. It's too much work and IDGAF anymore. Come and take it.

My feelings exactly. I use to be hard to find, but gave up a while ago as well.

 

[jordanmills]

That's a good article. Thanks for the link.

I think a point-by-point discussion of the objections in that article would put everyone to sleep so I won't go there. However, he says a few things that bear comment.

All good points from what I can skim. I hope I can read and reply in depth soon, but work is busy!

I was more citing the NSA/FBI involvement, but you got a good angle on the perception and use patterns of the average user.

To properly use TOR, you need to have a throwaway laptop that has software installed from write-once media with verified hashes and has network connectivity disabled (preferably physically disabled). You lock down the network stack, let nothing out but the TOR proxy, then take it somewhere else... like a mcdonald's across town. If you're good, you'll be using a high gain wireless antenna from a half mile away. Connect with that, bring the TOR proxy online, and do your business. Then leave. You should have no personal data on it at all. Don't check email, web forums, or anything else. Wipe the user profile, flush the disk, and zero that part of the medium after every use.

If you do that, you have a chance of being moderately anonymous. But still just a chance. The biggest security hole is the chair to keyboard interface.

 

[benenglish]

True, and you can also be tracked by your payment method, ...

Oh, boy. "How To Pay For Things Anonymously Online" is not an essay from me that anyone wants to read. I think I should back away, slowly.

 

[benenglish]

...take it somewhere else... ... If you're good, you'll be using a high gain wireless antenna from a half mile away. ...

I have a favorite eatery with no surveillance cameras that comes with a very strong, completely unencrypted wireless connection from the car repair place next door. If they ever lock down their router, I'll have to start wardriving again, something I haven't done in a long time.

 

[jordanmills]

I have a favorite eatery with no surveillance cameras that comes with a very strong, completely unencrypted wireless connection from the car repair place next door. If they ever lock down their router, I'll have to start wardriving again, something I haven't done in a long time.

Maybe, but you could still get pinched just for being in the area.

 

[Younggun]

Oh, boy. "How To Pay For Things Anonymously Online" is not an essay from me that anyone wants to read. I think I should back away, slowly.

I've been thinking about this.


Maybe get a prepaid visa loaded by cash only. Got a certain shipping location thy has already said I could ship and receive anything I like there and could probably set up a PO box with them under a false name.

Course it would be pretty useless since I don't know enough about computers to hide things from the get go.

 

[Southpaw]

I've been thinking about this.


Maybe get a prepaid visa loaded by cash only. Got a certain shipping location thy has already said I could ship and receive anything I like there and could probably set up a PO box with them under a false name.

Course it would be pretty useless since I don't know enough about computers to hide things from the get go.

Opening up a PO box, even at a private mailing service, will require you to fill out a federal form and show required photo ID and proof of residence as well.

 

[Younggun]

The. I would just have it shipped to the location under a different name I guess.

 

[Sapper740]

In layman's terms, what has Ben and Jordan been saying?

 

[benenglish]

In layman's terms, what has Ben and Jordan been saying?

The internet was not designed with security, including anonymity, in mind. For that reason, it's possible for lots of entities to stalk you online. If you don't like this, then the hoops you have to jump through to travel about the internet unnoticed are complex and difficult to successfully use.

Jordan may have a different take on the conversation, though.

 

[TX69]

What would be a good encryption to use? I hate to say it but is there a decent "freeware" encryption to use?

TrueCrypt?

 

[benenglish]

What would be a good encryption to use? I hate to say it but is there a decent "freeware" encryption to use?

What do you want to encrypt?

ETA - I shouldn't be so one-step-at-a-time. You're fully capable of answering multiple questions.

What type of system with what operating system? Files, communications, or both?

 

[benenglish]

Maybe get a prepaid visa loaded by cash only.

I've used them. At one point in the past, I used them extensively. They are no longer very useful. They are no longer available in large dollar amounts; they were too useful for money laundering. They are also no longer accepted for international transactions; that's what tore it for me. They also have a bad habit of imposing random fees that are far too high.

If anyone can find a good "gift card", I'd love to hear about it.

 

[TX69]

What do you want to encrypt?

ETA - I shouldn't be so one-step-at-a-time. You're fully capable of answering multiple questions.

What type of system with what operating system? Files, communications, or both?

Basic home computers. Win7 Files and Communications. AFter reading a little more about TrueCrypt it claims that it is capable of real time.

 

[benenglish]

Most people find TrueCrypt works fine. It has certain advanced features that are relatively obtuse in application (plausible deniability, for one) and it depends on the user to define what is and isn't encrypted. The problem, of course, is that Windows tends to spread forensically useful files all over the place, potentially in places other than what TrueCrypt is protecting if you've set up TrueCrypt in a way that leaves parts of the system vulnerable.

As an aside, you mentioned "real time". I've done a great deal of performance testing with various whole disk encryption products and have found that almost none of them, even the crappiest ones, slow the computer enough for a user to tell the difference. Don't worry about "real time"; they can pretty much all do "real time".

Let's start with data at rest. For beginners, I prefer a good whole-disk solution. I know that various government agencies, including some that have been taking whole-disk encryption seriously for much longer than most, use WinMagic. I've used it both at work and on home computers. In these days of paranoia, I have to admit that it could be compromised. However, if you got prosecuted for something that required WinMagic to be broken, there are a bunch of government agencies that would cancel their contracts. I'd be willing to trust it.

It's $108 from https://winmagic.com/estore/securedoc-for-windows

It has competitors but I only have administrative experience with a couple of them. I'd be happy to investigate further into any particular product that interests you.

Freeware solutions are a bit more difficult. Yes, TrueCrypt is the default standard. It will do everything that anyone wants. It has the capability to do more, unfortunately, so that means that setup can be a bit more complex. For a novice, setup was pretty impenetrable the last time I tested it. However, that was years ago. I feel sure things are much improved by now.

You can use TrueCrypt, reputedly, with full confidence. I just can't personally endorse it since I've always used either high-dollar enterprise implementations or LUKS-based schemes inside Linux, a different operating system. IOW, my experience doesn't parallel yours sufficiently for me to make a solid recommendation based on personal experience. Still, sources I trust say that TrueCrypt is good. I wouldn't be nervous if I had no other option. Use it with confidence because if it's ever well and truly broken, the tech press will be all over that story.

Having considered data at rest, we turn to communications. Frankly, that's a much more complex topic and one that I'm not sharp enough to trust for comprehensive recommendations. At minimum, ditch Internet Explorer and use Firefox or Chrome with HTTPS Everywhere installed. See: https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere . If you do your communications through web apps of one sort or another, this will greatly increase your security. It's not a cure-all by any means, but it's a good start. Absolutely read the FAQ and understand what you're getting and what you're not. If you feel you need more, there's a learning curve. Sometimes it's steep, depending on what you want to achieve.

Hope this gets you started.

Jordan - Any thoughts?

 

[benenglish]

I hate to say it but is there a decent "freeware" encryption to use?

Not related to encryption only, so I've answered separately. You should never hate to inquire about freeware. Free and Open Source software is some of the best around. It runs the internet. For the average user, FOSS does whatever job needs doing as well as, if not better, than any software you can buy.

I actually bought some software this week. It was a shock to me; I haven't bought anything in years despite the fact that I'm always trying out new software. Try reading this: The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy ? and Their Open Source Alternatives | WHdb . Afterwards, you might appreciate why it's taken me years to find a situation where I had to pay for software that didn't do something I needed done. Such needs are truly rare for normal users. Imaging professionals and other artists are the most notable exceptions that I can bring to mind.

 

[AKM]

UH...... this has what to do with fire arms and ammo????

you're new apparently. also this is the OFF TOPIC section so don't be a douche bag or you wont last long around here

 

[AKM]

I have a favorite eatery with no surveillance cameras that comes with a very strong, completely unencrypted wireless connection from the car repair place next door. If they ever lock down their router, I'll have to start wardriving again, something I haven't done in a long time.

I may know where this is

 

[Younggun]

you're new apparently. also this is the OFF TOPIC section so don't be a douche bag or you wont last long around here

It didn't start out there. Kinda late to the party.