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Be anonymous

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Re: Be anonymous

#71

Post by cellis »

323 wrote: post #68
cellis wrote: post #38

As careful as some of the things he suggests are...if you're truly wanted by a state-level actor or sufficiently motivated attacker, you won't be able to hide by simply using VPN and Tor. Especially if you're running something with many transactions like AlphaBay. You would need to obfuscate quite a bit more: - if you're using VPN traffic but most people "around" you aren't, you're a suspicious node; your ISP could e…

What you said and much more. For example, you buy a burner phone, but the place you bought it from, even if a second hand shop, had a security camera. Maybe they also record IMEI's before selling phones. Or you carry your burner phone together with your real phone. Or alternatively, you leave one at home when using the other. Both of these things can be linked by a sufficiently determined actor (FBI/NSA level). Or th…

I would say that if you're caught and ... somehow manage to delete all the evidence linking you ( you have device explosives or, idk, 2048 bit encryption ), you may be able to escape, but come on, who are we kidding: the FBI has like a 99.96% conviction rate and that's without even going to into the "parallel construction" or other conspiratorial lines of attack.

Re: Be anonymous

#72

Post by chaxor »

Barrin92 wrote: post #59

It's good advice. The problem with anonymity in an environment of ubiquitous surveillance is that it's paradoxical. The point of anonymity is achieving freedom, but staying anonymous expends energy and makes you a target, so you can't actually do any things that anonymity was supposed to get you. If what you really want is sovereignty, which is what most people confuse anonymity with, the goal is to be like what Erns…

> expending energy

One thing I noticed out of many of the list items given in the post here:

> Only use Tor > Always use a VPN > Never use Google -- only DuckDuckGo > Disable JavaScript on your browser > Watch all incoming and outgoing network calls regularly and scan for abnormalities > Encrypt your laptop and any external drives > End-to-end encrypted communication only > Don't use Gmail -- use ProtonMail > Never pay with cards. Use cryptocurrencies. > Turn off all location services from your laptop and phone

Is that these can actually be solved with technology in a way that these are thedefault and popular behavior (as TLS 1.3 is in HTTPS). So it's important that we realize that these technologies (or something like them) are important anddesired by everyone, but just need a bit of development to work. Https and signal are great examples. Many of my parents and grandparents are on signal now, because it's better than most other apps (whatscrap, Facebook msg, imsg, etc). Is the Loki network and Session better? Sure. Of course. But grandparents aren't using it yet because not everyone they know is on it yet like signal, just the tech knowledgeable, or many of their grandchildren.

But ultimately, None of this should require any effort whatsoever.

The rest of the points about concealing your name or not is more obviously a choice by the user, as they have to provide it knowingly - so it's less of an issue because they're more likely aware of their choice.

> Don't buy domain names I'm not sure I understand this one - anyone have an explanation?

Re: Be anonymous

#73

Post by chaxor »

chillycurve wrote: post #60

I have been afraid of sharing my ideas, post history, etc. in a way that could be easily traced back to my identity for years. I made sure my accounts and usernames bore no personally identifiable tid-bits. I use a VPN religiously (that won't change). I've since decided that I am done with all that. I was afraid my employer might question my Reddit posting history (they wouldn't.) I was worried someone who Googled me…

What do you use as a custom DNS?

Re: Be anonymous

#74

Post by weq »

cellis wrote: post #38

As careful as some of the things he suggests are...if you're truly wanted by a state-level actor or sufficiently motivated attacker, you won't be able to hide by simply using VPN and Tor. Especially if you're running something with many transactions like AlphaBay. You would need to obfuscate quite a bit more: - if you're using VPN traffic but most people "around" you aren't, you're a suspicious node; your ISP could e…

Scamming is BOOMING. We are talking entire developing countries getting onboard. The noise ratio is very high on all these services. There are hundreds of "alphabays" running RIGHT now with millions of people using them, right now. This isnt 2013, those big take-downs of high profile sites did nothing but diversify, fracture the community.

Sure, if u piss off the wrong agent and they spend a few years on the case you may get busted. But the vast majority?

Re: Be anonymous

#75

Post by _moof »

mindvirus wrote: post #23

The article touches on a good point: one mistake and you're out. It doesn't even have to be your mistake - you didn't choose to put your SSN out there after all, yet here we are. This gave me a radical company idea, on the other end of the spectrum: spam as a service. Something that'll take your name, email, and other things and put it all over the internet in questionable and plausibly denial ways. That way, even wh…

> It doesn't even have to be your mistake

This is the crucial piece. It doesn't matter how careful you are; everyone who knows you has to be careful too. I have a... well, I hesitate to use the word stalker, because that makes them sound more motivated than they really are. But someone on that spectrum, anyway. After a few years of being harassed I managed to elude them. Then they found me again. You know how? They pieced together two pieces of information posted publicly by other people. That's all it took.

Re: Be anonymous

#76

Post by sampo »

Maybe Eric S. Raymond's advice from 21 years ago is no longer true in today's internet:

> Concealing your identity behind a handle is a juvenile and silly behavior characteristic of crackers, warez d00dz, and other lower life forms. Hackers don't do this; they're proud of what they do and want it associated with their real names. So if you have a handle, drop it. In the hacker culture it will only mark you as a loser.

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html#style

Re: Be anonymous

#77

Post by 323 »

cellis wrote: post #71
323 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you said and much more. For example, you buy a burner phone, but the place you bought it from, even if a second hand shop, had a security camera. Maybe they also record IMEI's before selling phones. Or you carry your burner phone together with your real phone. Or alternatively, you leave one at home when using the other. Both of these things can be linked by a sufficiently determined actor (FBI/NSA level). Or th…

I would say that if you're caught and ... somehow manage to delete all the evidence linking you ( you have device explosives or, idk, 2048 bit encryption ), you may be able to escape, but come on, who are we kidding: the FBI has like a 99.96% conviction rate and that's without even going to into the "parallel construction" or other conspiratorial lines of attack.

I don't think the FBI would be that dumb to arrest you before they have solid proof.

Re: Be anonymous

#78

Post by cure »

chaxor wrote: post #72
Barrin92 wrote: post #59

It's good advice. The problem with anonymity in an environment of ubiquitous surveillance is that it's paradoxical. The point of anonymity is achieving freedom, but staying anonymous expends energy and makes you a target, so you can't actually do any things that anonymity was supposed to get you. If what you really want is sovereignty, which is what most people confuse anonymity with, the goal is to be like what Erns…

> expending energy One thing I noticed out of many of the list items given in the post here: > Only use Tor > Always use a VPN > Never use Google -- only DuckDuckGo > Disable JavaScript on your browser > Watch all incoming and outgoing network calls regularly and scan for abnormalities > Encrypt your laptop and any external drives > End-to-end encrypted communication only > Don't use Gmail -- use ProtonMail > Never p…

> Don't buy domain names I'm not sure I understand this one - anyone have an explanation?

When you buy a domain name, you are supposed to supply accurate ownership information. If you do not, the registry can yank your domain when they discover that. Most registrars obfuscate/hide the information in their whois service, but they still need to have it to comply with the rules of the registry. That information can be subpoenaed.

The purchase/renewal transaction(s) also leave a trail that can be followed.

Re: Be anonymous

#79

Post by YaBomm »

sampo wrote: post #76

Maybe Eric S. Raymond's advice from 21 years ago is no longer true in today's internet: > Concealing your identity behind a handle is a juvenile and silly behavior characteristic of crackers, warez d00dz, and other lower life forms. Hackers don't do this; they're proud of what they do and want it associated with their real names. So if you have a handle, drop it. In the hacker culture it will only mark you as a loser…

No post body was provided.

Re: Be anonymous

#80

Post by hkon »

sampo wrote: post #76

Maybe Eric S. Raymond's advice from 21 years ago is no longer true in today's internet: > Concealing your identity behind a handle is a juvenile and silly behavior characteristic of crackers, warez d00dz, and other lower life forms. Hackers don't do this; they're proud of what they do and want it associated with their real names. So if you have a handle, drop it. In the hacker culture it will only mark you as a loser…

Easily. It was advice for another time.
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