Some useful tips for protecting yourself, when expressing dissent online

When uploading dissenting media and content,s consider protecting yourself

• Use foreign proxies when browsing or posting content - Sample list
  
• Use free internet services (wifi) from Starbucks or similar outlets
  
• Never use your real personal information on public sites
  
• User browser security settings and plugins
  
• User a router to block incoming foreign data, pings and port scans
  

Any other ideas?

PS. everything is monitored, never assume otherwise

Originally posted by warrenb
When uploading dissenting media and content,s consider protecting yourself

• Use foreign proxies when browsing or posting content - Sample list
  
• Use free internet services (wifi) from Starbucks or similar outlets
  
• Never use your real personal information on public sites
  
• User browser security settings and plugins
  
• User a router to block incoming foreign data, pings and port scans
  

Any other ideas?

PS. everything is monitored, never assume otherwise

If you are too ashamed or scared to be connected to what you are posting... then perhaps you should not post it.

reply to post by yankeerose



It's not about being afraid of what's posted. It's about not having agencies keep track of what you are saying, since it's none of their business.

The the OP, good ideas, there are other ways however, setting up multiple WAP firewalls if you have a large home network.

Using 256bit encryption on everything you think is "sensitive" material.

Oh and fake email addresses work wonders as well.

~Keeper

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by yankeerose
It's not about being afraid of what's posted. It's about not having agencies keep track of what you are saying, since it's none of their business.

exactly

reply to post by warrenb

Use foreign proxies when browsing or posting content - Sample list

Unless the 'foreign' proxy is really just a front, like the Israeli shenanigans, or has been compromised.

Use free internet services (wifi) from Starbucks or similar outlets

If the administration gets its way, even free wifi providers will have to document all access. It can still be traced to your MAC.

Never use your real personal information on public sites

Are we still doing this? I would add to not use the SAME username that you have used on other sites that may LINK to your personal information.

User browser security settings and plugins

I would take this just a little further and recommend using non-mainstream browsers. Use open source or browsers with limited commercial appeal. M$ is rumored to be in bed with alphabet soup, Google makes no implications of privacy and Mozilla is gaining too much market share.

User a router to block incoming foreign data, pings and port scans

..and when you set your router up, change the defaults for the passwords and stuff...can't tell you how many time...ate at IHop the other day...the SSID for their free wifi was 'hackedby(whatever his name was) The newest flavor of WPA is recommended. The older WEP is too easy to crack.

Buy many different wireless cards. As you move around, posting your dissent, switch wireless cards to keep the MAC address changing.

Don't use your neighbors WIFI. If you are a geek, they probably know it and will point the snoops in the right direction.

Find an alternate method of communication. Everything is monitored. Meet in person, in small groups.

or avoid all of this by just being a good little boy or girl.

I post a lot on the internet, and belong to nine forums. I have several words for those who wish to protect themselves from those who wish harm to you, or your PC. Linux, Masquerade IP Address, Tor, Privoxy, Firefox browser with No Script. I use Fedora myself, and an online privacy test does not show my real IP address, and shows my physical location some 80 miles from me, at the main office of my server.

I used to be a Windows user, 2000 Pro was my OS, strong hacker type firewall, high security, and got shut down every two weeks or so. Once, in a forum, I had some words with a couple of moderators who went after me. they hacked my box, and emailed a virus to all my contacts. My daughter was in college then, and hooked into their server, which got the virus and was down for three days. I began to ask questions about alternative operating systems and learned about Linux. I have tried a tot of them, Ubuntu, Mepis, PC Linux, Myah OS, but my favorite is, and will always be, Fedora.

Originally posted by warrenb
When uploading dissenting media and content,s consider protecting yourself

• Use foreign proxies when browsing or posting content - Sample list
  
• Use free internet services (wifi) from Starbucks or similar outlets
  
• Never use your real personal information on public sites
  
• User browser security settings and plugins
  
• User a router to block incoming foreign data, pings and port scans
  

Any other ideas?

PS. everything is monitored, never assume otherwise

Yes.
1. If you don't mask you MAC IP you can be traced no matter what method you use.
2. if you use a proxy you can still be traced if you didn't change your MAC IP AND the computer that you proxied to now has record of your transaction.

Addressing the issue of it can be traced to your MAC ADDRESS.

Have a designated portable that is NEVER used for contacting people you know.
When you buy it, go used. Refurbished systems, off lease etc go for cheap and can be paid for with cash.

When you do buy, buy well out of town or online.

Buy a USB dongle ethernet card and use it only for sensitive posts.

A friend of mine keeps a collection of "good enough" old laptops that have come into his shop for trades etc. Even a machine 10 years old can just about do it all from what he says, sparing online video...

Dont bother if you are running anything released after the first edition of windows XP. There's more than your mac address to worry about with modern machines and IPv6.

This, of course, if you are using paranoid mode for safer dissent.

Another thing to be aware of is IM clients, some of them are known to establish direct connections when sending files thereby compromising security.

Probably the best combination I have seen is using a live boot distro like Ubuntu and a USB key to keep all your files. Leaves no traces on the host computer so you can basically carry around a computer with a empty HD and just pop the disk in, mount the USB device and do what you need to do without leaving tons of crumbs behind.

To address the concerns about MAC addresses its very simple to change the address of your adapter either in Windows or Linux

Another concern if you use a stationary system for such practices is someone snooping on information being leaked by a poorly manufactured keyboard, in that case it could be wise to invest in anti-wifi wallpaper or a full on faraday cage just to be on the safe side, of course then you have to worry about the physical security of your location...

reply to post by warrenb


Is that why you are wearing a mask?

Like this guy?:
www.politicsforum.org...

(Some other great one's too. I'm in there, the evil clown.)

Sorry, I just think true dissent doesn't occur sitting behind a keyboard.

Regards. . . KK





[edit on 10-8-2009 by kinda kurious]

Why hide? Speek your mind LOUD AND CLEAR! Let TPTB know exactly who you are and what you stand for. Unless you have lived in a cave for the past 50 years, some element of the government knows you and what your all about anyway. YOU ARE NOT A CRIMINAL FOR USING YOUR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH!! ,and you shouln't act like one. In these days you are already labeld a terrorist for voicing your dissent and if your trying to cover your tracks, it makes you look like the sneeky extremist covertly working against the infalable American government and it flawless plans, or at least thats how the media will spin it to the gullable public after your arrest. Don't give em the satisfaction!!! Im all for privacy but the thing to do now is cinch up your sack and let them know that you will not shut up no matter what the cost. Who knows mabey something like that would catch on.

reply to post by Helig


Very nice! I was unaware you could do that in windows and wasn't about to give a linux primer.

I would say if you proxy your ip and mask your MAC IP then you should be relatively safe.

I have noticed a few people here who are advocating no protective measures to protect yourself, and while that may at this time be possible in most western countries you have several backwards places like North Korea and China where I would consider it quite possible to face violence or worse for dissenting against the rulers, these guidelines aren't just for those in the US who are cheesed at their arseclowns in office but anyone really who would wish to keep their online activities separate from their lives for whatever reason.

Lets not forget the stories of employers who have axed people for their political views, add to that the fact that employees are increasingly turning to Google and other search engines when evaluating someone during the hiring process, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to lose out on a job opportunity because XYZ Corp's HR person found your scathing rants about oppression by the federal government, wouldn't look good going into a contracting position with the feds would it?

Its not cowardice that moves people to undertaking these measures but rather prudence and forethought, in an ever connected world the things we do online are a lot easier to track down and are coming back to haunt more and more people, seems only reasonable to cover ones backside against such things.

reply to post by jprophet420


A Proxy and MAC switch is a good start but without the proper browser configuration you run the risk of getting lo jacked with tracking cookies or even snoopware that calls home and passes back information to its handlers.

Originally posted by zer0pro
Why hide? Speek your mind LOUD AND CLEAR! Let TPTB know exactly who you are and what you stand for. Unless you have lived in a cave for the past 50 years, some element of the government knows you and what your all about anyway. YOU ARE NOT A CRIMINAL FOR USING YOUR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH!! ,and you shouln't act like one. In these days you are already labeld a terrorist for voicing your dissent and if your trying to cover your tracks, it makes you look like the sneeky extremist covertly working against the infalable American government and it flawless plans, or at least thats how the media will spin it to the gullable public after your arrest. Don't give em the satisfaction!!! Im all for privacy but the thing to do now is cinch up your sack and let them know that you will not shut up no matter what the cost. Who knows mabey something like that would catch on.

I am with you all the way. If we hide they will think they have beaten us. We need to show we are a force to be reckond with

With the exception of making outright violent threats against a government, group, or individual, I agree that authorities have no business dabbling in my affairs or opinions.

But I also have to put things in some form of perspective. 100 yrs ago, you, me, and a few of our friends are sitting around the town square debating the price of apples and an officer wanders by and hears our conversation for a second before continuing on his way. No problem. Now let's say my friends and I want to talk about something that we don't want overheard. We'll probably decide to stay inside and not sit in the middle of the town square.

Today, the "town square" is just a whole lot bigger, and we're "talking" a whole lot louder. Have something you don't want someone to hear? Don't say it.

If you have to read this post in order to learn how to "protect" yourself, you have no business even trying. It's not that the OP is wrong; it's that each of the points s/he lists is a highly complex issue where fraud, error, or other problems could easily leave you completely vulnerable and exposed.

As someone pointed out, those free proxies could be run by a government - even your government. If they are, you are making it convenient for them to gather the dissenting posts together. No longer must they sort through the whole Internet, trying to find dissenting or subversive opinions. The dissenters are coming to them. How can you tell the difference?

The free wifi services offer no protection to you, if you use your own computer. It may make it harder to identify exactly who is dissenting, but if they ever get access to your computer during a search, they'll be able to nail you without effort.

Not using personal information, while wise, isn't much protection. Every computer that is online has a MAC address, which is a *unique* number assigned to the network card. Those numbers can be logged by various sites you visit. That can lead back to your computer.

Plugins for browsers are not reliable. Unless you wrote it yourself, you have no idea what that plugin is really doing.

A router is fine, except that it would protect you while you're at home.

My recommendation is that you never use a computer you own, or that has any connection to you (such as a school computer, if you go to that school). Use publicly available computers, such as from a library or an Internet cafe.

If you're using your own computer, no matter *where* you are, assume that everything you write is going directly to the government and being logged in a permanent file that points back to your machine. That's almost the way it works.