From 3b1c5946aee8f351afb1f7fe1024381f734b1b4e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: nopeitsnothing Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:03:26 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 01/18] All refs I have time for at the moment Signed-off-by: nopeitsnothing --- docs/guide/index.md | 282 ++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- 1 file changed, 141 insertions(+), 141 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/guide/index.md b/docs/guide/index.md index d13e9e7..33cf1f5 100644 --- a/docs/guide/index.md +++ b/docs/guide/index.md @@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Disclaimer: Jokes aside (magical amulet...). Of course, there are also advanced The EFF provides a few security scenarios of what you should consider depending on your activity. While some of those tips might not be within the scope of this guide (more about Privacy than Anonymity), they are still worth reading as examples. See [[Archive.org]](https://web.archive.org/web/https://ssd.eff.org/en/module-categories/security-scenarios). -If you want to go deeper into threat modeling, see [Appendix B3: Threat modeling resources]. +If you want to go deeper into threat modeling, see [Appendix B3: Threat modeling resources](#appendix-b3-threat-modeling-resources). You might think this guide has no legitimate use but there are many[^16]'[^17]'[^18]'[^19]'[^20]'[^21]'[^22] such as: @@ -435,9 +435,9 @@ The IMEI and IMSI can be traced back to you in at least six ways: - Impersonate your phone number without controlling your phone. -Here is also a good YouTube video on this topic: DEFCON Safe Mode - Cooper Quintin - Detecting Fake 4G Base Stations in Real-Time [[Invidious]](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=siCk4pGGcqA) +Here is also a good YouTube video on this topic: [DEFCON Safe Mode - Cooper Quintin - Detecting Fake 4G Base Stations in Real-Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siCk4pGGcqA) [[Invidious]](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=siCk4pGGcqA) - **For these reasons, it is crucial to get a dedicated anonymous phone number and/or an anonymous burner phone with a cash-bought pre-paid sim card that is not tied to you in any way (past or present) for conducting sensitive activities. It is also possible to get an anonymous pre-paid but preferably dedicated number from free and paid online services accepting anonymous cryptocurrencies like Monero. Get more practical guidance here: [Getting an anonymous Phone number][Getting an anonymous Phone number:].** + **For these reasons, it is crucial to get a dedicated anonymous phone number and/or an anonymous burner phone with a cash-bought pre-paid sim card that is not tied to you in any way (past or present) for conducting sensitive activities. It is also possible to get an anonymous pre-paid but preferably dedicated number from free and paid online services accepting anonymous cryptocurrencies like Monero. Get more practical guidance here: [Getting an anonymous Phone number](getting-an-anonymous-phone-number).** While there are some smartphones manufacturers like Purism with their Librem series[^98] who claim to have your privacy in mind, they still do not allow IMEI randomization which we believe is a key anti-tracking feature that should be provided by such manufacturers. While this measure will not prevent IMSI tracking within the SIM card, it would at least allow you to keep the same "burner phone" and only switch SIM cards instead of having to switch both for privacy. @@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ So, how can you mitigate these? You need to act and fully adopt a role as an actor would do for a performance. You need to become a different person, think, and act like that person. This is not a technical mitigation but a human one. You can only rely on yourself for that. -Ultimately, it is mostly up to you to fool those algorithms by adopting new habits and not revealing real information when using your anonymous identities. See [Appendix A4: Counteracting Forensic Linguistics]. +Ultimately, it is mostly up to you to fool those algorithms by adopting new habits and not revealing real information when using your anonymous identities. See [Appendix A4: Counteracting Forensic Linguistics](#appendix-a4-counteracting-forensic-linguistics). ### IRL and OSINT @@ -997,9 +997,9 @@ There are some cryptocurrencies with privacy/anonymity in mind like Monero but e Use of "private" mixers, tumblers[^244] (centralized services that specialize in "anonymizing" cryptocurrencies by "mixing them") and coinjoiners are risky as you don't know what's happening on them[^245] and can be trivially de-mixed[^246]. Their centrally-controlled nature could also put you in trouble as they are more susceptible to money-laundering laws[^247]. -This does not mean you cannot use Bitcoin anonymously at all. You can actually use Bitcoin anonymously as long as you do not convert it to actual currency, use a Bitcoin wallet from a safe anonymous network, and do not reuse addresses or consolidate outputs that were used when spending at different merchants. Meaning you should avoid KYC/AML regulations by various exchanges, avoid using the Bitcoin network from any known IP address, and use a wallet that provides privacy-preserving tools. See [Appendix Z: Online anonymous payments using cryptocurrencies][Appendix Z: Online anonymous payments using cryptocurrencies]. +This does not mean you cannot use Bitcoin anonymously at all. You can actually use Bitcoin anonymously as long as you do not convert it to actual currency, use a Bitcoin wallet from a safe anonymous network, and do not reuse addresses or consolidate outputs that were used when spending at different merchants. Meaning you should avoid KYC/AML regulations by various exchanges, avoid using the Bitcoin network from any known IP address, and use a wallet that provides privacy-preserving tools. See [Appendix Z: Online anonymous payments using cryptocurrencies](#appendix-z-online-anonymous-payments-using-cryptocurrencies). -**Overall, the best option for using Crypto with reasonable anonymity and privacy is still Monero and you should ideally not use any other for sensitive transactions unless you are aware of the limitations and risks involved. Please do read** [Appendix B2: Monero Disclaimer]**.** +**Overall, the best option for using Crypto with reasonable anonymity and privacy is still Monero and you should ideally not use any other for sensitive transactions unless you are aware of the limitations and risks involved. Please do read** [Appendix B2: Monero Disclaimer](#appendix-b2-monero-disclaimer)**.** **TLDR: Use Monero!** @@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ I also highly recommend that you read some documents from a forensics examiner p And finally, here is this very instructive detailed paper on the current state of IOS/Android security from the John Hopkins University: https://securephones.io/main.html[^254]. -When it comes to your laptop, the forensics techniques are many and widespread. Many of those issues can be mitigated by using full disk encryption, virtualization (See [Appendix W: Virtualization][Appendix V1: Hardening your Browsers:]), and compartmentalization. This guide will later detail such threats and techniques to mitigate them. +When it comes to your laptop, the forensics techniques are many and widespread. Many of those issues can be mitigated by using full disk encryption, virtualization (See [Appendix W: Virtualization](#appendix-w-virtualization)), and compartmentalization. This guide will later detail such threats and techniques to mitigate them. ## Bad Cryptography @@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ You might be asking yourself: "How do I know if I'm in a hostile online environm ### Getting used to using better passwords -See [Appendix A2: Guidelines for passwords and passphrases]. +See [Appendix A2: Guidelines for passwords and passphrases](#appendix-a2-guidelines-for-passwords-and-passphrases). ### Getting an anonymous Phone number @@ -1614,7 +1614,7 @@ Now, what if you have no money? Well, in that case, you will have to try your lu - -**Disclaimer: We cannot vouch for any of these providers. We recommend doing it yourself physically. In this case, you will have to rely on the anonymity of Monero and you should not use any service that requires any kind of identification using your real identity. Please do read [Appendix B2: Monero Disclaimer].** +**Disclaimer: We cannot vouch for any of these providers. We recommend doing it yourself physically. In this case, you will have to rely on the anonymity of Monero and you should not use any service that requires any kind of identification using your real identity. Please do read [Appendix B2: Monero Disclaimer](#appendix-b2-monero-disclaimer).** It is more convenient, cheaper, and less risky to just get a pre-paid SIM card from one of the physical places that still sell them for cash without ID. @@ -1646,7 +1646,7 @@ While this will not be available yet to your local police officers, it could be You will ideally need a set of 3-5 separate places such as this to avoid using the same place twice. Several trips will be needed over the weeks for the various steps in this guide. -You could also consider connecting to these places from a safe distance for added security. See [Appendix Q: Using long-range Antenna to connect to Public Wi-Fis from a safe distance.][Appendix Q: Using long-range Antenna to connect to Public Wi-Fis from a safe distance:] +You could also consider connecting to these places from a safe distance for added security. See [Appendix Q: Using long-range Antenna to connect to Public Wi-Fis from a safe distance.](#appendix-q-using-long-range-antenna-to-connect-to-public-wi-fis-from-a-safe-distance) ## The Tor Browser route @@ -1662,7 +1662,7 @@ Here are several ways to set it up for all main OSes. ### Windows, Linux, and macOS -Please see [Appendix Y: Installing and using desktop Tor Browser]. +Please see [Appendix Y: Installing and using desktop Tor Browser](#appendix-y-installing-and-using-desktop-tor-browser). ### Android @@ -1686,7 +1686,7 @@ Please see [Appendix Y: Installing and using desktop Tor Browser]. - Select **Config Bridge**. -- Read [Appendix X: Using Tor bridges in hostile environments]. +- Read [Appendix X: Using Tor bridges in hostile environments](#appendix-x-using-tor-bridges-in-hostile-environments). - **If needed (after reading the appendix above)**, activate the option and select the type of bridge you want: @@ -1746,11 +1746,11 @@ We would recommend the "Safer" level for most cases. The Safest level should be If you are extra paranoid, use the "Safest" level by default and consider downgrading to Safer is the website is unusable because of Javascript blocking. -However, the Safer level should be used with some extra precautions while using some websites: see [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled]. +However, the Safer level should be used with some extra precautions while using some websites: see [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled](#appendix-a5-additional-browser-precautions-with-javascript-enabled). Now, you are really done, and you can now surf the web anonymously from your Android device. -**Please see** [Warning for using Orbot on Android][Appendix B6: Warning for using Orbot on Android]. +**Please see** [Warning for using Orbot on Android](#appendix-b6-warning-for-using-orbot-on-android). ### iOS @@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ While the official Tor Browser is not yet available for iOS, there is an alterna - After Launching, click the upper right Settings icon (Disabling Wi-Fi and Mobile Data previously were to prevent Onion Browser from connecting automatically and to allow access to these options). -- Select "Bridge Configuration" and read [Appendix X: Using Tor bridges in hostile environments] +- Select "Bridge Configuration" and read [Appendix X: Using Tor bridges in hostile environments](#appendix-x-using-tor-bridges-in-hostile-environments) - **If needed (after reading the appendix above)**, activate the option and select the type of bridge you want: @@ -1844,7 +1844,7 @@ As with the desktop version, you need to know there are safety levels in Onion B We would recommend the "Silver" level for most cases. The Gold level should only be enabled if you think you are accessing suspicious or dangerous websites or if you are extra paranoid. The Gold mode will also most likely break many websites that rely actively on JavaScript. -As JavaScript is enabled in the Silver mode, please see [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled]. +As JavaScript is enabled in the Silver mode, please see [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled](#appendix-a5-additional-browser-precautions-with-javascript-enabled). Now, you are really done, and you can now surf the web anonymously from your iOS device. @@ -1888,7 +1888,7 @@ It does however have some drawbacks: - Tor in itself might not be enough to protect you from an adversary with enough resources as explained earlier. -**Important Note: If your laptop is monitored/supervised and some local restrictions are in place, please read** [Appendix U: How to bypass (some) local restrictions on supervised computers]**.** +**Important Note: If your laptop is monitored/supervised and some local restrictions are in place, please read** [Appendix U: How to bypass (some) local restrictions on supervised computers](#appendix-u-how-to-bypass-some-local-restrictions-on-supervised-computers)**.** You should also read Tails Documentation, Warnings, and limitations, before going further [[Archive.org]](https://web.archive.org/web/https://tails.boum.org/doc/about/warnings/index.en.html) @@ -1898,7 +1898,7 @@ Taking all this into account and the fact that their documentation is great, we If you're having an issue accessing Tor due to censorship or other issues, you can try using Tor Bridges by following this Tails tutorial: [[Archive.org]](https://web.archive.org/web/https://tails.boum.org/doc/anonymous_internet/tor/index.en.html) and find more information about these on Tor Documentation [[Archive.org]](https://web.archive.org/web/https://2019.www.torproject.org/docs/bridges) -**If you think using Tor alone is dangerous/suspicious, see [Appendix P: Accessing the internet as safely as possible when Tor/VPN is not an option][Appendix P: Accessing the internet as safely as possible when Tor and VPNs are not an option]** +**If you think using Tor alone is dangerous/suspicious, see [Appendix P: What about when Tor and VPNs aren't possible?](#appendix-p-what-about-when-tor-and-vpns-arent-possible)** ### Tor Browser settings on Tails @@ -1928,7 +1928,7 @@ We would recommend the "Safer" level for most cases. The Safest level should be If you are extra paranoid, use the "Safest" level by default and consider downgrading to Safer is the website is unusable because of Javascript blocking. -Lastly, while using Tor Browser on Tails on the "Safer" level, please consider [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled] +Lastly, while using Tor Browser on Tails on the "Safer" level, please consider [Appendix A5: Additional browser precautions with JavaScript enabled](#appendix-a5-additional-browser-precautions-with-javascript-enabled). When you are done and have a working Tails on your laptop, go to the [Creating your anonymous online identities][Creating your anonymous online identities:] step much further in this guide or if you want persistence and plausible deniability, continue with the next section. @@ -1966,7 +1966,7 @@ Remember that encryption with or without plausible deniability is not a silver b **See ** [[Wikiless]](https://wikiless.com/wiki/Rubber-hose_cryptanalysis) [[Archive.org]](https://web.archive.org/web/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber-hose_cryptanalysis) -CAUTION: Please see [**Appendix K: Considerations for using external SSD drives**][Appendix K: Considerations for using external SSD drives] and [**Understanding HDD vs SSD**][Understanding HDD vs SSD:] sections if you consider storing such hidden VMs on an external SSD drive: +CAUTION: Please see [**Appendix K: Considerations for using external SSD drives**](#appendix-k-considerations-for-using-external-ssd-drives) and [**Understanding HDD vs SSD**][Understanding HDD vs SSD:] sections if you consider storing such hidden VMs on an external SSD drive: - **Do not use hidden volumes on SSD drives as this is not supported/recommended by Veracrypt**[^303]**.** @@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ This is because those business laptops usually offer better and more customizabl - AMD laptops could be more interesting as some provide the ability to disable AMD PSP (the AMD equivalent of Intel IME) from the BIOS/UEFI settings by default. And, because AFAIK, AMD PSP was audited and contrary to IME was not found to have any "evil" functionalities[^304]. However, if you are going for the Qubes OS Route consider Intel CPUs as Qubes OS does not support AMD with their anti-evil-maid system[^305]. -- Secure Wipe tools from the BIOS (especially useful for SSD/NVMe drives, see [Appendix M: BIOS/UEFI options to wipe disks in various Brands]). +- Secure Wipe tools from the BIOS (especially useful for SSD/NVMe drives, see [Appendix M: BIOS/UEFI options to wipe disks in various Brands](#appendix-m-biosuefi-options-to-wipe-disks-in-various-brands)). - Better control over the disabling/enabling of select peripherals (USB ports, Wi-Fis, Bluetooth, Camera, Microphone ...). @@ -2456,7 +2456,7 @@ For more in-depth and advanced options, refer to: #### Setting up a safe Browser -See [Appendix G: Safe Browser on the Host OS] +See [Appendix G: Safe Browser on the Host OS](#appendix-g-safe-browser-on-the-host-os) ### macOS Host OS @@ -2556,7 +2556,7 @@ You can do this by issuing the following commands in terminal (without the paren #### Setting up a safe Browser -See [Appendix G: Safe Browser on the Host OS] +See [Appendix G: Safe Browser on the Host OS](#appendix-g-safe-browser-on-the-host-os) ### Windows Host OS @@ -2566,7 +2566,7 @@ I also recommend that you do the initial installation completely offline to avoi #### Installation -You should follow [Appendix A: Windows Installation] +You should follow [Appendix A: Windows Installation](#appendix-a-windows-installation) As a light introduction, consider watching [[Invidious]](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=vNRics7tlqw) @@ -2580,11 +2580,11 @@ Alternatively, you could use this free piece of software: