mythrowawayusernameB | 5 points
How safe am I if the only thing I am using to protect my anonymity is Tor?
For example I am on Tor right now. If I look up my IP address on ipchicken.com it says:
185.104.120.2
Name Address: exit02.brasshorncomms.uk Remote Port: 19275 Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:45.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/45.0
I presume this means that anything I look at or post will register as generating from that IP address instead of my real IP address? Correct?
I'm not that knowledgeable about this stuff so I guess my real question is how can what I stated above be compromised? This sounds pretty safe. But then I don't know anything about Tor.
What else should I be using in addition to or instead of Tor?
therealsd | 4 points
Why do we have to be anonymous? These pedos aren't hiring hit men to take out redditors.
taxtaxtaxtaxtax | 2 points
I would assume that the government knows everything that you post. You can take steps to make it harder for them, but I doubt that they will work if they really want to know who you are. The only solution is to spread information so widely that they can't get to everyone. Once this becomes mainstream they won't care about small fish.
neurotap | 1 points
Doesn't matter. Everything still goes back to your computer regardless of what your computer tells the internet your ip address is. Regardless of how many tor or vpn nodes your internet is relayed between. Everything still goes back to your computer.
There is no reason to think that any of the letter soup agencies would not be able to discern your true location if they really wanted you. I seriously doubt that any of these agencies even remotely care about what you or anyone else does on this or any other subreddit, forum or chan. The only time they will even think about taking a closer look at you is if you post something illegal, or are actively leaking classified shit. If you are leaking shit, you best be using the old sneakernet to get your data to its destination.
By all means use a VPN if it makes you feel safer. Just remember that the safest way to anonymously transmit sensitive data is one that does not use the internet or any kind of technology. Seriously.
tl:dr You are no safer than you would be without using a VPN when it comes to hiding from US government agencies.
mythrowawayusernameB | 3 points
So what your saying is that it is literally impossible to do anything on the internet anonymously no matter what?
neurotap | 1 points
It depends on who you are hiding from.
Random script kiddies on some forum? TOR will do you solid. Obfuscating borderline illegal internet traffic from your ISP (pirating)? A reputable VPN will probably take care of your needs. Hiding your activity from a 3 letter US government agency? Its only a matter of time before they are knocking on your door if they already have you in their sights.
The trick is keeping your online activity mostly legit to keep out of their crosshairs.
3dcheesenips | 2 points
Not necessarily true. People are able to hack these same guys for classified shit. They aren't invincible. If you're running tails on an empty chromebook at a Starbucks wifi a state over and leaking info, they will have trouble finding you. They can only figure out so much.
neurotap | 1 points
Its true you can give them a good run for their money, but you are kidding yourself if you think the NSA doesn't know every single person who downloaded TAILS. Finding someone who is using wifi at McDonnalds a state away is only a matter of logistics too. As long as they know when the access was, or when the leak occurred they can pull all the info from that location (subpoena McDonnalds for their wifi traffic logs and cctv). They will find you, its their job. Just look at all the pedo's using TOR they grabbed, then they set up a honeypot for the rest of them. Or when they dropped the hammer on Silk Road. Just go over to /r/DarkNetMarkets and see how many times people post about busts and shit. And those dudes are so fucking hardcore anonymity they even tumble their fucking bitcoins. And they still get caught.
I'm not saying they are invincible but they are REALLY fucking hard to keep off of your ass if they get a whiff of ya.
mythrowawayusernameB | 2 points
But if I install TAILS on an old laptop and I'm just digging for info on this while sitting in my car in some parking lot connected to public wifi it's much less likely that they will watch anything I am doing as opposed to say someone who is not safeguarding their anonymity at all right? Or am I just being paranoid?
neurotap | 2 points
Unless you are leaking government documents, selling drugs and weapons, or trading kid porn you are just being paranoid.
There is nothing stopping you from installing TAILS. Just be aware that simply downloading TAILS will get you placed on a list . If your goal is to remain under the government's radar, then stay in the random noise of the internet. By not doing things like using TOR or TAILS you have a much less likelihood of garnering attention from the NSA, FBI or whoever. As long as you aren't breaking the law with your internet usage that is.
edit, more info added.
3dcheesenips | 2 points
Well the point is you download tails on that laptop away from your home. Sit in the parking lot instead of inside. I tumble my btcs as well. All the people that get busted on DNM are people with little OPSEC, like kids logging onto tor from their phones or visiting scripted sites. The reason the FBI honeypot worked is because they had control of the entire freedomhosting network. Even then, they didnt go after everyone. Their team is limited and they focus on the big fish. Stopping one person with heavy opsec with be difficult and they may as well devote those efforts into something more efficient, the big fish. That being said, if you're constantly uploading information and spreading info you ARE the big fish. They're gonna try their hardest to get you (in which case u may be fucked).
neurotap | 1 points
Thats more or less the point I was trying (poorly I suppose) to make. They aren't really gonna pay attention to the general user, or even the small fry buyer. Its the people selling large quantities or leaking massive amounts of docs that they will devote their time to. Not people internet sleuthing on reddit or 4chan. If they did than subreddits like /r/conspiracy would be a ghost town.
3dcheesenips | 2 points
Oh hahaha I guess we made the same point. I was trying to say there's actually a way to make yourself totally invisible if you're a regular guy. Of course I hope the people leaking major stuff know what they're doing.
mythrowawayusernameB | 1 points
Does it have to be a chromebook? Could I install tails on an old laptop and use that laptop somewhere public wifi?
Is there anywhere that I could find a guide or documentation on the best ways to protect my anonymity?
3dcheesenips | 2 points
check out the darknetmarkets subreddit. if you follow some of the hardcore OPSEC (operating security) guides there is nearly no chance of someone spending the team and resources to bust you. And yeah you can use an old laptop.
3dcheesenips | 1 points
Your isp knows you're using tor but that's it. Unless you've enabled flash and javascript (any scripts in general -- basically anything that's not text or very simple images) there's no information you're leaking. If you log onto a site that does track you, which basically any site on the clearnet, you're probably just as secure as using Chrome. If they really cared about you, they'd find you. Their resources can only stretch so far, they will cut the roots not the stems.
mythrowawayusernameB | 1 points
So you think they are going to come after the most efficient diggers with accurate analytical skills or people who create websites/wiki's/etc and document the information on the internet?
3dcheesenips | 1 points
Well they'd want both groups dead but if they were to stop one first it would most likely be the source, being the diggers. Just based off their behavior from their darknet stings.
momoajay | 1 points
If you are outside US like me, no worries mate. If not, there are 1000s like you most likely not using any safe measures. I dont think we have anything to be afraid of because what are they gonna do?
honorocagan | 6 points | Nov 16 2016 06:52:52
I'm not even using Tor. And I'm digging hard.
Am I fucked?
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inbetweentime | 6 points | Nov 16 2016 08:33:14
You're fine.. be weary of what you download.
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honorocagan | 2 points | Nov 16 2016 08:37:24
Phew. Cheers.
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