[PolymathGuru]

Recently within 1 year, our community has been subject to infilitration from outsiders of our community. WIth Roosh writing blog posts on using VPNs and communication tools, a thread on email burners and storm posting a thread on anonymity, its clear we need to keep all of traces as clean as possible. While it is nearly impossible to clear all your tracks online, it is possible to keep your hardware clean of any connection with Roosh's website and have plenty of tools to help keep your privacy safer. This post will be divided into two parts, how to build a burner laptop and TAILS OS. I will cover the burner laptop first.

Building a Burner Laptop

The importance of building a burner laptop is important as to create a clear divide in traces between your personal life and and RVF identity. Co-Mingling the two can have comprimises. If you shop using your web browser while using RVF, companies and other internet sites can track down your identity. Using a different computer all together create more distance between the two.

However, laptops aren't cheap hardware. A new one will cost you $250+. You could get a chromebook for $150+ but those are spyware made by google. Also purchasing a device for $250+ to chat with a few guys online is an overpriced entry in my opinion and why pay that type of money for that service? Not everyone has $250+ to spend right away and might need to go lower tier. To get a cheaper priced laptop, you'll likely need to look at a laptop that has been refurbished or is brand new. Hence why this section of the post has been created.

When shopping for a Burner Laptop you should look for a minimum set of specs.

1. A CPU with 1 GHz or more
2. 2 Gigabytes of ram or more
3. 20GB of hard drive space or more
4. A working CD/DVD burner (Or you could buy an external one)
5. Two Working USB ports
   

If you don't care about any additional details and just want to buy a laptop ready to go, you can find a refurbished laptop on ebay between $100 to $150 with the specs I just mentioned. After you get that laptop, look at my TAILS OS information to complete your burner laptop.


If you are looking for a device that is cheaper than $100, this guide should help when buying a laptop.
There is a striking difference between a laptop and a desktop. The main difference for this case is the ability to customize . When building a laptop, there are only four areas that are customizable to any degree.

1. CPU (Extremely restrictive)
2. RAM(Somewhat restrictive)
3. Harddrive (Very little restrictions)
4. Operating Systems(Nearly zero restrictions)
   

CPU

To keep your shopping experience simple, just make sure the laptop has a CPU and skip this paragraph. Most laptops will already have this anyways. This isn't important since we are looking to create a device for web browsing and a communicating. You do not need a powerful laptop for what you are doing. If you want to learn more, keep reading. The restrictions on a CPU come down to one problem, chipsets. On the motherboard of every computer, there is a socket to insert the CPU. These CPUs and sockets have specific chipset patterns to restrict what kinds of CPUs can be inserted into a laptop. The main reason for this is because laptops need more restrictions for voltage mangement and heating regulation. By fixing the chipset with a family of CPUs, you can restrict any problems mentioned previously. That doesn't mean it isn't upgradable. As long as the CPU is part of the same chipset family, it should be a upgradable. But you are bumping up the price of the device a little bit and will need to buy thermal paste for this kind of project. It is also a bit of a waste of time requiring 2 hours of your time if you never took apart a laptop before. You'll also more likely damage the frame while trying to disassemble the computer if you have never done it before.

RAM

You probably won't have to worry about about it as most used laptops have their ram sticks already installed. If for some reason you need a new ram stick, continue reading this paragraph. If you are thinking about going over 4 GB of RAM, forget about it. TAILS OS isn't likely going to need that amount of RAM. There are only two restrictions on RAM you need to know, what is the maximum amount of memory a computer can handle and what the pin layout is. The former isn't a huge concern due to the nature of the device we are building. However, the pin layout is important. Any computer built within the last 15 years is using DDR SDRAM in the with four generations of development progressively known as DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM and DDR4 SDRAM. You're not likely to see DDR SDRAM on the market because it is so old and you'll likely only be able to obtain DDR4 SDRAM brand new to the PC market. I'm not even sure if they have DDR4 SDRAM available for a laptop. Most likely you'll find a Laptop that is using DDR3 SDRAM. Although there are still some DDR2 SDRAM based laptops on sale. Avoid these because the DDR2 SDRAM based computers because the sticks are more expensive.

Hard Drive

This might be worth mentioning as some used laptops have the harddrive removed. The good news is hard drives for last 16 years having been using a standard known as SATA. The advantage to a SATA drive is their backwards and forwards compatability when different revisions of the SATA drive came out. However, it should be noted they are in three different categories known as SATA I, II and III. SATA I the slowest data transfer rate, and SATA III transfer rate. Because of the intention to use the Burner Laptop for TAILS OS, transfer rate won't matter as TAILS OS cannot be installed onto a hard drive. It will only be useful for a faster boot. I haven't tried yet but it might be possible to use TAILS OS without a hard drive installed. I'll try it out later to report it back to you guys on my tests.

However, there are things to know if you buy a laptop without hard drive. There are two important components that might be missing, the harddrive caddy and the harddrive sata cable. These are parts that are propriety to the computer and you will need to them to use the hard drive. Shop the price of the parts before you spend money on your laptop.

TAILS OS

TAILS OS is an ancronymn for The Amnesic Incognito Live System Operating System. It is an Operating System optimized for anonymity with various tools installed. One of its huge advantages is a live system system design. It cannot be installed on a hard drive. It can only be booted up from a DVD or an external flash drive. It is designed so no one can access the hard drive. There will be no hardware traces. However, from what I can tell so far, it is a bit tricky to configure. Even having some knowledge of installing linux Operating Systems onto live CDs/DVDs and flash drives, I am still having some trouble booting TAILS when I turn on my computer. However, I am still able to use it. In fact this entire post was written while using TAILS. If someone can contribute extra to this thread on instructions, much would be appreciated. I'll discuss how to duplicate a configuration I am using.

Step 1: Prep your computer

The biggest problem occuring with Linux based operating systems is setting them up with UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). In fact I tried booting TAILS from a UEFI configuration and failed to boot it up. If you bought a computer that has been manufactured prior to 2012, your computer probably doesn't have this feature. However, nearly all computers manufactured after 2012 has this feature. What we will need to do is gain access to the BIOS. You are going to need to act fast in the process of doing all this. This can be triggered by either pressing 'esc' key, 'f12' key or the 'delete' key. Here is a list of keys to press based on manufacturer.

Manufacturer Key
Acer Esc, F12, F9
Asus Esc, F8
Dell F12
Fujitsu F12, Esc
HP Esc, F9
Lenovo F12, Novo, F8, F10
Samsung Esc, F12, F2
Sony F11, Esc, F10
Toshiba F12
others… F12, Esc

You should look for boot options menu. It should allow you to do a few things. If you have a way to delay the bootup process with a hotkey delay, I recommend you turn it on and have a 5 second key delay. It is so you do not have to worry about rushing to get to the BIOS menu when you power on your computer.

Your first goal is to setup your computer in a legacy mode(traditional BIOS boot). If there is no mentioning of the UEFI, your computer by default uses legacy mode. As it stands, I have yet to be able to use TAILS OS under a UEFI conguration.

The second goal is to rearrange the boot order which your devices your computer boots from. The BIOS is generally designed to boot first from the hard drive or boot mananger. Arrange the order so it first boots from a USB Diskette or the internal CD/DVD drive.

Step 2: Download all the necessary OSes and install them

There are a few ways to install TAILS OS. One method is to create a live DVD. The second method is to create live USB boot loader. I would recommend using both, and I would recommend you get a USB version of TAILS OS . As it stands, I have failed to load a version of TAILS onto a USB drive. I will update this thread as I figure something else out.

As it stands, TAILS OS demands the use of a different OS on the harddrive. I would recommend using Ubuntu due to the accessibility for beginners and its popularity.
You can download Ubuntu from www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop. If you have a computer with 2GB of RAM or more, use the 64bit versions. If you have less than 2GB of RAM, use the 32bit versions. As of writing this thread, the two most up to date versions of the Operating System are Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS(Long Term Support) and Ubuntu 15.10. Download both versions which will come in a file format known as iso. iso formats are a type image format that makes data ready to be burned to a CD or DVD. If you need to look up more information on how to burn iso image, here is a link on how to use Brasero for iso burning. When you buy DVDs be sure they are decent quality DVDs. It will reduce the likely hood of the iso burn failing. Also try to burn the image in the slowest speed rate as possible.

Install first Ubuntu 14.04.4LTS. When installing it overwrite the entire partition written on the harddrive. The Ubuntu Installer will take care of all the partitioning. Just follow the instructions shown and you will have Ubuntu installed onto your system shortly. After that, you will you are going to take Ubuntu 15.10 and arrange it to be dual booted with Ubuntu. When creating two partitions, just be sure have them split 50/50 with each partition getting at least 10GB of space.

Your boot loader should look something like this. Notice the different types of OSes available to be selected.

Your arrangement should have two versions of ubuntu. One will be labeled just as "Ubuntu" and the other will be labeled as either "ubuntu 14.04.4(LTS)" or "Ubuntu 15.10". If it is a little different, that is fine.

Next you need an .iso file of TAILS OS. You can download a copy of the .iso file at https://tails.boum.org/download/index.en.html


Just as you burned a copy of Ubuntu onto a DVD, you are going to do the same with TAILS OS.

Step 3: Accessing TAILS OS

If you see a menu like the one below, tails is not automatically booting.

There are a few additional steps to make sure it is booting. When you see the image above, press the escape key. You will see something on the screen that should displays "grub>". Type in exit. You'll see a new screen where you should be able to boot from the dvd drive. Press enter on that option. You should than see a screen that looks like the one below.



Congratulations. You have a working version of TAILS OS.

[Barn25]

Excellent guide. You actually beat me to the punch. personally i would start staying away from tor if you are using it with DSL or Cable. There are plenty of mobile devices that are cheap that you can use the internet with and simply discard if the heat gets too hot. Also you might want to post a review of which VPNs actually take anonymity seriously with no logging.

[PolymathGuru]

(02-25-2016 09:18 PM)Barn25 Wrote:  

Excellent guide. You actually beat me to the punch. personally i would start staying away from tor if you are using it with DSL or Cable. There are plenty of mobile devices that are cheap that you can use the internet with and simply discard if the heat gets too hot. Also you might want to post a review of which VPNs actually take anonymity seriously with no logging.

You definently don't want to be the one who wrote this guide. It took me about 3 days work on this guide. This is my first time using TAILS OS or using TOR. Some of this stuff I had to learn to work was with some experimentation. I was having problems bootloading TAILS OS. Only until I went into grub command line and typed exit could I reach the bootloader for the disc drive. But I knew there would be some need to experiment with things and learn as much as I could.

[Thoughtcrime]

I appreciate the effort here, but wouldn't it be easier to just run the OS in a VM? VMWare Player and Oracle VirtualBox are free. Even more simple - download a portable version of a browser and keep its files encrypted - maybe on a VeraCrypt (TrueCrypt successor) drive?

[samsamsam]

(02-25-2016 09:18 PM)Barn25 Wrote:  

Excellent guide. You actually beat me to the punch. personally i would start staying away from tor if you are using it with DSL or Cable. There are plenty of mobile devices that are cheap that you can use the internet with and simply discard if the heat gets too hot. Also you might want to post a review of which VPNs actually take anonymity seriously with no logging.

So for a simpleton like me, you can be tracked down by your isp and your device right? I think each device hs some unique signature. So if someone wants to accuse you of something, even if you dump the device they still have the isp and unless you live in a dorm or something, dumping the device doesn't help right? Which is why people suggest VPNs?

Thanks.

[PolymathGuru]

(02-26-2016 12:49 AM)Thoughtcrime Wrote:  

I appreciate the effort here, but wouldn't it be easier to just run the OS in a VM? VMWare Player and Oracle VirtualBox are free. Even more simple - download a portable version of a browser and keep its files encrypted - maybe on a VeraCrypt (TrueCrypt successor) drive?

There is some risk running TAILS OS through Virtualization. The guys who built the OS have some security concerns regarding this issue.

https://tails.boum.org/doc/advanced_topi...l#security

Quote:

Running Tails inside a virtual machine has various security implications. Depending on the host operating system and your security needs, running Tails in a virtual machine might be dangerous.

• Both the host operating system and the virtualization software are able to monitor what you are doing in Tails.
  

If the host operating system is compromised with a software keylogger or other malware, then it can break the security features of Tails.

Only run Tails in a virtual machine if both the host operating system and the virtualization software are trustworthy.

• Traces of your Tails session are likely to be left on the local hard disk. For example, host operating systems usually use swapping (or paging) which copies part of the RAM to the hard disk.
  

Only run Tails in a virtual machine if leaving traces on the hard disk is not a concern for you.

This is why Tails warns you when it is running inside a virtual machine

The Tails virtual machine does not modify the behaviour of the host operating system and the network traffic of the host is not anonymized. The MAC address of the computer is not modified by the MAC address spoofing feature of Tails when run in a virtual machine.

[Barn25]

(02-26-2016 02:00 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  

(02-25-2016 09:18 PM)Barn25 Wrote:  

Excellent guide. You actually beat me to the punch. personally i would start staying away from tor if you are using it with DSL or Cable. There are plenty of mobile devices that are cheap that you can use the internet with and simply discard if the heat gets too hot. Also you might want to post a review of which VPNs actually take anonymity seriously with no logging.

So for a simpleton like me, you can be tracked down by your isp and your device right? I think each device hs some unique signature. So if someone wants to accuse you of something, even if you dump the device they still have the isp and unless you live in a dorm or something, dumping the device doesn't help right? Which is why people suggest VPNs?

Thanks.

An ip address by itself is not an identifier, its just an ip address. they still would have to seize your computer. Plus if you use a burner device for internet it wouldn't matter you toss it in a different but unfamiliar part of the city it can't be traced back to you. not without fingerprints. That is if you bought it off of someone else who didn't know you.

[churros]

Great write up, I'm currently underway.

But what exactly happens during the partitioning stage, i.e. after I install Ubuntu 14?

I'm installing from the USB by the way, you just need a program to load the ISO onto it, then go from there.

[Hades]

Not to steal your thunder, but many RVFers live on the go and can't put multiple laptops in a single carry on bag.

I have a suggestion if you want to improve your guide.

Format this Windows PC dongle - it runs an intel processor so you don't need an ARM linux, install TAILSOS, and now you have a computer wherever you have a TV.

Then you can buy a wireless keyboard/touchpad combo and go wherever you want and do whatever you want.

120 bucks + 25 bucks, boom! Instant RVF and HD hotel-streaming porn for free.

I see these PC-dongles going for like 80 bucks used on ebay. 90 bucks brand new on Amazon, like this one.

[PolymathGuru]

(03-01-2016 02:33 PM)churros Wrote:  

Great write up, I'm currently underway.

But what exactly happens during the partitioning stage, i.e. after I install Ubuntu 14?

I'm installing from the USB by the way, you just need a program to load the ISO onto it, then go from there.

after installing ubuntu 14, your going to make a second partition with ubuntu 15.10. However, I am still having some problems installing it on a USB drive. Could be my computer or my flash drive.

(03-04-2016 04:09 PM)Hades Wrote:  

Not to steal your thunder, but many RVFers live on the go and can't put multiple laptops in a single carry on bag.

I have a suggestion if you want to improve your guide.

Format this Windows PC dongle - it runs an intel processor so you don't need an ARM linux, install TAILSOS, and now you have a computer wherever you have a TV.

Then you can buy a wireless keyboard/touchpad combo and go wherever you want and do whatever you want.

120 bucks + 25 bucks, boom! Instant RVF and HD hotel-streaming porn for free.

I see these PC-dongles going for like 80 bucks used on ebay. 90 bucks brand new on Amazon, like this one.

Suggestion noted but is not doable. You haven't accounted for the fact that TAILS OS is a live medium. You cannot install it on a computer. However, it might be possible. Although, you might need a USB CD drive to work. I haven't been successful with a flash drive yet.

[shy]

Thx for the advice. I've already set up a Laptop and it works flawlessly.
Going to work my way into Kali Linux soon. Anyone experienced with the Tools?

[Aristotle]

Nice guide, but unless you're doing something illegal, I think this is HIGHLY overkill.

Look, the average Roosh V member just isn't that interesting, certainly not enough to warrant the precise targeting of a computer hacker skilled enough to compromise your identity through hardware.

You have a far greater likelihood of being discovered through your own negligence posting personal details than you do from a hacker. Especially given that in order to get your identity through hardware, they'd have to violate the law, and be incredibly skilled. Most feminists/SJW's are too stupid/unskilled to do either effectively.

That said, kudos for having the skill-set to make the guide. Might be useful if someone is up to shadier things. But definitely overkill to access RVF, unless maybe you work for the government.

[BassPlayaYo]

Lenovo laptops
F1 is used to enter the BIOS.
F12 is used to choose a boot drive.

One can also download Slax Linux which will boot and run from a CD ROM or a flash drive. Using the CD ROM approach, you can browse the internet and when you power down, there's no trace to delete, no internet history, no cookies, nothing.

[joost]

Quote:

The importance of building a burner laptop is important as to create a clear divide in traces between your personal life and and RVF identity

RVF uses https now. Without access to your physical computer, your ISP will ONLY know you frequent RVF but they won't know WHAT you do there. If the intention is to avoid ONLY that:

You can use a different browser or run yours in Incognito mode. No trace in your computer (unless the FBI knocks on your door, which is less likely for visiting RVF).

OR

You can download and use TOR Browser instead of having the hassle of installing TAILS.

If you do more "advanced" stuff online, go ahead and install TAILS. I think that's the most secure setup you can use.

[PolymathGuru]

(03-09-2016 08:55 PM)Aristotle Wrote:  

Nice guide, but unless you're doing something illegal, I think this is HIGHLY overkill.

Look, the average Roosh V member just isn't that interesting, certainly not enough to warrant the precise targeting of a computer hacker skilled enough to compromise your identity through hardware.

You have a far greater likelihood of being discovered through your own negligence posting personal details than you do from a hacker. Especially given that in order to get your identity through hardware, they'd have to violate the law, and be incredibly skilled. Most feminists/SJW's are too stupid/unskilled to do either effectively.

That said, kudos for having the skill-set to make the guide. Might be useful if someone is up to shadier things. But definitely overkill to access RVF, unless maybe you work for the government.

Well there are enough techical white knights out there, this will give someone the best protection. You could go without an additional laptop and run TAILS on a windows laptop or a Mac. The importance is to give people the best tools available to maximize their online RVF identity.

(03-10-2016 12:27 AM)BassPlayaYo Wrote:  

Lenovo laptops
F1 is used to enter the BIOS.
F12 is used to choose a boot drive.

One can also download Slax Linux which will boot and run from a CD ROM or a flash drive. Using the CD ROM approach, you can browse the internet and when you power down, there's no trace to delete, no internet history, no cookies, nothing.

There are some tradeoffs using different OSes. The advantage of TAILS is designed to maximize personal identity. Using it for RVF is a pain in the ass. However, I would not recommend SLAX for what we are doing. I would recommend using WHONIX as an alternative or maybe Lightweight Portavle Security(LPS).

(03-10-2016 08:02 AM)joost Wrote:  

Quote:

The importance of building a burner laptop is important as to create a clear divide in traces between your personal life and and RVF identity

RVF uses https now. Without access to your physical computer, your ISP will ONLY know you frequent RVF but they won't know WHAT you do there. If the intention is to avoid ONLY that:

You can use a different browser or run yours in Incognito mode. No trace in your computer (unless the FBI knocks on your door, which is less likely for visiting RVF).

OR

You can download and use TOR Browser instead of having the hassle of installing TAILS.

If you do more "advanced" stuff online, go ahead and install TAILS. I think that's the most secure setup you can use.

It all depend on the degree of security someone is looking for.

[Avant-Garde]

(03-10-2016 08:02 AM)joost Wrote:  

Quote:

The importance of building a burner laptop is important as to create a clear divide in traces between your personal life and and RVF identity

RVF uses https now. Without access to your physical computer, your ISP will ONLY know you frequent RVF but they won't know WHAT you do there. If the intention is to avoid ONLY that:

You can use a different browser or run yours in Incognito mode. No trace in your computer (unless the FBI knocks on your door, which is less likely for visiting RVF).

OR

You can download and use TOR Browser instead of having the hassle of installing TAILS.

If you do more "advanced" stuff online, go ahead and install TAILS. I think that's the most secure setup you can use.

The ISP and anyone else (3 letter gov agencies) will have the URLs, which pretty much tells them what you're looking at. And who knows how much pull these agencies have over SSL certificate companies (Verisign, Thawte, Comodo, etc). If they are given the parent or root cert of the cert assigned to your domain, they basically have the master key.

[Avant-Garde]

(03-04-2016 04:09 PM)Hades Wrote:  

Not to steal your thunder, but many RVFers live on the go and can't put multiple laptops in a single carry on bag.

I have a suggestion if you want to improve your guide.

Format this Windows PC dongle - it runs an intel processor so you don't need an ARM linux, install TAILSOS, and now you have a computer wherever you have a TV.

Then you can buy a wireless keyboard/touchpad combo and go wherever you want and do whatever you want.

120 bucks + 25 bucks, boom! Instant RVF and HD hotel-streaming porn for free.

I see these PC-dongles going for like 80 bucks used on ebay. 90 bucks brand new on Amazon, like this one.

Nice tech. Now if they can only make that keyboard/mouse smaller or better yet, have a smartphone/mobile app that can use the keyboard on the phone along with a 'mouse control' screen...

[Valentine]

The problem here is that you haven't explained why someone would benefit from this.

Tails does two things:
1) Automatically Torifies your internet connection (which is overkill for most - Tor Browser is sufficient and you can use VPNs)
2) Runs all your programs on an amnesic USB (amnesic meaning it stores no data, kind of like what you wish Incognito mode would do)

And there are far better options to what you've explained.

Why would someone need a burner laptop? Tails when run on a simple USB (what it's designed for) doesn't leave a trace on your laptop. The divide between identities comes from simply plugging in the USB. The laptop buying instructions are good so they should be followed when buying a primary laptop.

The problem is Tails USBs are great but it has too low usability for the average user. You have to boot up your PC again every time in order to access your RVF identity - very low usability.

Instead, if Tor Browser isn't sufficient for your needs, you're better off running Tails in a virtual machine. Like a browser, you can easily start it on your own PC and have it run simultaneously with your normal operating system - very high usability.

Tails VMs (use VirtualBox by the way) are theoretically not as amnesic as the live USB - that is they may leave some small files on your PC.

For most people, the small files are of no consequence. It would have to be a motivated aggressor using forensics to detect what programs you used.

If you are however concerned, then encrypt your laptop. No one will be able to access those files. If you are worried being coerced to decrypt your laptop, then stick to a Tails USB to ensure you leave no trace of your activities.

[BadBoyGamer]

Nice guide.

Adding some tips for whoever is interested.

When using tails OS or another OS bootable from USB stick you do not need a harddrive. It might be a good idea to remove the harddrive from the laptop. This prevents any data to be stored on the laptop accidently.

When making connection to the internet it is important to change your MAC address. This is a special address build into the network device of your laptop. You can be traced by this number. Change it every time you make intertnet connection.

Do not connect to the internet at home. Go to a place with free WIFI. Connect from there. In fact, I reccomend, disconnecting your router or internet cable when you are installing your laptop. Just to be safe.

Do not trust VPN's. You still should be using one. Again, do not connect from home. Be careful when using the TOR network. Security agencies DO put you on a "list" when you are using TOR.

When not using the laptop remove the battery. Prevent any "funny business".

Encrypt all your data on a USB stick.

Do not use Google or Facebook when on your burner laptop.

Create a false identity for yourself. Not just a screenname. Invent a fake name, address, birthday, interests, work, schooling. Do not ever mix your real identity with your fake one.

Be paranoid. "They" are watching you!

Be prepared to throw away your burner laptop. That is why it is called "burner". Do not use it longer than about 1 year.

(02-26-2016 12:49 AM)Thoughtcrime Wrote:  

I appreciate the effort here, but wouldn't it be easier to just run the OS in a VM?

No. It offers no added security. Do not connect to internet from home.

(02-26-2016 02:00 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  

So for a simpleton like me, you can be tracked down by your isp and your device right? I think each device hs some unique signature.

Yes. You can be tracked by the MAC address of your network card. This number needs to be changed everytime when connecting to the internet. Also, do not connect from home. Use free WIFI away from home.

(02-26-2016 02:00 AM)samsamsam Wrote:  

Which is why people suggest VPNs?

Always use a VPN, but do not trust VPN's. It is just an added layer of security. Like a second lock on your door. It can still be broken. Just takes a bit of extra time.

(03-01-2016 09:19 AM)Barn25 Wrote:  

An ip address by itself is not an identifier, its just an ip address.

...you toss it in a different but unfamiliar part of the city it can't be traced back to you

Use free WIFI to connect to internet. Never your home or workplace. You do not even want someone to look in your direction, let alone have an IP address.

Before dumping your burner laptop destroy it. Use a hammer and fire for best results. It is fun to do as well.

(03-09-2016 08:55 PM)Aristotle Wrote:  

Nice guide, but unless you're doing something illegal, I think this is HIGHLY overkill.

You never know what happens in the future. Perhaps one day someone decides that everyone with a certain "profile" needs to be send to a re-education camp. Or perhaps some insurance company decides you are too much risk to insure. Or a bank decides your "profile" is a bad investment and they do not want to loan you money. You cannot predict the future. Better be safe than sorry.

It has happend before!

(03-10-2016 08:02 AM)joost Wrote:  

You can download and use TOR Browser instead of having the hassle of installing TAILS.

When you connect to TOR the security agencies put you on a "special list". Your name will be marked, permanently. You never know what that might mean in the future.

[Valentine]

Some good tips and some misinformation in this post. I'll address the latter:

(10-17-2018 03:21 AM)BadBoyGamer Wrote:  

Be prepared to throw away your burner laptop. That is why it is called "burner". Do not use it longer than about 1 year.

Still seeing no justification for using a "burner laptop" when Tails in it's normal usecase is run on an amnesic USB.

Quote:

(02-26-2016 12:49 AM)Thoughtcrime Wrote:  

I appreciate the effort here, but wouldn't it be easier to just run the OS in a VM?

No. It offers no added security. Do not connect to internet from home.

Running Tails in a VM definitely offers more security because it's now in a sandbox. However Tails is built for use on a USB so it can be an amnesic OS i.e. there are no traces of Tor Browser use on your filesystem.

Quote:

(03-10-2016 08:02 AM)joost Wrote:  

You can download and use TOR Browser instead of having the hassle of installing TAILS.

When you connect to TOR the security agencies put you on a "special list". Your name will be marked, permanently. You never know what that might mean in the future.

What? Tails uses Tor, so that would still happen.

And you've just assumed there it provides no anonymity whatsoever, which if so why bother using it?

[BadBoyGamer]

Allow me to clarify;


When you from your home internet connect to TOR, your provider will know that you connect to the TOR network. And connecting to a TOR node puts you on a list because security agencies do monitor those nodes. In fact, just downloading Tails or the Tor browser from the official website puts you on a list.

This is not a problem unless security agencies are your adversary. You can ignore this if your adversary is just a feminist with a hacker boyfriend.

The reason to to use a burner laptop is mostly to not connect to TOR using your own internet connection. You should use public WIFI.

Another reason for using a seperate laptop is that you require a secured system. Both software and hardware. Your every day laptop is not secure in the slightest.

The reason to throw away the laptop once in a while is because you can never be certain it is not somehow infected or hacked by someone smarter than you. And one year is plenty of time for a dedicated adversary to figure out a way to find you. The smarter your adversary, the more often you have to throw it away.

A sidenote. A laptop might not have a harddrive but it has plenty of hardware components with firmware to screw around with. I once hacked a sound card, just saying.

At the end the most important question is; who is your adversary?

A feminist with a hacker boyfriend does not require a dedicated laptop and the TOR network. An intelligence agency however requires the highest level of paranoia multiplied by a hundred.

[Cattle Rustler]

I find this quite hilarious considering that the Dutch police is known for being the most privacy intrusive considering their high use of tappin' phone/interwebz lines and BBG is Dutch.