DarkMatter
New Member
Protecting you privacy and anonymity on the internet is all about security. And security is all about layers! Security however comes at a cost and that cost is convenience. So, what do you want? The convenience of browsing the web and constantly being tracked? Of some inconvenience but the peace of mind that you are protecting your privacy? For me, it is the latter and I think that should be what everyone wants.
So, what setups can you take to protect yourself from prying eyes?
1) Use a VPN services. I use PureVPN which is one of the best services out there. But any that offer you anonymity, and by anonymity I mean does not track you is worth using. DO NOT relay solely on Tor for example. Remember, put up walls by adding layers to your security!
2) Manager your Operating Systems firewall. For example, on a windows PC you can manage the firewall either by the built in management features or by a 3rd party management software. I use Windows Firewall Control. It is overall easy to use and does an awesome job. You can use the firewall that comes with your anti-virus suite, but in most cases it is cumbersome and buggy. Why not use the built-in firewall that has been in place and trusted for years?
The key thing here is to setup your rules properly and assure you networks are being identified properly. How I do it is I force any services / apps I want to go through the VPN to only access the "Public Network, and other services / apps to go through the Private / Domain networks. This results in apps like Tor going through the VPN and apps like Windows Updates going through the standard internet connection. In essence, split tunneling. Again, using a firewall with your VPN is a MUST! Otherwise, you don't know what applications are doing what. You have to take control over your devices if you want privacy. It's that simple.
3) Use the Tor Browser. Not only can you use this to get to .onion websites, you can use it to browse the internet in general. Take advantage of it's NoScript plugin and assure sites are not tracking you. You can also route other apps through Tor. I route my Thunderbird email that has my anonymous accounts through Tor. Slows things down some, but it's a small price to pay to assure I am protected.
4) Use a truly anonymous email services. I use AnonyEmails, which didn't require any personal info and doesn't keep logs. They also have a ClearNet and Onion site and host off shores from the US. Better then that is their IMAPs support. I use Thunderbird with the Enigma Plugin. Keeps my PGP local so I don't have to work about a server having access to my keys. The catch is, they are a referral only services and charge for their services. It's only $12.00 per year through and they only accept BitCoin which was great for me. I can refer you if you want an account, just PM me.
5) Encrypt everything you can!!! From your local hard drives to email messages. Kleopatra is an excellent app for this. Get it setup, get in the habit of using encryption and digital signatures. And enjoy the assurance that your communications are protected.
6) Use portable apps, portableapps.com is a good choice. All my apps are portable. So I can connect an external USB or hard-drive to any PC and have access to what I need. There are so many benefits to this, but the biggest is having all I need being independent of the PC. Just make sure you have backups and are encryption everything! Also any time you delete a file make sure it is a secure delete. Easer is a good app for that!
This is by no means a complete guide. However, if you take this setups you will greatly enhance your security and privacy, hence your anonymity. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to ask. I'm even open to remoting in an helping you get your PC setup.. for a nominal fee of course
So, what setups can you take to protect yourself from prying eyes?
1) Use a VPN services. I use PureVPN which is one of the best services out there. But any that offer you anonymity, and by anonymity I mean does not track you is worth using. DO NOT relay solely on Tor for example. Remember, put up walls by adding layers to your security!
2) Manager your Operating Systems firewall. For example, on a windows PC you can manage the firewall either by the built in management features or by a 3rd party management software. I use Windows Firewall Control. It is overall easy to use and does an awesome job. You can use the firewall that comes with your anti-virus suite, but in most cases it is cumbersome and buggy. Why not use the built-in firewall that has been in place and trusted for years?
The key thing here is to setup your rules properly and assure you networks are being identified properly. How I do it is I force any services / apps I want to go through the VPN to only access the "Public Network, and other services / apps to go through the Private / Domain networks. This results in apps like Tor going through the VPN and apps like Windows Updates going through the standard internet connection. In essence, split tunneling. Again, using a firewall with your VPN is a MUST! Otherwise, you don't know what applications are doing what. You have to take control over your devices if you want privacy. It's that simple.
3) Use the Tor Browser. Not only can you use this to get to .onion websites, you can use it to browse the internet in general. Take advantage of it's NoScript plugin and assure sites are not tracking you. You can also route other apps through Tor. I route my Thunderbird email that has my anonymous accounts through Tor. Slows things down some, but it's a small price to pay to assure I am protected.
4) Use a truly anonymous email services. I use AnonyEmails, which didn't require any personal info and doesn't keep logs. They also have a ClearNet and Onion site and host off shores from the US. Better then that is their IMAPs support. I use Thunderbird with the Enigma Plugin. Keeps my PGP local so I don't have to work about a server having access to my keys. The catch is, they are a referral only services and charge for their services. It's only $12.00 per year through and they only accept BitCoin which was great for me. I can refer you if you want an account, just PM me.
5) Encrypt everything you can!!! From your local hard drives to email messages. Kleopatra is an excellent app for this. Get it setup, get in the habit of using encryption and digital signatures. And enjoy the assurance that your communications are protected.
6) Use portable apps, portableapps.com is a good choice. All my apps are portable. So I can connect an external USB or hard-drive to any PC and have access to what I need. There are so many benefits to this, but the biggest is having all I need being independent of the PC. Just make sure you have backups and are encryption everything! Also any time you delete a file make sure it is a secure delete. Easer is a good app for that!
This is by no means a complete guide. However, if you take this setups you will greatly enhance your security and privacy, hence your anonymity. If you have any questions or need help, feel free to ask. I'm even open to remoting in an helping you get your PC setup.. for a nominal fee of course
