How to use Linux anonymously online - four magic weapons

The introduction of the information age has brought great convenience and benefits to our lives, but it also poses great risks. On the one hand, people can basically access all the information and knowledge that is known to exist with a few clicks of a button; on the other hand, if this power falls into the hands of individual lawless elements, it will cause great damage and disaster. In this article I will cover several steps to protect private information on the web.

Some people may think that this is "tin foil" thinking, but as seen in the feedback from many intelligence organizations around the world, the government Surveillance has changed from being considered a crazy conspiracy theory to an almost naked public threat. Those who care about privacy and want to be left unattended as much as possible will find that Linux is a very useful tool if used properly. In fact, those who try to remain anonymous on the Internet will find that Linux is the only option, because it is well known that Windows and Mac OS X collect as much information as possible about users. As long as you search the Internet for "Windows 10 Surveillance" or "Mac OS X Privacy", you will have a personal experience.

Before we get started, the only way to make sure your computer is safe and private is to disconnect it from the Internet and turn it off. Because devices connected to the Internet cannot be absolutely 100% secure. There is always a way to avoid the security mechanism, and if not, someone will continue to develop tools and find new ways. So, the guiding principle here is not to change a few settings on the computer, you can build an indestructible fortress, but to set as many obstacles as possible, try to make it difficult for any potential attacker or spy to access you. System or private information.

You can use a few Linux tools to maintain anonymity as much as possible (again in the moment, it's getting harder and harder, but if privacy is important to you, you already know the importance of brave resistance) Sex).

1.Tails OS

The first tool we will introduce is Tails OS (https://tails.boum.org) But it's a "tool" that may be misused because Tails is a complete Linux distribution, not just a tool. Tails is designed to be an anonymous, self-destructing operating system that erases any traces of existence once you run out. Obviously, it's not a good fit for everyday distributions, but if you have something you need to visit online, you want to stay private, or want to browse anonymously, then Tails is a good choice. Tails runs entirely as a Live system, and once it is shut down, it cleans itself up, rather than permanently installing it on the hard drive.

You can download the latest Tails ISO file from the above link, burn it to a DVD or copy it to a bootable flash drive (the latter is much easier, takes less time, and wastes less space) ). Linux has several tools for burning DVDs, mainly Brasero and DeVeDe. Or, if you prefer to make a bootable flash drive, you will find that Unetbootin is ideal (or you can use the “dd” command if you are familiar with the command). Once you have copied Tails onto bootable media, just use it to start your computer, just like installing a new operating system or running a Live system.

The Tails website seems to only allow you to download Tails using Firefox or Tor. When I tried to download the ISO file via Google Chrome, it told me that the browser does not support it. It also forces you to install the Firefox browser attachment, and once installed, the attachment will automatically verify the ISO download software using a checksum verification mechanism. This actually implements a good security measure because it ensures that you won't get a damaged Tails, or there may be security holes in it, as happened with Linux Mint.

Once you boot into Tails, it will guide you through some initial installation steps that are fairly straightforward. If in doubt, consult the documentation. A key feature of Tails is that all Internet connections are automatically routed through the Tor network, further enhancing anonymity. If you are not familiar with the Tor network, we will introduce it later when we discuss the Tor browser. Another important feature built into Tails is MAC address spoofing, which we'll cover in more depth when discussing the macchanger tool.

In a word, if you need a temporary Live operating system, once you turn it off, you will erase yourself (think of the movie "Mission in the Dish") The information about self-destruction, but not so exaggerated), then Tails is the best choice. To learn more about Tails, be sure to visit the official website (https://tails.boum.org/index.en.html).

2.Tor Browser

The next tool we will introduce is the Tor browser (https://www.torproject. Org/projects/torbrowser.html.en), this is the product of the Tor Project, which is committed to ensuring online privacy and security. As mentioned above, this tool is already built into the Tails OS, but you can also install it on any operating system you like, as they are available for Windows, Mac and Linux. As far as I know, it is impossible to find it in any official Linux software library, so you need to download it from the above URL link.

If you use a normal Internet connection, traffic is transmitted directly from the host requesting the information to the server that provides the requested information. Usually there are several hops between the server and the server for traffic to be transmitted. Expected destination. However, this can be easily tracked by people, even if you delete the browsing history burn. So what Tor does is to route your traffic to many different intermediate servers (named nodes) in the Tor network. Their role is to hide the initial source of traffic, then exit the Tor network through an exit node and finally arrive. Expected destination. As you might expect, this will result in slower browsing, but if privacy is important, learn to endure some sacrifices for anonymous web browsing. It is recommended that the Tor browser be used only when a particular task or task requires extra care from the user, rather than as a daily browser.

Tor browser is a branch of Firefox, so you can install favorite attachments such as Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin and DownThemAll, but be aware that any attachments installed may weaken Tor's security. It will put you at risk, so the purpose of using it will be gone. Be careful with what you choose to install. In fact, Tor strongly recommends not installing any browser plugins. Please note: If you happen to live in an area where the internet is being censored, the Tor browser will also circumvent the web filter.

Some hidden websites (also called "onion") use hidden URLs that can only be accessed through the Tor browser. For example, Silk Road, which is now closed, is one of the “onion” sites because it can only be accessed through the Tor browser. If you try to access these links through a normal browser, you can't find them. In addition, some websites, such as Twitter, will find out if traffic is coming in through the Tor network, so it is almost impossible to have an anonymous Twitter account, because if you try to create a Twitter account and use the account with Tor, Twitter will ask you Provide a phone number. If anyone knows that you can avoid this restriction by purchasing a one-time mobile phone with a prepaid fee, please leave a message.

It is also worth mentioning that the Tor browser is not a magical <; hide me & rdquo; button. It may still be tracked by your browsing habits. Be wise and cautious, remember that every operation you perform on your computer will leave traces on the network, whether you like it or not.

It is also worth pointing out that recently, the FBI discovered and disclosed the Tor browser vulnerability, allowing them to track and arrest suspects. So, unless the Tor project team finds and fixes this vulnerability, Tor is still weak and vulnerable, but it still has an advantage over normal browsers. Because of this, it may be a bad idea to simply use Tor without running Tails OS at the same time. Be careful to use it.