Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance
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ISSN 2161-5543
A
Digest of Urban Survival Resources
VPN –
The Must Have Anonymity Tool
Complete and total privacy is almost impossible achieve, and the layers of privacy get more and more expensive as you add them.
To
understand how this works, know that there are three kinds of data out there
about you; data that's implicitly collected, such as the many services that
track your browsing activity online; data that's explicitly collected, such as
when you knowingly give out your email address and other data when signing up
for a service online; and data that's publicly available information about you
that can be harvested by data collectors online, such as your phone number and
address, Twitter feed, Facebook profile and public posts, court and property
deed records and so on
The first
step toward minimizing your online footprint is to know who's tracking you.
Look into using tools like Disconnect and Mozilla's Lightbeam, which visually
show who's tracking you as you visit different websites.
The second
thing is to figure out what the risks are that you're trying to protect
yourself from. Do you care who reads your Facebook updates? Or if someone you
don't know can read your email? The more data you want to protect, the more
work you'll need to do.
The third
layer is control, and that's the hardest part. For example, if you want to hide
all of your Internet traffic and your identity, you'll need to use a Virtual
Private Network at all times. This gets pretty pricey. Most people, however,
just want a reasonable amount of privacy.
[Offline, I’ve begun
using RFID blockers, those little sleeves to hold credit & debt cards which
make them impossible to read by scanners from thieves…I got a pack of 10
delivered for $3.50 on eBay]
What is
a VPN?
Virtual
Private Network, or VPN for short, is a secure network connection through which
you can safely connect your device to public networks.
It is
widely used by large corporations, educational institutions and government
agencies.
It is
also used by individuals who care about staying anonymous on the internet for
various reasons.
In
countries where governments are blocking access to certain websites, people use
a VPN to get around these walls of censorship.
Another
reason people use VPN’s is to gain access to web content restricted to certain
countries; this is particularly the case with some YouTube channels, like Vevo
and similar.
In
countries where downloading torrents is heavily monitored, like the USA for
example, people use VPN to hide their internet activity and IP address from
ISPs and from the torrent source.
This is
similarly the case for streaming, the use of streaming services like Kodi is
exploding lately and the movie studios are not at all happy about so they are
now suing users.
Kodi
(formally XBMC) is a media center platform where developers have made thousands
of plugins that deliver the latest movies, TV series, pay per view sport, porn,
documentaries etc. for free to your device.
It is
like having access to every single video media out there, and not all of it is
pirated content but a large selection of it is.
Because
of the rapid growth of streaming on Kodi and other similar service like Popcorn
Time, the movie studios have started to employ lawyers and are suing thousands
of people around the word for downloading and streaming pirated content.
You can
really get hit with a massive fine for doing so if they can find out your IP
address. This is where a VPN can save you a fortune.
Most
VPN providers require payment, but there are some that offer a trial version,
and a couple of them offer free limited versions.
Be
aware that the free VPN’s are usually shit and slow, especially if you try to
stream video.
Why is
Tor not enough for Deep Web Anonymity?
The
Onion Router, or Tor, is a network of volunteer computers (routers) that
provide secure and anonymous connection to the Internet.
The
data which user sends from his computer to the destination and vice versa are
being encrypted in each of the three routers which stand in-between user’s
computer and the destination.
It is
used by governments, journalists, bloggers, whistleblowers, but also by drug
dealers who are selling illicit drugs at the so called darknet markets.
The
fall of the Silk Road, the first and the largest darknet market; the arrest of
Ross Ulbricht; the affairs of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden – who were all
using Tor for their anonymity and various other reasons caused the general
trust in Tor to decrease.
Some
evidence suggests that a great deal of Tor nodes are being controlled by the
NSA.
Once
the node is controlled, the process of revealing one’s identity is easy and
straightforward.
This
has been proven by a group of hackers who previously hacked Play Station
Network and Xbox network; after these attacks, the group announced that they
are going after Tor Network, which they considered a huge challenge.
In just
a couple of weeks hackers managed to take control of 3000 routers, and they
revealed more than 95% of users’ identities!
The
fact that Tor’s exit nodes (routers) are having some security issues is also
admitted by the founders of Tor network, and it was the main reason why Agora,
once a well-knowndarknet market, has stopped their operation.
Another
more recent example of the tor Network being cracked is in 2015 the FEDS
cracked Tor with the help of a University computer science department to catch
users on the darknet markets.
They
did this effectively and ended up catching tons of people doing illegal
activities on the Deep Web who were then prosecuted.
This is
an example of what can happen if you only rely on Tor for anonymity on the Deep
Web.
How is
VPN used?
If you
are browsing the deep web using Tor, the best solution is to use both, Tor and
VPN.
You
should use Tor namely because it is the only browser that can access hidden
services of the deep web and .onion URLs; VPN should be used for security
reasons.
VPN is
very useful even if you are not using Tor, and you are concerned about your
online privacy and safety.
Tor and
VPN can be used in two ways.
1. The
first and less safe way is to connect your computer to the VPN and then start
Tor. This way, the target website has no means to learn your IP address but
your ISP will know that you are using a VPN, which doesn’t have to be a bad
thing; however, if you are suspicious to the authorities for any reason, the
VPN provider would have to disclose your log files.
So,
your connection will look like this: Computer –> VPN -> Tor ->
Internet
2.
Another way to do this is to let Tor encrypt your connection towards the VPN
server first; from the VPN your connection returns to Tor; then once again to
the VPN and finally to the Internet.
This
way, your ISP has no idea that you are using a VPN, and your VPN provider also
has no record of your activities; your target website doesn’t have access to
your exit node and you have the maximum level of protection!
So,
your connection looks like this: Computer -> Tor Encrypted VPN -> Tor
-> VPN -> Internet
3.
There is another way that is really for the paranoid that offers insanely good
anonymity and privacy.
You
need a special router with DD-WRT firmware installed on it (you can buy these
pretty easily) and then you have the VPN running on this so all of your
internet connected to it is encrypted from the beginning, then you use tor and
then you use your desktop VPN client to further encrypt in a separate location.
VPN
Router (location 1) -> Computer-> Tor -> PC VPN (location 2) ->
Internet.
On what
devices can you use a VPN?
Most
VPN providers have made their products available for multiple devices.
So,
they support PC and Mac, and also smart devices; some can even work on routers.
However,
there are some VPN services that can work only on a limited set of devices.
Benefits
of using a VPN
Using a
VPN has a lot of advantages, even if you are not a Deep Web visitor.
1.
Browse the Deep Web with much better anonymity and security than just Tor.
2.
Stream and download anything without LE or your ISP knowing and logging.
3.
Access blocked content like YouTube, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Gmail etc. in
countries where they are blocked.
4. Hide
your Tor usage from your ISP. This helps so when they see you are using Tor
they log your usage. LE can then use this to link you to activity on the dark
web as they make a profile for you like a digital fingerprint.
5. Use
to access GEO blocked content like different versions of Netflix, HULU, HBO
NOW, BBC, Spotify, Pandora Radio.
6. You
will be safer while browsing the internet; your IP address will be hidden, and
hackers, malware, and other attackers will have a hard time getting information
about you and probably won’t be able to get anything unless you give it on your
own.
7. If
you’re running a network, you have a reason more to use a VPN, since it won’t
protect just one computer, but a whole bunch – together with your valuable
documents, all your hard work will be protected.
8. VPN
has no access restrictions, therefore, you will be able to browse all your
favorite web applications including email and chat clients, etc.
As a
bonus, if your country doesn’t have access to certain web content, VPN will
enable them for you by default.
This is
particularly handy in China, for example, where various services and websites
are blocked by the government: Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, even Google
itself shows selective results.
9. ISPs
are cooperating with NSA and FBI and other LE agencies, and if your web
behavior becomes suspicious, by any particular reason, most probably you are
going to be monitored.
Privacy
is the biggest benefit of VPN. If you choose a VPN that doesn’t keep logs, you
will be able to hide all your internet activity from your ISP and therefore are
able to browse safely. Not only that, but you will also be able to download
whatever you like, even torrents.
10.
Another benefit is that all your connections will be encrypted and even if
someone obtains some information about your online activity, it will
unreadable.
Drawbacks
of Using a VPN
In
comparison to benefits, there aren’t many drawbacks of using a VPN; but without
listing the little drawbacks that exist, you wouldn’t have gained an objective
picture.
And
besides, there ARE some disadvantages.
Speed
is probably the biggest drawback, especially if you live in areas where you
have a bad connection already.
A good
VPN will not slow down your connection dramatically.
The
free versions of VPN’s are usually the slowest and to be honest, shit house.
Some
free VPN’s like HOLA VPN were found out to even steal your internet and sell it
off to others who then used it to spam people!
Encryption
will also slow things down, but you shouldn’t look at encryption as something
bad, even if you have to wait a second or two more for the page to load.
Another
big drawback is that you won’t be able to use PayPal with VPN – PayPal simply
doesn’t allow it.
What’s
more, if you keep trying despite the warnings, your account might get
suspended! So, you’ll have to find some alternatives to PayPal if you want to
do some online deep web shopping.
What to
Look for in a VPN?
VPN providers have
different packages and different prices and opting for the right one isn’t
always easy.
So, here are some tips
that will hopefully help you to determine which VPN suits your needs best.
1. The most important thing you want to know about your VPN
provider is whether they keep logs or not.
Most of them claim that
they are not, but it is known that VPN providers, such as HideMyAss, forwarded
the log files to the LE at least on one occasion even though they claimed that
they were not keeping logs.
You must know that none
of these companies are willing to lose their business just because you have
done something illegal. So, be very mindful of this.
2. The other important thing to consider is whether they have a
kill switch or not. The kill switch will disconnect you from the internet if
you lose connection with the VPN and your privacy won’t be compromised at all.
3. When speaking of privacy, if you want to stay truly anonymous on
the web, along with using tools such as VPN and Tor, you will also need to
purchase your VPN anonymously, and the easiest way to manage this is by using
bitcoins.
So, your ideal VPN
provider should accept bitcoins as payment. Bitcoins are ideal cryptocurrency
for staying anonymous since they cannot be traced and they are not connected to
your bank account.
4. One of the crucial things is whether the VPN of your choice is
the Tier1 (aka. Top Tier) provider or not. This means that they own and manage
their own servers and network. There are hardly any of these providers on the
market.
If they are not a Tier 1
provider then they rent rack space in hosting companies to run their VPN’s and
they outsource their server maintenance and upkeep to the hosting company, this
means they can not 100% guarantee they integrity of the severs and say they are
not being tampered with. How could they? They don’t know because they don’t
even see the server.
[Ed. note: If you want to learn more about VPN and see the list of the best
VPN providers, please visit https://topvpnsoftware.com. This article originally appeared on Dark Web News right here
at this link.]
66 Ways to
Protect Your Privacy Right Now
Do one, some, or all. Each one will make a
difference.
Ah, the joys of the connected life: opportunities to engage with global communities, be educated and entertained, and shop with ease. But these go hand in glove with intrusions from marketers and threats from criminals. The tips here, compiled with input from dozens of security experts, will help you take control. We also have pulled out a shorter list of just seven, super-fast steps you can take right now, in less than 10 minutes. And Julia Angwin, the author of "Dragnet Nation," shares her quest for privacy and security in the digital age.
You can begin with either list or the essay—and you don't have to follow every tip, or even most of them. The important thing? Just get started.
In a hurry? Check out the Consumer Reports 10-Minute Digital Privacy Tuneup.
Or you can skip straight to specific advice on: screen locks, snail mail privacy, unbreakable passwords, mobile account safety, connected devices, handling public WiFi, everyday encryption, Facebook settings, home WiFi settings, boosting web browser privacy, beating ransomware, how to avoid phishing schemes, and Google settings.
1. Check Your Data Breach Status
Wondering whether your personal data is for sale on the web? At haveibeenpwned.com you can check your email addresses and usernames against lists from 120 known breaches at com-panies including Adobe, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. (You'll need to register to check the full database.) If your name pops up, change the password for the compromised account and any other site where—tut, tut—you were using the same password. (Bonus tip: Pros pronounce “pwned” as “poned,” not “pawned.”)
2. Stop WiFi Imposters
Laptops, smartphones, and other WiFi-enabled devices can automatically connect to familiar networks. That’s convenient—no one wants to enter a password for their home or work WiFi every day—but it can also be risky. A hacker can set up a rogue WiFi network with the same name as a legitimate one such as “Google Starbucks” or attwifi and trick your gadgets into joining it.
Periodically get a fresh start by using your devices’ network or WiFi settings to prune the networks you join automatically. Most devices let you delete networks one by one, but if you have an iPhone or iPad, you need to go to Reset Network settings under General settings and delete all of them at once.
Yours for another revolution,
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’
Additional
Resources
The Anatomy of a Breakdown
The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster
Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary
Contact! A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival
Investment risks
are lurking all around the world. Here's how to spot them
Arm Up System-Defense Without Regulation
PM’s Guide to Home Defense
PM’s Guide to Home Defense
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2 comments:
Of course we have no privacy-as George Orwell showed us in his book 1984, this is how Big Brother bullshits the public into thinking they're protecting their mindless little children who question nothing...
I don't know which is the bigger threat - thieves or the government, or am I being redundant? Ever since the government began violating its own Privacy Act of 1974 and violating our rights with its so-called "patriot act" I feel less secure. Europe does a much a better job of protecting its citizens' privacy.
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