Many people have asked me how I protect my identity online and how I leave no traces of where I’ve been. This document seeks to answer those questions. This is a huge and complex topic. I’ll publish the parts of the guide as I am able.
This guide to anonymous and evidenceless is internet is meant for dissidents, whistle blowers, and the idle defenders of their rights to privacy, free thought, and free expression.
The topic can be divided up into three logical parts:
- Why You Need Anonymity
- Easy Ways to Be Slightly Anonymous
- Harder Ways to be Totally Anonymous & Leave No Evidence [work in progress]
Enjoy the freedom technology can bring.
AstroEngineer's Blog 
How can the truly paranoid be assured that the “Network of Volunteers” who operate these anonimity servers aren’t a bunch of spooks running a sting? Or even if they are not, what’s to keep the NSA or other agencies from targeting these servers for special attention.It would seem that using these services would automatically put you on a watch list.
You are absolutely correct to be concerned. This is why the approach I advocate combining several layers of protection together so that any one or two can be compromised and anonymity is still protected. I do not believe that Tor is generally compromised, but there was an article in Wired some time ago about someone proving that an exit node was poisoned, it was found to be doing man-in-the-middle attacks (I think that was the mechanism). To reduce the danger of this sort of thing compromising your anonymity, you can chain multiple elements together. For example, your browser -> privoxy -> ssh tunnel exiting in a foreign nation with complicated US relations -> random anonymous open proxy -> open tor entry point -> final destination. Yes, they may be more interested in your traffic because you are using Tor, and yes, they might monitor everything you send, but they won’t know where it is coming from.
I have been thinking about getting an Apple computer. Do you have a preference between Apple or PC? You seem to know a lot about computers so I thought I would ask your opinion.
I primarily use Windows for desktop/development and Linux for servers. I also have a Mac, but I dislike Apple more than I dislike Microsoft. If I was an ordinary user with ordinary needs and money was not a problem and I didn’t mind feeding the Jobs monster, I would likely recommend a Mac.
Do you use antivirus software on your computers? How about on the computers you had access to, while working at NASA?
Yes, I use antivirus on my personal PCs and Mac. I use and would recommend the Kaspersky Internet Security suite. As for the computers I’ve used at NASA and JPL, they were primarily UN*X based, and they likely didn’t have any antivirus installed, or at least I wasn’t aware of it.
IMHO… I would recommend a PC, but use a Nix OS such as FreeBSD or OpenBSD.
My reasons for this are that you litteraly have control over every port that is/will/can be used to connect to any network connection.
It is very painfull though and has a very steep learning curve to climb but if your are very serious about security on your computer then I would most definately consider this option…. and its open source FREE software.
I should probably write a “how to install and setup” guide for this as it seems to be an ever increasingly popular topic online. This would take some time to prepare however as it would quite involved.. this said… very worthwhile for the security concious net users.
I am yet to hear of any security compromising issues with a well prepared install of BSD Unix… I would not be surprised to discover that a similar OS would be the backbone of NASA’s or JPL’s own networks due to its uber tight security.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject AstroEngineer? Maybe you could tell me what the NASA net monkey’s are using? hehe.
Matt
AstroEngineer,
I recently came across your blog. I was wondering if you have any idea or knowledge of, not necessarily mind control, but messing with people’s minds via the internet through various multimedia. Because I have been a victim of monitoring via the internet and mind F*ing. This is related to my work for the Mossad. I’m just curious.
By the way, the I.P. Address is not mine.