Tools which protect our privacy. Post your tools / ways you are using and opinions.

Discussion in 'Serious Discussion' started by Yen, Jul 23, 2013.

  1. Michaela Joy

    Michaela Joy MDL Crazy Lady

    Jul 26, 2012
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    IMHO, it can be easily done by the board makers.

    Take a look here:
    https://wpo-altertechnology.com/chip-on-board-assembly/

    Coupled with the fact that just about all MoBos are multi-layer PC boards, a COB could be strategically placed in between two layers.
    If it were wired into the intel management engine,it could be designed to allow rudimentary command and control.
     
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  2. rdt.png
     
  3. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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  4. 3sidedcube

    3sidedcube MDL Member

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    If you know anyone from MIT or Cambridge uni then most here is true but to know that is to know more than ?I should
    ... just a note to use tor to hide .. may as well stick a red flag on your arse
     
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  5. 3sidedcube

    3sidedcube MDL Member

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    TBH find it funny answering a post from Jul 23, 2013 :) in 2018 ... but there you go !
     
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  6. Yen

    Yen Admin
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    May 6, 2007
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    The topic is never out of date because the tools / measures to have privacy are always changing...
     
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  7. Besides using Windows 8.1 embedded enterprise (which of course isn't privacy friendly but still better than 10 regarding IMO, i'll probably switch again on LTSB by modifying the iso with GH script and see)

    Browser : [The most important part]
    -- Firefox with recommended tweaks from privacytools.io, along with tampermonkey in order to install some userscripts (notably adbypasser and anti adware). ublock with javascript disable per default and all filters enabled except the 36 last ones.
    Other than that, I use searx instead of google and startpage (i don't trust them,the latter claims it's private and stuff but there were echoes of data leaking or something, unsure about it though).
    -- Samsung Browser on my phone, simply because Bromite refuses to be themed with substratum and Swift black, and because it works incredibly well even tho my phone is a 1+5T (thus not a Samsung), and it looks more private than Chrome in some ways.
    -- Kiwi browser is another good option with a very active dev.

    Games :
    -- (sometimes i wanna play a bit), I use pirated games instead of relying on Steam (had 110 games on my account that's now deleted since 2 monthes)

    General apps :
    -- Spotify in both my desktop and phone, as I'm living in Europe, privacy should be regulated/better, and there are options to disable prior using it.
    Why i'm using it ? Mainly because i don't want to rely on Youtube everytime i want to listen to something and because i don't wanna store m4a files.

    So yeah, depending of your needs, your point of view, and your wishes, you can be more or less private...
    But I personnaly think that if you wanna really preserve your privacy (at 100%) , just don't use Internet at all.

    My personnal opinion on privacy :

    Every people on earth should firstly go on Linux (utopia but you get the idea), delete their social medias, use encrypted end-to-end solutions to communicate (maybe something like Diaspora*), analyze carefully every app they install into their systems.
    As much as we blame big names, it's firstly our fault because we (used to) trust them [i'm refering to GAFAM primarily but I consider Canonical as a part of it too] (don't take it as a hostile feedback)

    ---

    As I said, privacy would be greater if we didn't used Internet in the first place :D
     
  8. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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  9. Muerto

    Muerto MDL Debugger

    Mar 7, 2012
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    #329 Muerto, Nov 21, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2021
    ...
     
  10. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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    Passwords? What passwords???

    https://shoppinglist.wikileaks.org/docs/de_2016-04-Request-for-Quote-Cell-Phone-

    "US embassies around the world purchase forensics devices that extract data from cell phones and bypass passwords. The US consulate in Frankfurt helped acquire forensics tools for the embassies in Armenia and Montenegro..."

    https://wikileaks.org/US-Embassy-Shopping-List.html

    https://shoppinglist.wikileaks.org/docs/sv_PR7623027-RFQ-19ES6018Q0092 - Mr Walrus comes to mind with "If you are paranoid doesn't mean..."

    Here is a light tutorial for "analysts not belonging to the State Dptm: https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/cms/page_26607630.html

    f**king scary!!!!
     
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  11. shewolf

    shewolf MDL Senior Member

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    #331 shewolf, Jan 27, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2019
    This is a nice little set .
     
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  12. Yen

    Yen Admin
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    I'd substitute no 4 with protonmail.
    People frequently check emails on their portables so you need either an Android or iOS solution.

    You need a no app alternative for those recipients who don't have any of the 'required' apps installed.

    Also it's a far better concept the (trusted) email provider itself offers the encryption already......
     
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  13. shewolf

    shewolf MDL Senior Member

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    #333 shewolf, Jan 28, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2019
    I trust only the keys created by me on my PC not elsewhere, if we talk about full personal privacy.
    If you talk about something in the middle then everything is fine if one decides so.
     
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  14. gorski

    gorski MDL Guru

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  15. Yen

    Yen Admin
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    #335 Yen, Apr 10, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2019
    (OP)
    Your differentiation ('full' personal privacy and 'something in the middle') is based on an illusion and on your personal idea.

    It does not stand technical arguing, though:

    Each proper service lets one create the keys on the client side collecting entropy. This is just proper concept. Key creation is on the client side and never on the server side. So does Protonmail and Threema.
    You need to use tools / apps as well. And those you have to trust, at your case Sylpheed and BCTextEncoder.

    There is no encryption without something you have to trust. At least GnuPG...
    Also your DNS connection connects to an upstream DNS server you have to trust. What do you use? Google / Cloudflare? LOL.

    What's the point having encrypted connection but the owner of the DNS server is questionable concerning privacy?

    We can argue on the tech level. Just pointing you on bad arguing since protonmail does create the keys on the client side and even lets you import self-created keys....(GnuPG)

    I do not want to argue against your personal idea and what you personally are using...

    Just want to say you should not become a victim of using superlatives when it comes to privacy.
    Each personal idea is 'relatively' good. There is no 'full' privacy, though. And things are changing and need to be adjusted on current situations.

    Comparisons of ideas make only sense using clear technical facts. No pointless assumptions.

    Summary:
    You can 'use' what you want. You have to trust an encryption either way...also the tools you are using...
    Protonmail does create keys on the client side, means 'on your PC' as you prefer.

    DNS: encrypted communication does not mean more privacy. It rather allows oneself to be lulled in a false sense of privacy.

    Your resolution of names is associated to your IP address and is stored on their DNS server. Why should I use encryption when the data themselves are just boring name resolutions and the important (because privacy related) META data are stored there either way (AKA logging)?!?

    These encryptions (DNS-over-HTTPS / DNSSEC) of DNS communications are a recent hype with a wrong assumption that it would improve privacy.
    The original purpose of those is to ensure integrity of DNS and to prevent DNS manipulations.

    The only thing that would make sense concerning DNS privacy is to run an own local independent DNS.
     
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  16. digiquandry

    digiquandry MDL Member

    Sep 13, 2015
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    I agree with this entire post 100%.
     
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  17. shewolf

    shewolf MDL Senior Member

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    #337 shewolf, Apr 14, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2019
    This thread is called if I'm not mistaken "Tools which protect our privacy. Post your tools / ways you are using and opinions."
    If he had been appointed 'use only protonmail that is enough for you' I would not have written anything.
    I just wrote which tools and how I use it nothing else.

    Choosing how someone will protect your privacy is a personal matter, and depends primarily on his knowledge.
    For me everything is fine if one decides wrong too.

    People use ProtonMail and think that the privacy of their communications is safe and private, and that's ok,
    I have nothing against it.
    However this is something in the middle because the server side reads your posts,
    If the posts text or attachment themselves are not separate encoded.

    This is an area where there is no trust, or you know how to protect private communications or you do not know.
    I wanted to say.

    :eek:
     
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  18. Yen

    Yen Admin
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    May 6, 2007
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    Yes sure. I respect your opinion and your own classification.

    But in a debate one is allowed to point on false statements...and if an opinion is based on incorrect knowledge the classification should be reconsidered including the corrected facts.


    The posts AND the attachments are encrypted on their server!
    https://protonmail.com/security-details
    https://protonmail.com/support/knowledge-base/encrypting-attachments/

    Protonmail-to-protonmail is real end-to-end encryption.
    Protonmail-to-something else is decryption on exit and encryption on arrival.

    The messages are encrypted on their servers all the time, though.

    Nobody of them could ever read the messages.

    P.S.: Goal of my thread is to improve people's privacy by exchanging ideas....it's not made to disrespect ones opinion...at first place....
     
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  19. shewolf

    shewolf MDL Senior Member

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    I'm sure he is, and secure from third parties.

    That part belongs to the domain of belief.
     
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  20. case-sensitive

    case-sensitive MDL Expert

    Nov 7, 2013
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    Yen Wednesday at 23:59 Last edited: Thursday at 00:25

    = Your opinion . Insted of writeing things where you say ...... i'm right ...... as proof that you are right ...... please explain and offer proof / evidence ...... instead of just your personal opinion .

    You dont inspire confidence when you use childish words / concepts like ' trust ' . People either know things or they dont . Only idiots trust .

    Safety is relevant = We can only try to be safe . There is no garanteed 100 % safety = We have to / can only do what we can do ...... use the tools we have ...... and at least try to be safer .

    Then we should divide the threat into two parts The ones we know and can block = Script kiddys and co ...... and the real threat ...... from failed states and rouge states with no morals , no ethics , masses of money and IT experts like the USA . Against them there is no safety = It doesnt matter what you do for computer safety because they can just enter your home / workspace and take what they want ? ...... and if its coded put you in prison untill you give them the code ?


    At thread ...... router safety

    A few days ago i was sent a new router . I went to a friends house and downloaded the original driver from the router maker . Then i set the router back to factory settings and then put the new driver in ...... and put a twenty five figure password in it ...... and set all the settings so that noone should have been able to get into the router . WIFI was turned off .

    Then the ISP sent a man here to connect a glass fiber cable and without haveing the password he turned the WIFI on and altered all the settings in the router wich allow the ISP to enter the router ...... he did it useing WIFI and asked me if he should turn the WIFI off again before he went .

    SO ...... waht about router safety ? ...... what about Tomato ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato_(firmware) ---- > Wich is now http://freshtomato.org/