• Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).

Should We Recommend Users Access Via Proxies?

Migrated topic.
blacklist666

blacklist666

imagined clarity
I saw this thread: Anonymous Proxy - For Those of You Concerned About Internet Security - Security - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

I understand IP addresses can be harvested by government's and ISP's can divulge records. Accessing this site could endanger the livelihoods of Nexians. Anonymous Browsing via Proxy Servers with Proxy Switcher has a program that makes it so you can access this site without direct IP traffic pointing back to you, and it has a Firefox plugin. What are your thoughts about recommending users take precautions in order to assure their anonymity is better protected? Open to suggestions.

I suppose I'm just recommending another tool.

(Trying to be helpful) =)
 
That's pretty neat, but they want $25 for it. What are the benefits of proxyswitcher not found in a free Vidalia or I2P download? Both the TOR and I2P networks have a pretty solid reputation and cost nothing.
 
Thank you a1pha, I didn't know that.

I read somewhere Tor was for government and law enforcement.

These articles raised an eyebrow for me.

arstechnica.com

Not anonymous: attack reveals BitTorrent users on Tor network

An ingenious attack by French researchers has found a way to identify …
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com

www.zdnet.com

Hacker builds tracking system to nab Tor pedophiles

Amidst concerns that pedophiles are using public Tor (the Onion Router) servers to trade in child pornography, über-hacker HD Moore is building a tracking system capable of pinpointing specific workstations that searched for and downloaded sexual images and videos of kids.
www.zdnet.com www.zdnet.com


I'll look more into this a little later. Thanks for the heads up! =)
 
TOR began as a US Navy project and is used by governments and law enforcement all over the world. Anyone who wishes to remain *mostly* anonymous can use it. To be anonymous, you need to hide amongst all other users - the more users the more anonymous you are.

blacklist666 said:
Is on there, I wonder how long Tor will remain truly safe?
Click to expand...
Keep in mind the pedophiles do us anonymous folk some good in that most of society finds CP morally detestable - more so than just about anything else (even drugs). John Doe FBI agent has more PR to gain from taking down a CP ring than he does a few people buying and selling drugs (lets hope this isn't your intent, either). While sites like the one you mentioned are probably next on the list - you don't have much to worry about as long as CP exists on the network.

Sorry if I just left a pit in your stomach - it's difficult to talk about the underbelly of the internet without getting nauseous. :cry:

EDIT: BTW, I should mention that it is *highly* likely governments such as the US have technology to locate TOR users. It's almost a given. That said, to prosecute a user they would need to go public with this technology - something I doubt they'll do for years.
 
I understand and quite frankly if it weren't for pedophiles going an incentive for law enforcement and the hacker community at large a moral incentive to find back doors in proxy systems, then how else would we know they are safe? I will be more vigilant on researching this mater. The next time I post a proxy software I will be sure to do my research of every single one I can get a hold of first. Thank you again for more information. This forum collaboration stuff is cool. I will be also looking for a list of anonymous proxy server lists that have good ping times, etc. =)
 
If I Theoretically ran either Vidalia or I2P, would that encrypt any browser on my computer, or just specific ones?
How do browsers integrate? Do you have to change proxy settings in the browser, or use an add-on? Or are these programs where I can make it browser specific. and the Vidalia program; does it encrypt bit torrent & httpd as well? or is it only one part of tor, and separate programs would have to be setup individually? I'm trying to weigh hassle setting up v.s. privacy. =)
 
The tor articles are interesting. But they're special cases, and they involve examining actual contents of transmission.

Although I'm probably one of the LEAST internet savvy people on the forum, I have been trying to learn a bit about this stuff. From my investigations I feel that most problems raised by those articles are easily overcome by 1) Using a VPN, which encrypts everything from you to them, 2) The https protocol on the Nexus, which should leave stuff exiting even the VPN encrypted until it gets to the Nexus.

If you have an honest VPN, and Nexus https is turned on, both the TARGET of your internet communication (the Nexus), and the CONTENT of your communication, should be safe from just about EVERYONE (including your ISP).

If you also take steps at home so that you can be SURE no record remains on your computer regarding your internet activity (a1pha has recommended the TAILS suite of programs for that), then, adding that to the VPN and Nexus https privacy, one should be VERY well protected against both generalized police searching, and SPECIFIC police activities concerning you personally. One example of what looks like a good VPN is here. I especially like them because they don't require the typical "subscription" requiring a credit card and identification. BTW, a great anonymous "credit card" that is totally untraceable, and can be used for such things, is the Vanilla Visa. In the US it's easily available in many places, such as 7-11 and Walgreens.
 
I will save up for a VPN Enabled router immediately! Thank you both for your guidance and support!
 
blacklist666 said:
If I Theoretically ran either Vidalia or I2P, would that encrypt any browser on my computer, or just specific ones?
Click to expand...
Keep in mind there's a difference between anonymous and encrypted. Your first step is probably to research the difference between these two.

blacklist666 said:
How do browsers integrate? Do you have to change proxy settings in the browser, or use an add-on? Or are these programs where I can make it browser specific.
Click to expand...
Configuring this is almost an art. Older versions of Firefox work best for your basic Vidalia/TORbutton setup. Ideally, you should have a fresh OS install, older firefox with scripts disabled, another browser for 'normal' browsing, etc etc etc

blacklist666 said:
and the Vidalia program; does it encrypt bit torrent & httpd as well? or is it only one part of tor, and separate programs would have to be setup individually?
Click to expand...
It doesn't encrypt anything. Joining the TOR network only makes you anonymous. Encrypting the data is in your hands.

blacklist666 said:
I'm trying to weigh hassle setting up v.s. privacy. =)
Click to expand...
If you're asking this question then jumping through all the hoops necessary to be completely hidden is probably not for you. That doesn't mean you can't be proactive on what information you give to others, e.g. installing anti-script plugins, scanning often for virus/malware, stop telling the world your every last move on FB (or, tell them carefully - keeping as clean an image possible), ....
 
All right. Correct me if I am wrong: I believe I've found convincing info that if you connect through tor then your data IS encrypted between you and tor (but not beyond the tor exit node), AND the URL of your end site is NOT available to your ISP.

I mention this because the two things I would most like to avoid (in consideration of the legal implications) are:

1) Law enforcement getting info about the sites I have visited from my ISP
2) Law enforcement getting info about the searches I have made on google (via my IP address that they got from my ISP).**

It seems now that if one uses tor, then those two items are off the list--neither my ISP or google knows anything about what I'm up to. Anybody wish to confirm or deny that?

With that being true, the only remaining issue (and knowing that the secure communication with the Nexus protects me at exit from tor) is WHAT IS STORED ON MY COMPUTER. I'm sure I don't need to remind people that Windows (especially) writes ALL KINDS OF CRAP all over the place; and even if you deliberately over-write all empty space on your drives, you still can have loads of stuff in window's files that records internet sessions.

**EDIT: Of course, this raises cookie issues, as well. For almost all other concerns besides items 1 and 2, it seems that "TAILS" would work well. Problem is you have to boot your computer with it when you want to use it.
 
SWIMfriend said:
It seems now that if one uses tor, then those two items are off the list--neither my ISP or google knows anything about what I'm up to. Anybody wish to confirm or deny that?
Click to expand...
That's correct. You essentially connect yourself through the TOR network to the internet instead of through the ISP. While you still use the ISPs connection, you are essentially bypassing their routers and instead using the TOR network. This is one reason connections are slow. Always remember, the faster the connection, the less anonymous.

Also, anonymous is not encrypted. I can have an anonymous connection which is not encrypted. I can have an encrypted connection which is not anonymous.

Ideally, the connection is both encrypted and anonymous.

This should more or less protect you from the outside world seeing what's going on. As to info stored on your computer, this all depends on how sensitive your info is. I'm considering spending some time in the wiki this weekend writing up something on various levels of security. More to come...
 
ragabr said:
Setting up TOR with Chrome is also exceptionally easy, using the "Proxy Switchy!" extension.
Click to expand...
Ehh, be careful. While I use Chrome for my every-day browsing (and love it), Google has a nasty habit of collecting browsing habits of users. Firefox is proven 'safe' with versions under 3.6 (windows).

Ideally, you'd just use TAILS at a library. Really nothing better.
 
Back
Top Bottom