The deep web and its inner recess, the dark web those less well-trodden parts of the internet beyond the reach of Google and Bing are not for the faint-hearted or untrained. With the right tools, however, there's little to fear and plenty to discover. Here's how you can start exploring the deep web without having to worry about your digital well-being.

There are a few ways to approach this, but we're going to focus on one of the most straightforward and secure for simplicity's sake. We're going to be using Tails OS, a bootable operating system that includes everything you need to get down to those hidden parts of the web.

If you're still unclear about what the deep web is, it's any part of the internet that's not indexed by search engines anywhere you can't get from just clicking links. A large part of the deep web is made up of .onion sites (like the infamous Silk Road), which use a special top-level domain only reachable by a special browser called Tor. Technically, the dark web is a more illicit subsection of the deep web, though the terms are often confused.

For the curious or privacy-conscious internet explorer, it's worth checking out to see what lies beyond the internet we interact with on a day to day basis. But please note: you should be extra careful when clicking links on the deep web as some can lead to illegal sites. Browse at your own risk.

Fortunately Tails has an installation wizard that guides you step-by-step through the process of setting up the software if you want to create a bootable USB copy of Tails (which we do) then you need a Windows machine and two 4GB+ USB sticks (the first is for an "intermediary" version of the OS).

You're also going to require Firefox, the Tor Browser or a BitTorrent client in order to verify the initial download and confirm it is what it says it is. On top of that you need a Universal USB Installer utility, which the installation wizard directs you to, which will take care of creating the first USB stick using your downloaded Tails ISO.

After that's done, boot from this newly created drive to configure the second one. This official guide takes you carefully through the process. Use the Install by cloning option in the Tails Installer to create your second USB stick, which includes some security enhancements and extras not built into the first one.

Finally, remove the first USB stick, keep the second in place, and boot from it. You're now ready to start venturing out into the deep web. If you run into trouble (and we hit one or two obstacles along the way), then a general web search for your issue or the official Tails support portal should get you moving again.

The Tor Browser is your gateway into the dark web you can actually use it on Mac and Windows too, but Tails OS adds an extra few layers of security, and comes with Tor included. The browser is based on Firefox, so you shouldn't have many problems finding your way around, and will open the Tails OS homepage by default.

As you might expect, browsing the deep web isn't quite as simple as clicking on a few links or searching Google. The best way in is through 'hidden' wikis like this one (note you won't be able to click through on any onion links without the Tor browser) and various others you can find via Reddit or with some clever web searching on sites like DuckDuckGo.

Of course the whole point of the deep web is that casual internet users can't simply fire up Google or read a guide like this to get started easily so finding working, up-to-date links and directories can take some time. Forums, plenty of patience, and occasionally the Torch search engine are your best bets for finding a way into new communities.

The deep web has a reputation for shady activity, but it's also a place for whistleblowing, bitcoin exchanges, and political discussion away from the glare of the public internet. It's changed a lot in recent years as security agencies have become more aware of its presence, and it will continue to evolve in the future.

The Tor browser protects you by routing your traffic through various different IP locations (and you'll probably notice your web connection slows down a lot as a result).

And as we've already mentioned, Tails OS includes extra security features like built-in encryption, and because you're running it on a USB stick you really are leaving no trace. Tails itself stands for The Amnesiac Incognito Live System, which just about sums up why it's one of the best options for some deep web browsing.

Don't compromise that security and anonymity by giving away personal details, including email addresses and so on, and keep downloading to a minimum. Once you've setup Tails, it's generally common sense but if you're up to something illegal, you can't rely on these security measures to protect you.

As for whether using Tor will get you in trouble with the authorities on its own, it largely depends where in the world you live and what you're doing with it, but it's worth bearing in mind that nothing is ever 100 per cent anonymous and secure. For the most paranoid, there's always the option of tape over the webcam but sometimes even that might not be enough.

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An alarming report has revealed the private Medicare card details of any Australian are available to buy via "The Medicare Machine" - a darknet vendor exploiting an alleged vulnerability in the government agency which the seller hopes is "here to stay".

Like most Jalops, I regularly wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, drenched in sweat, screaming the phrase "save the manuals." It's an issue that I've been working on with my therapist for months, but I think I've finally cracked it -- I'm now done worrying about manuals going extinct.

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How To Search The Deep Web Safely - Gizmodo Australia

But there is a problem.

South Korea blocks its people, or anyone using the internet in the country, from accessing North Korean websites. If you try to open the K.C.N.A. website, a government warning pops up. Its the same warning the government issues to internet users when it restricts access to pornographic materials online.

I use the Tor browser to circumvent the government firewall. Web pages open slower on Tor than on Chrome and other regular browsers. Still, it's a godsend for journalists reporting on North Korea from the South, where Cold War-era fears still drive the local government to censor the internet.

Whats your favorite tech tool for doing your job?

I use Evernote to help organize my life as a journalist.

With a few clicks, you can clip a news article, commentary, analyst paper, PDF file, video link and other contents you find on the web and want to save for a later reference, and store them in a designated online notebook. I find this Web Clipper function particularly useful when researching a certain topic, say North Koreas market reforms, for weeks or longer; I create a North Korea Economy notebook and save related contents there for easy access.

What is Samsungs influence on South Korea, since the tech companys revenue accounts for a significant portion of the countrys gross domestic product?

Samsung is the biggest among the chaebol, a handful of family-run conglomerates that have dominated the South Korean economy for decades. The countrys top 10 chaebol generate the equivalent of more than 80 percent of the countrys G.D.P. Samsungs flagship company, Samsung Electronics, alone is responsible for 20 percent of the countrys exports.

One cant talk about how well or badly South Koreas economy is doing without talking about Samsung. Samsung has a pervasive presence in the country. It produces best-selling smartphones, TV sets and refrigerators. It runs insurance, shipbuilding and construction companies, to just name a few of its dozens of affiliates. If she likes, a South Korean can live in a Republic of Samsung: She can get married and honeymoon in Samsung hotels; have her baby delivered in a Samsung hospital; take him to a Samsung amusement park; send him to a Samsung university; and stock her Samsung apartment with Samsung home appliances bought with a Samsung credit card.

But the name Samsung also has a darker side among Koreans. Six of the 10 top chaebol leaders, including Samsungs chairman, Lee Kun-hee, have been convicted of white-collar crimes, including bribery, although they have never spent much time in jail. If Samsung symbolizes wealth and technological savvy, many Koreans also accuse the corporate behemoth of corruption and excessive power.

Mr. Lees son, Samsungs vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, who has been running the conglomerate while his father remains bedridden after a stroke, is now under arrest and on trial on charges of bribing Park Geun-hye, the impeached and ousted former president of South Korea.

How does Samsung affect the way you live and work?

I use only three Samsung products in my office a Samsung TV set, a Samsung fax/printer and the Samsung monitor for my Dell desktop though many of the tech products around me at home and in my office may contain Samsung components, like computer chips.

I used to use a Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone until I switched to an iPhone three years ago. I like my iPhone, but I have a major complaint about it: It doesnt allow you to record your phone conversations. What if a spokesman calls you back and dictates a statement while you are driving a car or standing in a crowded subway car? With my old Samsung phone, I could just tap the screen a couple times to record the conversation. You cant do that with an iPhone.

Recording phone conversations is legal in South Korea, and journalists and others routinely do it. Samsung and others market smartphones with a built-in phone-recording function. Apple doesnt. I am thinking seriously of switching back to an Android phone when I retire my iPhone.

Beyond your job, what tech product are you obsessed with in your daily life?

Im not savvy with tech products. I have my desktop, my company-issued MacBook Air and my iPhone. Thats about all the tech hardware I use. Online, though, I use the Naver and Daum maps all the time when I travel and go to an appointment. They are like Google maps, but more convenient to use in South Korea. Naver and Daum are the countrys two biggest web portals and search engines. Google holds only a minor share in the search engine market of South Korea.

Kakao Talk, the countrys most widely used messenger app, is a must-have for anyone who wants to stay connected in South Korea. Government spokesmen send news releases and media notices through Kakao Talk. Reporters put in queries through Kakao Talk.

I used to use my Kindle a lot, but not anymore. I have switched back to paper books. But Kindle is still very convenient when I am traveling and want to keep my bag light.

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In Reporting on North Korea, Tech Helps Break Through Secrecy - New York Times

Burleson man convicted of accessing child porn from dark website Fort Worth Star Telegram Agents discovered more than 800 images of child pornography on one computer and evidence that the Tor browser had been installed, deleted and then reinstalled on another computer assigned to Pawlak. The jury heard testimony that it appeared that ... and more »

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Burleson man convicted of accessing child porn from dark website - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Metadata? Encryption? Backdoor? Tor Browser? VPN? PGP? When it comes to digital security for journalists, the amount of technical terms and acronyms can be scary. But tools to ensure online privacy can be crucial to protecting sources, which is why the site Privacidade para Jornalistas (Privacy for Journalists) has been launched in Brazil.

On the site, a threat analysis helps you understand the best ways to combat surveillance, hacking, and the collection and retention of data from various adversaries, from governments to casual gossipers, to corporations and criminals. The initiative is based on Australias Privacy for Journalists, a project from the non-profit organization CryptoAustralia.

Since Brazilian journalist Raphael Hernandes launched his platform on March 6, 2017, he has been sought by colleagues in the newsroom who need tips on how to protect themselves in their investigations. Hernandes is data journalist at Folha de S. Paulo, where he offered a small workshop on the subject. According to him, the issue of privacy has aroused interest among colleagues.

"You can see that whoever accesses [the site] is interested. They spend a lot of time on pages and sees multiple pages per visit (average of 6), which shows interest in content. There are a lot of things we do not look at everyday, at how exposed we are," Hernandes told the Knight Center.

The site that served as inspiration for Hernandes came from the personal initiative of information security specialist Gabor Szathmari, president of CryptoAustralia. He worked with the Walkley Foundation at CryptoParty Sydney, an event to teach digital safety rules to journalists.

I thought if I had to develop the training materials for the workshop, why I should not publish them for the benefit of the whole journalist community in Australia and beyond? I have looked around, and although I found heaps of valuable materials online, I did not find any privacy and security tutorials that were addressing the specifics in Australia, Szathmari told the Knight Center.

Raphael Hernandes explained to the Knight Center that it is important to understand what protection to use in each case.

The secrecy of our sources is one of the most important things we have. If its a person we talk to every day, theres no need to hide him or her, but maybe the source is sending something sensitive and its important to encrypt. We should not live in paranoia, but think about our sources and what they need. Its treating a cold with cold medicine, not with a cannonball, he said.

According to Hernandes, the discussion is especially relevant in Brazil. In the countrys Civil Framework for the Internet, providers are supposed to collect and retain navigation data for one year. A court order is required to access these metadata, but a bill in the Chamber of Deputies wants to remove this requirement.

For Hernandes, this scenario leaves a situation where journalists and individuals should leave as few traces as possible which he assures is not a difficult task.

In fact, there are things that are more advanced, such as setting up GlobaLeaks (a secure file and message exchange tool). But were here to help. And apart from that, most are tools we can use at home anytime. It may seem difficult at first, but more so because it has words that we do not use every day, such as back door (software that allows remote access to the computer), he said.

According to Szathmari, the most basic security measures include replacing messaging programs like Messenger and Skype for encrypted platforms, like Signal and Wire. In more sensitive cases, other measures are necessary. Finally, leave your smartphone home if you are meeting with the source, as it is a spying machine. I suggest avoiding a computer altogether and dusting off that good old reporters notebook for very sensitive notes, he said.

Concerns about digital security are not unique to Brazil or Australia. Several journalism organizations around the world, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have sections dedicated to the topic. Other organizations dedicated to digital security, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, offer specific tips and guides for journalists and their sources.

Here are some basic protection tools, according to Raphael Hernandes:

Encryption of HD and flash drives - Encryption places a password on hard drives and USB devices, which protect sources and personal files in case the equipment is lost or stolen.

Two-Step Authentication - Used for online banking access, it can be configured in your email and social networks. Login is done with something you know (your password) and something you have (a code sent to your smartphone, for example). This avoids problems even if you have compromised passwords.

Signal - Application available for encrypted message smartphones. If the cell phone is intercepted, no one can understand what was written there.

Sync.com - Free cloud storage system. It uses the zero-knowledge protocol, meaning it stores information but does not know what is being stored. As a rule, the websites we use commonly scan the files and pass reports to the authorities. Sync is encrypted and more secure, very simple to use.

PGP - Pretty Good Privacy acronym. It's a way to encrypt emails. Like a kind of chest, but with two keys: one to lock and the other to unlock. You give the key that locks the chest so people can send you files and messages. But only you have the keys to unlock the content.

Excerpt from:

Brazilian site teaches journalists how to protect sources and personal data from digital attacks - Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas (blog)

Metadata? Encryption? Backdoor? Tor Browser? VPN? PGP? When it comes to digital security for journalists, the amount of technical terms and acronyms can be scary. But tools to ensure online privacy can be crucial to protecting sources, which is why the site Privacidade para Jornalistas (Privacy for Journalists) has been launched in Brazil.

On the site, a threat analysis helps you understand the best ways to combat surveillance, hacking, and the collection and retention of data from various adversaries, from governments to casual gossipers, to corporations and criminals. The initiative is based on Australias Privacy for Journalists, a project from the non-profit organization CryptoAustralia.

Since Brazilian journalist Raphael Hernandes launched his platform on March 6, 2017, he has been sought by colleagues in the newsroom who need tips on how to protect themselves in their investigations. Hernandes is data journalist at Folha de S. Paulo, where he offered a small workshop on the subject. According to him, the issue of privacy has aroused interest among colleagues.

You can see that whoever accesses [the site] is interested. They spend a lot of time on pages and sees multiple pages per visit (average of 6), which shows interest in content. There are a lot of things we do not look at everyday, at how exposed we are, Hernandes told the Knight Center.

The site that served as inspiration for Hernandes came from the personal initiative of information security specialist Gabor Szathmari, president of CryptoAustralia. He worked with the Walkley Foundation at CryptoParty Sydney, an event to teach digital safety rules to journalists.

I thought if I had to develop the training materials for the workshop, why I should not publish them for the benefit of the whole journalist community in Australia and beyond? I have looked around, and although I found heaps of valuable materials online, I did not find any privacy and security tutorials that were addressing the specifics in Australia, Szathmari told the Knight Center.

Raphael Hernandes explained to the Knight Center that it is important to understand what protection to use in each case.

The secrecy of our sources is one of the most important things we have. If its a person we talk to every day, theres no need to hide him or her, but maybe the source is sending something sensitive and its important to encrypt. We should not live in paranoia, but think about our sources and what they need. Its treating a cold with cold medicine, not with a cannonball, he said.

According to Hernandes, the discussion is especially relevant in Brazil. In the countrys Civil Framework for the Internet, providers are supposed to collect and retain navigation data for one year. A court order is required to access these metadata, but a bill in the Chamber of Deputies wants to remove this requirement.

For Hernandes, this scenario leaves a situation where journalists and individuals should leave as few traces as possible which he assures is not a difficult task.

In fact, there are things that are more advanced, such as setting up GlobaLeaks (a secure file and message exchange tool). But were here to help. And apart from that, most are tools we can use at home anytime. It may seem difficult at first, but more so because it has words that we do not use every day, such as back door (software that allows remote access to the computer), he said.

According to Szathmari, the most basic security measures include replacing messaging programs like Messenger and Skype for encrypted platforms, like Signal and Wire. In more sensitive cases, other measures are necessary.

Finally, leave your smartphone home if you are meeting with the source, as it is a spying machine. I suggest avoiding a computer altogether and dusting off that good old reporters notebook for very sensitive notes, he said.

Concerns about digital security are not unique to Brazil or Australia. Several journalism organizations around the world, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have sections dedicated to the topic. Other organizations dedicated to digital security, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, offer specific tips and guides for journalists and their sources.

Here are some basic protection tools, according to Raphael Hernandes:

Encryption of HD and flash drives Encryption places a password on hard drives and USB devices, which protect sources and personal files in case the equipment is lost or stolen.

Two-Step Authentication Used for online banking access, it can be configured in your email and social networks. Login is done with something you know (your password) and something you have (a code sent to your smartphone, for example). This avoids problems even if you have compromised passwords.

Signal Application available for encrypted message smartphones. If the cell phone is intercepted, no one can understand what was written there.

Sync.com Free cloud storage system. It uses the zero-knowledge protocol, meaning it stores information but does not know what is being stored. As a rule, the websites we use commonly scan the files and pass reports to the authorities. Sync is encrypted and more secure, very simple to use.

PGP Pretty Good Privacy acronym. Its a way to encrypt emails. Like a kind of chest, but with two keys: one to lock and the other to unlock. You give the key that locks the chest so people can send you files and messages. But only you have the keys to unlock the content.

This article appeared originally in Journalism in the Americas https://knightcenter.utexas.edu/

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Here Brazilian Journalists Learn Privacy for Themselves and Their Sources - Brazzil.com

A San Francisco-based start-up is creating a line of Linux-based laptops and mobile devices designed with hardware and software to safeguard user privacy.

Purism this week announced general availability of its 13-in. and 15-in. Librem laptops, whichit says can protect users against the types of cyberattacks that led to the recent Intel AMT exploits and WannaCry ransomware attacks.

The laptop and other hardware in development has been "meticulously designed chip by chip to work with free and open source software."

"It's really a completely overlooked area," said Purism CEO Todd Weaver. "We also wanted to start with laptops because that was something we knew we'd be able to do easily and then later get into phones, routers, servers, and desktops as we expand."

The company has already designed a 11.6-in. Linux-based 2-in-1 that can currently be pre-ordered. Weaver expects the 2-in-1 to be available in about six months. The 2-in-1 with a basic 256GB SSD and 8GB of memory retails for $1,398.

Purism's 2-in-1 is based on the same Linux OS as its laptops and has physical toggle switches that can turn off its cameras, microphone and wireless connectivity.

Around the same time, the company wants to ramp up development of an open-source smartphone that will also sport native security features such as an encrypted messaging platform. The company still needs $5 million in capital to develop the privacy-based smartphone, Weaver said.

Now that the Purism has built up an inventory of laptops, however, it will begin targeting businesses as customers for its laptops; wait times for one should only be a few weeks.

"The nice thing about the B2B sales is our core audience -- the software developers, hardware geeks and hardcore security individuals," Weaver said. "CTOs and CIOs are, of course, in that core audience and they recommend technology to buy. So, we'll start picking up small businesses...and be able to expand that to much larger enterprises because we have a depth of credibility they're interested in."

By "depth of credibility," Weaver means his company's philosophy that it will always release its system source code, enabling it to be audited and known vulnerabilities eliminated in order to avoid even theoretical cyberthreats.

For example, in May, Intel announced that PCs sold after 2010 with its server chipsets could be remotely hacked due to a critical vulnerability in its Active Management Technology (AMT) firmware, a component of Intel's 7th Generation Intel Core vPro processors. Intel released a patch for the vulnerability.

The vulnerability was first discovered in March by a researcher at Embedi, a security product provider. Along with allowing a potential hacker to gain control of a PC's mouse and keyboard, the vulnerability also enabled a hacker to bypass a computer's password authentication processes.

"Prior to the Intel publishing the AMT (Active Management Technology) exploit, it was all just a theoretical threat," Weaver said. "We took it upon ourselves to say that is a theoretical threat, so we're going to remove it. The way we remove it is, of course, we don't use an Intel networking card, we don't use a management engine that has that networking stack in it, and we don't use a CPU that has vPro, which means AMT isn't able to be used."

Because Purism's laptops don't natively run Windows or macOS or applications, they're not suseptible to common ransomware attacks, such as the WannaCry attack in May, Weaver said.

Purism's 15-in and 13-in Librem laptops.

The laptops are built on sixth-generation Intel i5 mobile processors and so-called PureOS, a platform based on Debian GNU/Linux that runs the open-source Coreboot BIOS firmware.

The computers come preinstalled their version of the LibreOffice suite of business applications, software created by The Document Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Germany. The suite includes email, spreadsheets, graphics, drawing, presentation, media player and Purity's own browser called PureBrowser.

PureBrowser is based on the Firefox web browser but includes security add-ons such as the Privacy Badger, a plug-in created by the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) that blocks spyware and browser trackers.

The laptops also come with a preinstalled Tor Browser, an anonymizing browser that uses encryption and anonymous routing to protect users' rights, and the EFF's HTTPS Everywhere, a browser extension that encrypts communications with many major websites.

Despite the company's plans, analysts say it could have a tough climb.

Mikako Kitagawa, a principal research analyst at Gartner, said a vendor as small as Purism will have a difficult time breaking into even the midsized corporate market, as that laptop market is already dominated by Lenovo, Dell and HP.

"The reality is that large companies do not really get their hardware from unknown vendors," she said.

Additionally, when Purism announced the Librem laptop line in 2015, it caused something of a stir in the open-source software community from developers who argued the company wasn't fully delivering on its promise of a completely open-source computer because it used an Intel processor and a proprietary BIOS.

"The criticism comes down to the strictness of Free Software Foundation enthusiasts, which is completely understandable," Weaver said. "The concern from that audience...is that they wanted us to be further along than we are."

Now that Purism is using Coreboot, there is only 200KB worth of proprietary binary code remaining on the computer, Weaver said.

He compared the laptops and their software to a layer cake in which the first seven layers are open source, and only the last layer remains to be freed through reverse engineering.

"Yes, we know we have this binary, but it's at the lowest level. We're investing [revenue] back into the supply chain and reverse engineering the management engine, which is the last remaining binary we have," Weaver said.

A base model of the Librem 13 laptop, with 8GB of RAM and a 250GB SATA 3-attached SSD retails for $1,898; the Librem 15, also with 8GB of memory and a 250GB SATA SSD, retails for $1,999.

Purism launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2014 to raise money to develop the two laptops and a 2-in-1 tablet. The crowdfunding campaign for the 13-in laptop raised about $462,000 of a $250,000 goal; the 15-in laptop raised nearly $600,000 of its $250,000 goal.

All together, Purism said it's raised more than $2.5 million (including seed funding) and has seen 35% to 38% average monthly growth in orders over the last year for its Librem 13-in and 15-in laptops, respectively. Previously, the laptops were only made-to-order, meaning it took up to three months to get one.

Along with free, open-source software, the laptops come with two physical toggle switches, one to turn off the microphone and camera and another to shut off wireless/Bluetooth connectivity. The laptops also sport something called a "Purism Key," a one-touch method to search the computer for documents and applications.

The laptops have a distinctively MacBook-like look to them. They include a multi-touch track pad that can scroll, click, zoom, and scale the view in the same way a MacBook's trackpad works.

Weaver said that's no coincidence, as purchasing any sturdy, all-aluminum laptop case from third-party vendors who mimic Apple designs leaves little room for customization. And, in fact, a lot of Purism's core customers are Apple enthusiasts and will be familiar with the build quality.

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Purism aims to push privacy-centric laptops, tablets and phones to market - Computerworld

Have you noticed that immediately after you search for something online, any other website you open brings adverts related to your previous search? Whats more, the ads are filtered to show solutions near you. What else does Mr. Google know about you if he already can figure out your interests or where you are? Who else could be accessing this information?

Its hard to rely on your privacy settings to keep your information secure online. In fact, anyone, not only the annoying marketers but also malicious hackers and snooping governments, has easier access to your online profiles today than ever before. It may not seem like a serious problem, especially, if you havent faced a real case of malicious attacks like phishing. Besides, you have nothing to hide! But, isnt some little privacy gratifying? Here is a look at some of the best ways to make your search private in 2017;

Anytime you log into the internet, your internet provider can see your Domain Name System, and so is the search engine you use and, possibly, malicious people. This makes it easy for them to associate your search log with your DNS information they can use to monitor your online behavior. To avoid any malicious attacks, or simply keep what you do online to yourself, consider a different computer for particular searches that you consider sensitive. Also, try connecting through different internet providers now and then by changing your browsing locations.

If you value your privacy online, private search options are a great way to go. Today, weve plenty search engines offering such options. For instance, MyPrivateSearch, DuckDuckGo, and SearX are among private search engine options you can use for free. Unlike commercial search engines, private search engines enable you to browse without leaving behind a hint of your online activity.

This is open source tool is referred to as The Onion Router because of its numerous layers of protecting online data. It offers safe data transfer by causing online communication to travel through an overlay of channels, rather than directly.

When using Tor, youll need to configure your applications properly, directing them to send their internet traffic through the software. The Tor Browser will prevent anyone spying on your internet connection from gathering information on the sites you visit. It also bars such websites from determining your location, while allowing you to gain access to websites that are blocked.

Virtual Private Networks are becoming handy for people who want to browse anonymously. This is because VPNs are simply not easy to bypass, which makes it difficult for someone to track source of traffic back to the specific internet user. Basically, VPNs employ dedicated networks and encryption protocols to create a virtual Peer-to-Peer connection through which subscribers send and receive search data.

Since your search results are not direct, its hard for hackers to steal information, and in case they do, its encrypted. Besides, VPNs shield your IP address. In this case, anyone watching will only see the network providers address.

Now, here is something to beware of: VPN providers have a potential of harming you if they wish. This is because they can actually see your browsing details. To be completely sure that no one is watching what you are doing online, verify that your VPN provider is trustworthy. It can be difficult but begin by verifying that the company doesnt store logs of your online activity for longer than expected.

Many browsers have the option of turning the computer into private search mode. For instance, Google Chrome allows you to open an incognito browsing window. Any pages you access anonymously are not stored in your browsers search history or cookies. It will only leave downloaded files and bookmarked sites.

However, beware that you are not completely invisible. Actually, in this case, only your computer doesnt store your browsing information. Other parties such as the ISP, the website you visited, and Google will still see any information disseminated in a private search session. Furthermore, if you are logged into Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps when browsing incognito in Chrome, these applications will still keep a record of your online activity.

Making a private search is a task that is getting increasingly difficult. It doesnt mean you have something to hide for you to want to search information privately. On the contrary, protecting your privacy online has become of utmost importance. Its the only way to keep off manipulative ads and cyber attacks as well as ensure you enjoy control of your personal information.

James Cohen has been doing digital marketing and web development for the last 20 years. He strives to increase public awareness of the risks of unsecured web browsing. Find out more onhttps://www.myprivatesearch.com/.

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The best ways to make your search private in 2017 - KnowTechie

Russian lawmakers on Friday unanimously approved the first reading of legislation outlawing virtual private network (VPN) services and other technologies that let internet users bypass Moscows ever-expanding blacklist of banned websites.

Lawmakers in the State Duma, the lower house of Russias Federal Assembly, voted 363-0 on Friday in favor of adopting amendments regulating VPN services, censorship circumvention software and other so-called anonymizers, regional media reported afterwards.

The legislation would ban the use of any software that enables access to digital content otherwise barred by Moscows censors if adopted, according to Meduza, an English-language news site devoted to Russian affairs.

The bills sponsors would give the owners of VPN networks and internet anonymizers access to Russias registry of blocked online resources, so they could cut access to these websites. Any Internet circumvention tools that refuse to block access to banned resources would themselves be blocked, Meduza explained.

Violators would be subject to fines ranging from 5,000 to 700,000 rubles about a maximum of $11,000 Russias Kommersant newspaper reported Friday.

While Moscow already maintains a firm grasp on Russias withering digital freedoms, Duma deputies have said system currently in place for restricting internet access is not effective enough, Meduza reported.

Typically Russias internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, provides the nations internet service providers (ISPs) with a list of banned websites to block. Even when ISPs heed the regulators request, however, customers can circumvent blacklists by using VPN services or specialized software like the Tor browser to route their internet traffic out of Russia, effectively bypassing the regional firewall.

The Russian authorities censor a wide range of topics online, most often under the pretext of anti-extremism measures, Freedom House wrote in its 2016 Freedom of the Net report. More recently, Roskomnadzor banned Googles Russian portal, Google.ru, for about three hours Thursday for linking to a banned gambling website.

The Russian Security Council began working on the amendments as far back as April and the bill was officially introduced in the Duma on June 8. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russias Federal Security Service, the former KGB, had reportedly urged Duma members to accelerate passing the new restrictions, Russias RBC reported Friday.

Russian search engine Yanex and the nations internet ombudsman, Dmitry Marinichev, have both previously criticized the proposal, Novaya Gazeta reported.

Read more here:

Bill regulating online anonymizers unanimously passes first ruling in Russian Duma - Washington Times

XDA Developers (blog)

The Burger King Ad That Activated Google Home Just Won A Prestigious Award XDA Developers (blog) Probably also explains my affinity for the Tor Browser, the recently released Firefox Focus, etc.. The fact that some intrusion into my private space is inevitable is not sufficient justification for me to accept any and every intrusion. Yeah, I will ... and more »

See the original post here:

The Burger King Ad That Activated Google Home Just Won A Prestigious Award - XDA Developers (blog)

I wrote this article to help you remove Donald Trampo Ransomware. This Donald Trampo Ransomware removal guide works for all Windows versions.

Donald Trampo ransomware is obviously named after the current US President. This is not the first virus of this type to be dedicated to this political figure. Another win-locker by the name of Donald Trump ransomware emerged a few months ago. Do not confuse the two infections with each other. There is no connection between them and their respective developers. The only characteristic they share is that they launch the same kind of attack. When Donald Trampo ransomware penetrates your system, it will start looking for vulnerable files and encrypt them.

To protect your computer from potential attacks, you need to know how they are purported. Donald Trampo ransomware uses spam emails to gain entry into users machines. The furtive program hides behind attachments. The message will state that the file is an important piece of documentation. The sender will urge you to open it. To make the email appear legitimate, he can address it after a genuine organization. Even if the letter contains the official logo and contacts of the entity in question, it can still be fake. It is easy to copy and paste the latter mentioned details. The only certain way to confirm that a given notification is truthful is by proofing the email account it was sent from. You can consult the official website of the stated organization for reference.

The purpose of win-lockers is to make money for their proprietors. Donald Trampo ransomware will encrypt your personal files. The insidious program targets documents, databases, archives, graphics, logs, audios, videos and other files. It marks the compromised objects with a custom appendix. The suffix is unique for every instance because it contains personalized information. It is generated using the following formula: .SN-[16 random digits]-webmafia@asia.com_donald@trampo.info. The SN abbreviation stands for serial number. It is comprised of 16 characters, listed after it. The other two details are the email accounts of the cyber criminals.

The developers of Donald Trampo ransomware ask people to contact them before providing further information. They change the desktop background to a custom wallpaper. The image is a plain black graphic with white text written on it. It instructs the victim to contact the creators of the win-locker. You have to write an email to either of their accounts. When you do, they will respond by informing you how much you have to pay. Since Donald Trampo ransomware was discovered recently, the full details around the malevolent program are yet to be reported. We do know that the hackers instruct people to download and install the Tor browser. They require the amount to be paid in Bitcoins.

Ransomware vendors usually set the ransom in the range of $500 to $1,500 USD. Of course, there are cases where the amount is huge. On the other side of the fence, some developers are not greedy and only ask for a few dollars. As it stands, we cannot give an approximation as to how much the people behind Donald Trampo ransomware demand from their victims. While we wait for information, we should point out that some win-lockers determine a ransom for different victims. The amount can be calculated according to the total number of the encrypted files. Another criterion is the information contained in them. This happens when the win-locker has the ability to scan the encrypted files and determine how important the data stored in them is.

Malware experts are still working to determine what encryption algorithm the developers of Donald Trampo ransomware have used. It could take them a while to figure out the win-locker and devise a custom decrypter. In the meantime, users are advised not to meet the demands of the cyber thieves. There are no guarantees when dealing with hackers. They may not provide the decryption key after receiving the ransom money. Even if they do, they could launch another attack in time. It is best to recover your data on your own. For this purpose, you will require a backup.

Method 1: Restore your encrypted files using ShadowExplorer Usually, Donald Trampo Ransomware deletes all shadow copies, stored in your computer. Luckily, the ransomware is not always able to delete the shadow copies. So your first try should be restoring the original files from shadow copies.

Method 2: Restore your encrypted files by using System Restore

Method 3: Restore your files using File Recovery Software If none of the above method works, you should try to recover encrypted files by using File Recovery Software. Since Donald Trampo Ransomware first makes a copy of the original file, then encrypts it and deletes the original one, you can successfully restore the original, using a File Recovery Software. Here are a few free File Recovery Software programs:

Excerpt from:

Remove Donald Trampo Ransomware | Updated - Virus Guides (blog)

Mozilla has extended and improved its Firefox Focus browser, heretofore an Ios product, bringing it to Android, with auto-blocking of trackers and ads and making it easy to erase your browser history.

It's the latest entry into the burgeoning market for privacy-oriented mobile browsers that boast performance improvements and battery savings, especially for older devices -- a market that includes Brave, an innovative ad-blocking mobile browser from Mozilla alumnus Brendan Eich, as well as Orfox/Orbot, the Firefox-based Tor browser for Android.

Google has announced that future versions of Chrome will automatically block ads from ad platforms that compete with Google's own ads.

Ad blocking is in Mozilla's DNA: the browser rose to prominence by breaking with Netscape and Internet Explorer's quiet complicity with pop-up ads, once the scourge of the web (and a must-have from the perspective of web publishers and their advertisers), shipping the first popular browser that blocked pop-ups by default.

On iOS, Firefox Focus is basically just a web view with tracking protection. On Android, Firefox Focus is the same, with a few additional features (which are still under consideration for iOS):

* Ad tracker counter Lists the number of ads that are blocked per site while using the app.

* Disable tracker blocker For sites that are not loading correctly, you can disable the tracker blocker to fix the issues.

* Notification reminder When Firefox Focus is running in the background, a notification will remind you so you can easily tap to erase your browsing history.

Firefox Focus uses the same blocking list as Firefoxs Private Browsing mode on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.

This list, published under the General Public Licence, is based on the tracking protection rules laid out by the anti-tracking startup Disconnect. Anyone can view that open-source blocklist over on GitHub.

Mozilla launches Firefox Focus for Android [Emil Protalinksi/Venturebeat]

(via /.)

The Kaonashi No-Face Piggy Bank makes the most out of one of the coolest characters in Studio Ghiblis storied history but getting one exported to you from Japan costs an astounding $164. (via Kadrey)

Elly Blue (previously) writes, Bikequity is the 14th issue of my long-running (since 2010) feminist bike zine, Taking the Lane.

Randy Bryce wants to challenge Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan for the First District of Wisconsin, where Ryan beat his most recent Democratic challenger by 35 points.

The Bragi Dash Truly Wireless Smart Earphones are far more than your run of the mill Bluetooth earbuds. While the earpiece design makes these earbuds ideal for exercise and activity, and passive noise cancelling is conducive to a more serene listening experience, these buds go well beyond just playing music.First of all, they can actually []

The Coding Powerhouse eBook Bundlecomprises 9 titles covering everything from front-end web frameworks to cross-platform mobile application development, and its available now in the Boing Boing Store.These books give a detailed overview of current technologies and programming languages. Youll learn how to write modern code for the web using modular JavaScript, as well as application []

COGZ is a game where up to six players compete to see who can fix a mad scientists color-coded machine, and its currently available in the Boing Boing Store.In this Mensa-endorsed tabletop game, players take turns laying gear tiles to connect like-colored segments. Points are scored when complex paths are finished, but your unfinished arrangements []

Original post:

Mozilla's new Android browser blocks ads and trackers - Boing Boing

New Tails interface

Tails, the read-only Linux-based operating system that routes all internet traffic through the Tor anonymity network, has now reached version 3.0. The new release dropped 32-bit support to increase security and adopted the latest Tor Browser 7.0, and it also comes with a more polished desktop interface.

Tails, the operating system that Edward Snowden used to reveal the NSA documents, is typically run from a DVD or USB stick (the latter is less secure) in a read-only mode so that malware cant be written on the storage. Malware can still be activated in RAM during a Tails session, which is why its important to keep the sessions short and reboot the Tails operating system often. At reboot, you get the same clean image you have on your DVD.

Because of how it works, Tails is not well-suited for everyday computing (Qubes OS would be preferable for that); it's for moments when you most need that increased anonymity. It also means that you need to write a new DVD or install it again on your USB stick every time there are new security patches out, to minimize the risk of hacking.

The new Tails 3.0 dropped 32-bit support because of potential attacks against weak ASLR protection. Support for No Execute (NX) bit is also mandatory, but this feature should already be available on all 64-bit computers. The NX bit separates areas of memory that are used for the storage of processor instructions from areas used for processor data storage, offering increased resistance against hacking.

The Tor Browser 7.0 comes pre-installed, so Tails users can take advantage of an overall faster and more reliable browser due to the new multi-process architecture enabled in Firefox ESR 52, as well as the content sandboxing functionality.

The new Tails 3.0, which is now based on the latest major version of the Debian operating system, brings a new more modern-looking Gnome interface, too. Because Tails focus has been primarily on user anonymity, the interface has been lacking over the years; having a good user experience is key for user adoption, so the new look is an important development.

The Tails Greeter, which is the application that is used to configure Tails at startup, has been completely redesigned for ease of use. Now, all options are available from a single window, including the language and region settings, which should simplify the setup process for international users.

The shutdown experience has also has also been redesigned to make it more reliable, as well as more discrete so that it looks less suspicious.

The Files application has also been redesigned to reduce clutter and make the interface easier to use. The developers also added the ability to rename multiple files at the same time and extract compressed files without a separate application.

The notification area has been improved, as well. It now allows easy access to previous notifications, and the notification pop-ups have been made more noticeable.

Shortcut windows have also been added to help users discover keyboard shortcuts in applications.

Some of the first-party applications have been updated to their latest versions, too, as part of the migration to the latest Debian 9 base:

If you want to maximize your anonymity--when the Tor Browser running on Windows is just not good enough for you--you can now download Tails 3.0 from the projects website. Those who are already using an older version of Tails should also upgrade to patch multiple security bugs.

Read the original:

Secure OS Tails 3.0 Launches With Debian 9 Base, Redesigned Interface - Tom's Hardware

The Tor Browser Team is proud to announce the first stable release in the 7.0 series. This release is available from the Tor Browser Project page and also from our distribution directory.

This release brings us up to date with Firefox 52 ESR which contains progress in a number of areas:

Most notably we hope having Mozilla's multiprocess mode (e10s) and content sandbox enabled will be one of the major new features in the Tor Browser 7.0 series, both security- and performance-wise. While we are still working on the sandboxing part for Windows (the e10s part is ready), both Linux and macOS have e10s and content sandboxing enabled by default in Tor Browser 7.0. In addition to that, Linux and macOS users have the option to further harden their Tor Browser setup by using only Unix Domain sockets for communication with tor. Update (June 8, 8:00 UTC): As the last point caused some confusion: enabling Unix Domain sockets alone does not harden Tor Browser. One needs that *and* additional sandboxing mechanisms that prevent communication over TCP/IP.

The highlights in our tracking and fingerprinting resistance improvements are: cookies, view-source requests and the Permissions API are isolated to the first party URL bar domain now to enhance our tracking related defenses. On the fingerprinting side we disabled and/or patched several new features, among them WebGL2, the WebAudio, Social, SpeechSynthesis, and Touch APIs, and the MediaError.message property.

WIth the switch to ESR 52 come new system requirements for Windows and macOS users: On Windows Tor Browser 7.0 won't run on non-SSE2 capable machines anymore. On Apple computers OS X 10.9 is now the minimum system requirement.

Besides new system requirements for Windows and macOS users, there are some known issues with Tor Browser 7.0 as well:

Apart from switching to the new Firefox ESR and dealing with related issues we included a new Tor stable version (0.3.0.7) and updated our NoScript (5.0.5) and HTTPS-Everywhere versions (5.2.17).

We updated our toolchains during the ESR transition as well. In particular we retired the old GCC-based one for our macOS cross-compilation and rely solely on clang/cctools now.

The full changelog since Tor Browser 6.5.2 is:

Today is 7th of July but I still cannot see new tor version in official tor repository for Debian. Issue with ALSA is very sad, too sad. Pulseaudio, like systemd, are the things which were always avoided on system-critical OSes.

When I open youtube popup says me that I must install pulseaudio to het sound working, button with help redirects me on the page: link. However, there is no this page. You should fix the link.

P.S. Preview in commenting in tor-blog with enabled JS is not working. It doesn't show formatted text, only its source.

Thank guys, great job!

Quite often when I opened Tor Browser, there was a warning sign of a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark in the "Open Settings" button on the connecting dialog box. When clicking on that, it showed a "Copy to clipboard" button.

May anyone tell me a little bit about this warning? I'm wondering if my connection was compromised and no longer anonymous in these cases. This time, for example, the content I got from the "Copy to clipboard" was:

06/07/2017 12:58:58.500 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 5%: Connecting to directory server 06/07/2017 12:58:58.500 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 10%: Finishing handshake with directory server 06/07/2017 12:58:59.200 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 68.45.52.117:40365 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 12:59:00.100 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 15%: Establishing an encrypted directory connection 06/07/2017 12:59:00.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 68.45.52.117:40365 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 12:59:00.300 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 20%: Asking for networkstatus consensus 06/07/2017 12:59:01.200 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 25%: Loading networkstatus consensus 06/07/2017 12:59:08.900 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 80%: Connecting to the Tor network 06/07/2017 12:59:08.900 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 90%: Establishing a Tor circuit 06/07/2017 12:59:10.100 [NOTICE] Tor has successfully opened a circuit. Looks like client functionality is working. 06/07/2017 12:59:10.100 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 100%: Done 06/07/2017 12:59:11.600 [NOTICE] New control connection opened from 127.0.0.1. 06/07/2017 12:59:11.700 [NOTICE] New control connection opened from 127.0.0.1. 06/07/2017 13:00:18.400 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 178.62.29.226:9443 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:00:19.700 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 178.62.29.226:9443 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:00:19.800 [NOTICE] new bridge descriptor 'Unnamed' (fresh): $958ACD25DACDDE1CF6FE463FBFA28BFEB8BFF82B~Unnamed at 194.132.209.61 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 108.61.191.37:9443 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 5.35.86.79:39563 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 35.185.60.254:9443 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 139.59.147.112:36715 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 104.153.209.217:25447 ("general SOCKS server failure") 06/07/2017 13:01:06.100 [WARN] Proxy Client: unable to connect to 185.163.45.19:57339 ("general SOCKS server failure")

If you are using Add-ons with filter lists in Tor Browser 7.0, for example uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus etc. ,it takes extremely long to start the browser In Tor Browser 6.5 and previous this was not really an issue. It was only a small delay barely noticeable. This problem is new to version 7.0. I hope you can look into that.

How to reproduce: - Use a newely installed Tor Browser v. 7.0 - Install uBlock Origin - See how the browser will freeze for some seconds. - Restart the Browser and see how it will take extremely long to startup

I'm still hoping for 64-bit versions of Tor and the Tor Browser for Windows; maybe they'll show up alongside the ESR59-based Tor Browser, because Firefox 53+ no longer supports Vista, and most installations of Windows 7+ are 64-bit, so they will be able to benefit from 64-bit software.

my system is not supported.. meanwhile what can I do? updating only TOR instead of tor browser, but how do it? help please 😀

Go here to read the rest:

Tor Browser 7.0 is released | The Tor Blog

The college philosophy class you barely remember aside, what the sandbox does is hides your files, your real IP address and your MAC address from the browser. Therefore, "the amount of information Tor Browser will learn about your computer, and thereby you, will be limited," Angel said.

At the time of that interview last October, the sandbox was still unstable and very much in testing, but the recent update has brought the digital safe-zone online for Linux and macOS, and by default. Next up? Sandbox protection for Windows users.

The update also imposes a few new requirements for users on Windows and macOS: Tor apparently won't work on non-SSE2-capable Windows hardware and you need to be running OSX 10.9 or higher on Apple machines.

Considering that last year a federal judge said that the FBI no longer needs warrants to hack a computer connected to the internet, this is an important update. "Even an internet user who employs the Tor network in an attempt to mask his or her IP address lacks a reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her IP address," judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr commented at the time. For the full rundown of what's changed with the browser, hit the source links below.

Follow this link:

Tor Browser 7.0 works harder to protect your anonymity on its own - Engadget

A new version of Tor Browser, a Firefox-based web browser with Tor functionality added to it, has been released on June 7, 2017.

Tor Browser 7.0 introduces support for Firefox's multi-process architecture e10s and content sandboxing as the major new features of the release.

The browser itself is now based on Firefox 52 ESR, the most recent Extended Support Release version of the Firefox web browser. You can check out what is new in Firefox 52 here. Note that Firefox 52 ESR ships with improvements made in previous versions of the browser as well.

The multi-process implementation is available across all supported operating systems. The same is not true for content sandboxing however, as only Linux and Mac OS X versions of Tor Browser 7.0 may make use of that.

The Windows content sandboxing is still in the works, and can be tracked on the official bug tracker.

The switch to Firefox 52 ESR as the code base of Tor Browser brought changes to the system requirements. Tor Browser 7 on Windows for instance does not run on devices that don't support SSE2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 2).

AMD and Intel added support for SSE2 back in 2001 and 2003, and most processors sold in the past decade support the functionality. Still, it may mean that the new Tor Browser version won't run on systems that are older than 15 or so years.

On Apple systems, Mac OS X 10.9 is now the minimum requirement for Tor Browser 7.0.

As far as tracking and fingerprinting protection or resistance is concerned, multiple changes and improvements were made in the new version.

The highlights in our tracking and fingerprinting resistance improvements are: cookies, view-source requests and the Permissions API are isolated to the first party URL bar domain now to enhance our tracking related defenses. On the fingerprinting side we disabled and/or patched several new features, among them WebGL2, the WebAudio, Social, SpeechSynthesis, and Touch APIs, and the MediaError.message property.

The team that developers the Tor Browser hardens the base version of the Firefox web browser in many different ways to improve privacy of its users.

The new version of the Tor Browser has a couple of known issues that users need to be aware of before making the upgrade to the new version:

The full changelog has been posted on the Tor project website.

Now You: Do you use Tor or the Tor Browser?

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Tor Browser 7.0 released - gHacks Tech News - Ghacks Technology News

Wikipedians want to give users the ability to access the world's most popular encyclopedia in the most secure way possible: On the dark web.

Cristian Consonni, Former Vice President of Wikimedia Italy, proposed Monday that Wikipedians should create a dark web version of the site accessible only via the Tor Browser.

It's possible now to access Wikipedia via the Tor Browserwhich is popular with activists and among people living in countries with censored web traffic because it encrypts web traffic and routes it through a series of different IP addresses called "nodes"but the connection is less secure than it would be if the site was accessible as a "hidden service" on the dark web.

As a hidden service (also called an onion site), Wikipedia would not need to direct its traffic through an exit node, a point where internet traffic "emerges" from the Tor network and connects to sites on the regular web. Exit nodes are known to be a seriously vulnerable portion of Tor's security.

Consonni shared the proposal on Wikimedia-L, a listserv where prominent Wikipedians discuss the future and internal politics of the site.

There, several editors, like David Cuenca Tudela, endorsed the idea, but many disagreed with Consonni on one major point. Consonni believes Tor users should have the ability to edit Wikipedia articles, which is currently not allowed, except under special circumstances.

A number of Wikipedians don't want Tor users to have the ability to edit, "due to high volume of known abuse from that vector," as one user put it.

Abusive editors have been known to use Tor to circumvent being banned. Wikipedia blocks problematic users based on their IP address, but the encrypted browser can be used to quickly obtain a new one.

Creating a dark web version of Wikipedia would make the encyclopedia available securely in the many places where it's censored. Countries like China, Iran, and Russia, have chosen to block their citizens ability to view a significant portion of the site's entries, or sometimes even the entire encyclopedia altogether.

Even seemingly liberal countries like the United Kingdom and France have attempted to censor portions of the site in the past.

It would be far more difficult for governments to censor or monitor Wikipedia's dark web version. But Consonni and like minded editors aren't just concerned with surveillance.

He hopes bringing Wikipedia to the dark web will also help improve Tor's reputation. The browser is often thought of as a tool for drug dealers and other criminals, instead of say, encyclopedia readers trying to avoid government surveillance.

"...providing Wikipedia over Tor would promote awareness of Tor itself as a technology for protecting user privacy," Consonni wrote in his proposal.

Wikipedia wouldn't be the first mainstream website to move towards the dark web. In 2014, Facebook launched a version that runs on Tor. ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism outlet, followed suit last year.

"It can be argued that the privacy gain of having an onion service over visiting Wikipedia with HTTPS over Tor is minimal, but I think it is worth having this option," Consonni told me via Twitter DM.

"I think that all major websites should serve a version over Tor," he went on.

If Wikipedia were to build a Tor version, Consonni hopes the project would be organized through the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, instead of through a third party that could potentially "be evil and snoop on users."

Building a darknet version of any site isn't terribly difficult. Easy-to-use tools even exist to help streamline the process, if you want to get your own open source encyclopedia on Tor while Wikipedians continue to debate the idea.

The Tor Project had no comment.

Read the original:

Wikipedians Want to Put Wikipedia on the Dark Web - Motherboard

The Tor Project today released the first stable release of Tor Browser 7.0 (the previous version was 6.5.2). You can download the latest version, which includes many security and performance improvements, from the project page and the distribution directory.

Tor offers anonymous communication by directing internet traffic through a free, worldwide, volunteer network consisting of more than 7,000 relays. The goal is to conceal users location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis.

The Tor Browser, which automatically starts Tor background processes and routes traffic through the Tor network, is built on top of Mozillas Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR), a version designed for schools, universities, businesses, and others who need help with mass deployments. Firefox ESR releases are maintained for one year. In addition to the Tor proxy, Tor Browser includes the TorButton, TorLauncher, NoScript, and HTTPS Everywhere Firefox extensions.

The 7.0 release brings Tor Browser up to date with Firefox 52 ESR. This brings two major features: multiprocess mode and content sandbox. Both are enabled by default on macOS and Linux, while the Tor team is still working on the sandboxing part for Windows. Mac and Linux users also have the option to further harden their Tor Browser setup by using only Unix domain sockets for communication with Tor.

Switching to ESR 52 also brings new system requirements for Windows and macOS users. On Windows, Tor Browser 7.0 will not run on non-SSE2 capable machines, while for Macs, Tor Browser 7.0 requires OS X 10.9 or higher.

There are also tracking and fingerprinting resistance improvements. Cookies, view-source requests, and the Permissions API are now isolated to the first party URL bar domain to enhance tracking-related defenses. On the fingerprinting side, several new features were disabled or patched, including WebGL2; the WebAudio, Social, SpeechSynthesis, and Touch APIs; and the MediaError.message property. Other changes include updating HTTPS-Everywhere to version 5.2.17 and NoScript to version 5.0.5.

Go here to see the original:

Tor Browser 7.0 arrives with multiprocess mode, content sandbox, and Unix domain sockets - VentureBeat

Q. I've heard you talk about a software called Tor before, but what does it do? Is it safe to download? And is it available to everyone? - Richard M.; listens on 880 AM WCBS, New York.

A. This is a great question, Richard, because Tor software is often the subject of controversy. If you're considering downloading this software, you need to be aware of the pros and cons, especially since Tor will allow you to browse through some pretty dark areas of the internet.

In its simplest definition, Tor is a web browser software that conceals your identity when you're online. It does this in a few different ways. First, it uses encryption to scramble the data that's being communicated within the network. Second, it routes that data between random servers within the Tor network to hide your online identity, including data tied to your personal IP address.

You've probably heard some unnerving things associated with Tor. We're not going to pretend there isn't truth to those claims. Tor can be used for good things and bad.

Positives: The best thing about Tor is that it provides anonymity for people who would wantto browse the web without being tracked by their internet service provider, websites, the government and other interest parties. You can also use Tor to access services that are blocked by some internet providers, or governments.

Note: If you'd like to increase your privacy online without downloading Tor software, click here for tips on disabling web browser tracking.

Negatives: It's true that Tor has a dark side. Not the software itself, but the places to where it grants access on the internet. You may have heard the term "Dark Web" before. This is a portion of the internet that is often used for illegal activities such as child pornography, the sale of drugs, prostitution, etc. Tor software is needed to access the Dark Web, so needless to say, using the software could lead you into some pretty dark places. Click here for more information on the Dark Web and what's hiding in the shadows of the internet.

The easiest answer: Yes, and no. The software itself is safe to use. And, if you're using it for its basic function of hiding your online identity, then you shouldn't run into any trouble. However, if you're using Tor with the intent of accessing the Dark Web, then you could easily encounter more than you bargained for.

Tor software is free to download, however, you may be asked by the software's developers to make a donation. You are not obligated to do so, but there are various sections of the Tor website where donations are requested.

Although Tor does have its benefits, it is an extreme way to obtain online anonymity, and should only be used by those who find it absolutely necessary. Because of the risks associated with the Dark Web, Tor may not be the best option for the average internet user. Instead, try the tips in these articles to gain more privacy online, no special software required.

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What is Tor browser, and is it safe? | Komando.com

Tor (originally short for The Onion Router) began life as a U.S. Navy project for anonymous online activity, but is now used by a wide range of people, including the military, journalists, bloggers, activists (and, yes, sometimes criminals). Tor makes communications harder to trace through traffic analysis by routing Internet activity through a series of network nodes, each ignorant of the whole route from beginning to end. The trade-off for increased security is slower speed. If you're interested in what Tor has to offer, try out these six tools and apps.

The Tor Browser Bundle contains everything you need to set up Tor and surf the web through the anonymous router network. The bundle includes a hardened variant of Firefox, as well as Vidalia, a GUI control system for your Tor connection and settings. It's not perfect, as Tor itself points out on its website, but combined with smart browsing habits, it can reduce your exposure online. Additionally, the Vidalia software included in the bundle offers fine control over Tor's settings.

MORE: Best Privacy and Security Apps

TAILS, or The Amnesiac Incognito Live System, is an operating system designed as a live disk and built with Tor in mind. TAILS has Tor built in, and blocks applications from connecting to the Internet except through Tor, assuring that your net activity is anonymized. In addition to securing your browsing, instant messaging, and email, TAILS is designed to leave no trace on your machine, using only RAM so as not to leave physical traces on the hard drive. Additional cryptographic tools provide extra protection. It's not perfect, but TAILS does reduce risks.

MORE: Worst Online Scams

Orbot is a free proxy app for connecting your Android device to Tor. It allows your Android apps to access the web anonymously. Apps that allow for proxy settings (such as Twitter) can be configured to use Tor through Orbot via the settings found here: https://goo.gl/2OA1y. Orbot can be combined with Orweb in order to browse the Internet anonymously, or Gibberbot for private chatting. Additionally, rooted Android users can get even more out of Orbot with settings for routing just about all of your Internet traffic through Tor.

MORE: Best Encrypted Messaging Apps

OrWeb is The Guardian Project's mobile web browser designed to be used in conjuction with OrBot in order to provide anonymized browsing through the Tor network. OrWeb doesn't collect your browsing history, allows for flexible cookie control, lets you mask your hardware, and more. JavaScript and Flash blocking are among the protective features. The combination of Tor and feature controls does mean that you will have slower surfing, and broken functionality in some sites.

MORE: 25 Things You Didn't Know Could Be Hacked

Gibberbot is The Guardian Project's encrypted chatting app for Android users. Gibberbot supports a broad range of chat networks, including Google, Facebook, Yandex, Jabber. You'll enjoy Off The Record encryption support when you're chatting with another OTR-enabled user. Gibberbot integrates with OrBot for even further protection by routing through TOR.

MORE: 15 Android Security Tips You Need to Know

Onion Browser is an iOS mobile browser configured to let users easily connect to Tor's anonymizing system, allowing you to browse with Tor online. As with the Tor Browser Bundle for desktop, the Onion Browser trades speed for security, as mentioned in the iTunes description. User-agent spoofing lets you mask the hardware you're using, and cookie controls and rapid IP address are among the other features.

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Best Tor Browsers, Tools and Apps - Tom's Guide

If youre worried about network spying, traffic analysis, or any other technique that quashes your hopes of secure browsing, have a go at the Tor network. Tor, or as we call it, The Onion Router is probably the most popular and safest available option for anonymous connectivity. It lets you browse the web secretly and veils your actual identity from watch dogs!

Based on the principle of onion routing, the alpha version of Tor, named The Onion Routing Project was developed by Roger Dingledine and Nick Mathewson in 2002. Since then, the network has come a long way and is now being maintained and developed under a non-profit organisation named the Tor Project. The organisation runs with the backing of US government, the Swedish government, and a plethora of NGOs and individual sponsors. It has clearly been around for quite a while, but in case you dont how this thing works and how can you use it, heres everything that you need:

As weve mentioned, Tor works on the principle of onion routing. Under this, your data is first encrypted and then transferred through different relays present in the network, creating a multi-layered encryption to keep your data secure and identity anonymous. Each encryption layer is decrypted at each successive Tor relay, and the rest of the data is forwarded to any random relay until it reaches the destination server. And this is where it all gets trickier. The last relay or the exit node appears as the origin of the data, which makes extremely difficult for third parties to track down the identity of the user or the server by any means.

It is also worthy to note that Tor not only provides anonymity to standalone users, but it also secures websites and servers from third parties in the form of hidden services. Additionally, you can even configure P2P applications like BitTorrent to use the network for downloading torrent files without any worries about anti-piracy watchdogs.

In order to use Tor, youll have to download the Tor browser, which is nothing but a modified version of an extended support release of Mozilla Firefox. The browser is portable and can work on any device via external media. It removes your browsing history and cookies after every use and leaves nothing behind to trace your identity.

Tor browser works seamlessly and is available for all major platforms such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Android.

Once youre done with the download, you can move ahead with the installation process:

The setup will create a folder named Tor Browser on the destination folder, which will carry a shortcut file to the use the browser. If youre using Linux, youll have to extract the downloaded file either using the command line or a file extractor application.

Android:

If youre on Android, you can secure your browsing identity by using any of these two apps on the Play Store:

Orbot a Proxy with Tor for Android devices.

Orfox a mobile version of Tor Browser for Android devices.

iOS:

An officialTor browser app for iOSis available on the App Store.

Though Tor has been handy in protecting users from a society of stalkers, it has also become a potential threat to national security. Just like every single user who wanted to bypass censorship and share confidential information, the anonymous network has also benefitted criminal minds, triggering illegal activities across the country. Rumour has it the anonymous network connects criminals over the internet and acts as a medium for data breaching, drug dealing, gambling, etc. Even the security agencies struggle in tracking their exact whereabouts.

To recall, the infamous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden had also used Tor to leak information about PRISM to the media. The leak drew huge criticism against NSA, which called Tor the King of high secure, low latency Internet anonymity. Even the BusinessWeek magazine termed the network as, the most effective means of defeating the online surveillance efforts of intelligence agencies around the world.

As the Tor Project has been funded by the U.S, some may think that the NSA may have compromised Tors anonymity, taking away the identities of individual users. However, Andrew Lewman, the executive director of the organisation, has denied all claims of confederations with NSA or any other security agency.

In our opinion, Tor makes an excellent compadre, especially when you want to browse securely and veil your online identity. The developers of the network never wished to shape it as a safe haven for illegal activities, but just like all good things, evil-minded people have leveraged it for their benefits.

So, if youre one of the good ones and just want to conceal your online identity, Tor is definitely a thing for you. You can easily use it to bypass censorship and online surveillance, but be warned, going above the law isnt advised at all. Nothing is completely secure today, and the authorities can still track you if, by any chance, you plan on going off the rails.

Read more:

What is Tor, How It Works And Where to Download the Tor Browser? Everything You Need To Know - MobiPicker