Silk Road forums
Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: Snowman87 on April 23, 2013, 07:55 am
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Is using Tor, Silkroad and etc... Safer using public WIFI safer than at home? Also I read somewhere that you should never run any other applications or browsers simultaniously with Tor because somehow LE could track you? IF so this is the first time I've read this shit.... >:(
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First off, let me say; I am not a computer security expert. Any info I give is simply my best understanding of how it works...
If you're using TOR it shouldn't matter where you're connecting from as all your traffic is encrypted and sent through the TOR network. AFAIK the only way to prove that someone using TOR connected to a specific website is to monitor the connection at both ends and run a statistical analysis of the data - this is impossible for them to do with SR since it's a hidden TOR site and no-one knows where the servers are. A couple of possible flaws I sometimes worry about are:
1. Can your ISP tell the difference between encrypted TOR data and 'normal' web browsing? I suspect they can. If they can then I guess that could be used to pinpoint people who do a lot of 'suspicious' TOR browsing. So, for instance, if CISPA is passed then any ISP could supply 'suspicious' internet usage data to LE and they could use that as the basis for a warrant to look deeper into your life. Maybe a reason to use public wifi. However, I'm not that worried since much of your internet traffic is naturally encrypted anyhow (https) so I'm not sure how much of a flag it would be.
2. Could a public wifi system be set up to monitor suspicious traffic in a similar way? If I was running a public wifi spot I would certainly be seeing if I could, not for stuff like SR but to ensure no-one is using it for nasty things like child porn. I wouldn't like it found out that my business was being used to avoid detection in a child porn ring - quite apart from the moral disgust I'd feel, it'd be really bad for business. Same person coming in all the time, looking a little shifty, always encrypting data; that is suspicious and you would have your laptop with all the incriminating evidence out in public where LE can just pick you up.
But I do not think, so long as you're using TOR, either is any more inherently safe - the data you send/receive is about as safe in either case, it's your 'suspicious' modus operandi that will likely tip LE off.
Regarding other applications; sure, if you're running a normal web browser you can be tracked to a certain degree, in that your traffic through it will show your real IP and not all that traffic will be encrypted, but what they cannot do is use your usual internet connection to snoop on what your TOR browser is doing. That is, unless you've done something really dumb, like given someone remote access to your computer...
You can never be too safe though; personally, I have a laptop that I use for little else, I only connect using TOR, and I have encrypted the HDD with a 50 character password....
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That's a long character code!!
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I wouldnt risk it.
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First off, let me say; I am not a computer security expert. Any info I give is simply my best understanding of how it works...
If you're using TOR it shouldn't matter where you're connecting from as all your traffic is encrypted and sent through the TOR network. AFAIK the only way to prove that someone using TOR connected to a specific website is to monitor the connection at both ends and run a statistical analysis of the data - this is impossible for them to do with SR since it's a hidden TOR site and no-one knows where the servers are. A couple of possible flaws I sometimes worry about are:
1. Can your ISP tell the difference between encrypted TOR data and 'normal' web browsing? I suspect they can. If they can then I guess that could be used to pinpoint people who do a lot of 'suspicious' TOR browsing. So, for instance, if CISPA is passed then any ISP could supply 'suspicious' internet usage data to LE and they could use that as the basis for a warrant to look deeper into your life. Maybe a reason to use public wifi. However, I'm not that worried since much of your internet traffic is naturally encrypted anyhow (https) so I'm not sure how much of a flag it would be.
2. Could a public wifi system be set up to monitor suspicious traffic in a similar way? If I was running a public wifi spot I would certainly be seeing if I could, not for stuff like SR but to ensure no-one is using it for nasty things like child porn. I wouldn't like it found out that my business was being used to avoid detection in a child porn ring - quite apart from the moral disgust I'd feel, it'd be really bad for business. Same person coming in all the time, looking a little shifty, always encrypting data; that is suspicious and you would have your laptop with all the incriminating evidence out in public where LE can just pick you up.
But I do not think, so long as you're using TOR, either is any more inherently safe - the data you send/receive is about as safe in either case, it's your 'suspicious' modus operandi that will likely tip LE off.
Regarding other applications; sure, if you're running a normal web browser you can be tracked to a certain degree, in that your traffic through it will show your real IP and not all that traffic will be encrypted, but what they cannot do is use your usual internet connection to snoop on what your TOR browser is doing. That is, unless you've done something really dumb, like given someone remote access to your computer...
You can never be too safe though; personally, I have a laptop that I use for little else, I only connect using TOR, and I have encrypted the HDD with a e 50 character password....
yeah totally agree
yeah i also will get me myself a new pc get rid of the old one and use an encrypted usb stick to enter sr
and never ever have some stuff at home ^^
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obviously its not turely hidden as somebox knows where the computer is, ultimately it confirms to tcp/ip and so needs an ip address...
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I have a super secure computer with liberte linux which torifies all connections, If I want to feel super safe with maximum security, I will dual boot in windows, connect to random open public wifi, then boot a virtual machine of the linux liberte OS (I usually remake new ones to keep the MAC Address constantly cycling) And then from there your pretty secure. You could even further go into using a good VPN server through tor and you will be even more private (added onto all the other things) But there are many many ways to obfuscate your "virtual identity" when plugging into "the matrix" there are heaps of information out there just waiting for you to search it up =D