How to find the Best Linux Distros for Helping You Stay Anonymous – Guide
It’s hard to remain anonymous online these days. Whether you’re browsing the Web or even using Internet-connected programs, you’re being tracked. Even your operating system is watching you. When running an operating system like Windows or a program like VS Code, you are being monitored telemetry. Most of the data collected about you is used to improve the software you use every day, but if your priority is to remain anonymous, you should look for better options. Several Linux operating system distros offer features that increase anonymity and privacy. But being anonymous can have its drawbacks. Before continuing, a kind of disclaimer. The purpose of this article is to show you what is available to protect your privacy. It is not intended to encourage you to engage in practices prohibited by the laws of your country.
What does it mean to be anonymous?
Going anonymous can mean different things to different people, so let’s clarify that concept before we go any further. To remain anonymous online, you need to establish who you are hiding from and what tools will allow you to hide your real identity. You can use a threat modeling approach to identify the risks you might be exposed to. For simplicity, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has four steps: If you want to learn more about threat modeling, follow the NIST draft, which includes detailed information about this process. For example, a journalist might want to remain anonymous while sharing their ideas on the web. This would eliminate fear of discrimination or retaliation. Simply put, they don’t want people to know who they are, so they know who to hide from. Once you know who you want to remain anonymous, it’s time to use tools like Tor or the anonymity-focused Linux distributions shown below. Of course, anonymity has many advantages, but here are the main ones:
Various methods for using the following Linux distros
In general, Linux-based operating systems are more secure and privacy-oriented than proprietary ones. With this in mind, it is important to know how the following Linux distros work and how they will help you to remain anonymous.
Using virtual machines
Virtual machines (VMs) are environments that function like a virtual computer running on top of your physical computer. VMs are isolated from the rest of the system and can be used to run almost any operating system, so they support the following Linux distributions. The most popular software for running VMs is VirtualBox, which is an open source hypervisor created by Oracle. It works on Windows, Linux and macOS and is easy to configure up. From a normal user perspective, the main advantage of using a VM is that you can run it alongside the host OS, which means you can use both at the same time.
Using a Live Boot USB
A live USB runs an operating system without installing it on your computer. An active USB allows you to jump to an active environment when using it to install a Linux distribution. The main advantage of this method is that you don’t need to install anything, so you can run live USB on your computer, use the Linux distro, disconnect the USB and continue using your daily operating system driver. Take a look at Qubes for a fully VM-based operating system.
installing in bare metal
If you want to remain anonymous, installing a Linux distribution as the main operating system on your system is not the best option, as you will be using the computer in multiple sessions. Every time you use your computer, you leave traces of information about the websites you’ve visited, the files you’ve opened, and even the Wi-Fi network you’ve used. That’s why using a live boot USB, or a VM, is generally safer. When you are finished working with the live environment, turn it off and all data will go away. Likewise with VMs, you can delete them as soon as the job is complete.
Before joining the game, what is Tor?
Tor – The Onion Router – is an open source project that hides your IP address when surfing the Internet. It redirects your web request to a worldwide overlay network with over six thousand relays. When you use Tor, you are routing all Internet traffic through three machines selected from thousands of volunteer computers from different people and organizations. The first relay knows who you are, but not the next relay you’re going to connect to. The third relay only knows where you are going (an external server, such as a web page), but not your original IP address. All of this takes place in an encrypted environment, which is why it is so important to avoid insecure pages – those without HTTPS. This process makes it almost impossible for anyone (websites, internet providers, and so on) to know your IP address.
What not to do when using Tor
Tor allows you to hide your IP address, but it becomes useless if you don’t use it correctly. Here are some things you shouldn’t do when using Tor: After internalizing these tips, you can use a shortcut made for the average user, the Tor browser package. These days, you can download Tor Browser, a browser that runs on top of Tor on all major operating systems. If you wish, you can also download and compile the Tor source code. But using Tor has some drawbacks. Most importantly, it limits your internet speed. This is because you are routing your traffic over the Tor network, which means that each web request you make must go through multiple computers. Another downside is that some sites like Netflix, banking sites and others are blocked by Tor. Also, if you use Tor regularly, you will need to fill out CAPTCHA forms on most pages you visit. Obviously, this is a small price to pay for online security and anonymity.
tails
Tails is an anonymous Linux distribution based on Debian. It is a light and fast operating system that uses Gnome as its default desktop. It starts from a clean state and leaves no trace when you leave. This is called “amnesia”, and it’s the magic that makes Tails a secure operating system. You can safely use someone else’s computer because Tails doesn’t write to disk at all. Another amazing thing about Tails is that it uses the Tor relay as the only way to access the Internet. This means that all network programs you use (programs that need to connect to the Internet) must redirect their traffic through a Tor network. So even if you’re using a simple application like Thunderbird, all the information it sends or retrieves from the Internet must go through Tor. By default, Tails installed the following applications: After using it for a while, it looks like a solid but lightweight OS so you can run it on older computers. (It is based on Debian 10) Also, I found this distribution useful when using a friend’s computer, so you can keep both users’ data safe.
tails Features
Final note
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