BoyWiki - User contributions [en]

Privacy Freeware

2013-07-30T23:22:57Z

NotGNU:

This page contains external links to free programs that will help you protect your privacy, some of the listed tools might show you advertisements or a nagging screen inviting the user to upgrade to a paid for version, they might also make it difficult for you to find the free version on their website.

=== Encryption ===

To quickly send encrypted email files or messages you can use Winrar or Winzip, the protection they offer is strong enough to stop even corrupt law enforcement agents, but to be sure that if your computer is ever lost or stolen you will need to use full disk encryption, file encryption can not protect you against temporary files and Internet browsing history found in your computer.

* [http://www.truecrypt.org Truecryt] - Full disk encryption only works in Windows, Linux and Mac version only encrypts external HDD or containers
* [http://diskcryptor.net/wiki/Main_Page/en DiskCryptor] - Windows only, highly configurable, bootloader can be installed in an external device

=== Data Wiping ===

* [http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net/ BleachBit] - Internet browsing and temporary files data wiping software
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser/ Eraser] - File and hard drive empty sectors wiper
* [http://privazer.com/ Privazer] - It securely wipes temporary files and hard drive free space
* [http://www.dban.org/ DBAN] - Linux live CD to wipe the whole hard drive, including the operating system, useful before selling or throwing away the computer

=== Proxy VPN ===

* [http://www.securitykiss.com/ SecurityKiss] - Free version only allows 300MB/day, company claims logs are kept for ten days.
* [http://cyberghostvpn.com/ CyberGhostVPN] - No bandwidth limit, company claims they do not keep logs, not even for free users.

=== Email ===

There is a lack of privacy free email services, nearly all of them are paid for services, for a free secure email account your best bet is to use tor proxy and open an email with any free provider hiding your computer IP but some free webmail providers ban tor proxy IPs.

* [http://www.hushmail.com Hushmail] - Account expires after three weeks of not logging in, Hushmail is based in Canada and keeps IP login logs
* [http://tormail.org/ Tormail] - Only accessible through tor, it has been reported as slow in various BL boards.
* [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/torbirdy/ TorBirdy] - Addon for the free Thunderbird email client, Torbirdy uses the tor proxy to access email

=== Antivirus ===

* [http://www.avast.com/en-eu/index Avast] - It might install a website rating toolbar that can be easily uninstalled
* [https://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus Avira] - Free version will show an occasional popup advert once a week or so

=== Firewall ===

Although Windows comes with a free firewall, it is very basic that allows for little configuration and does not warn you when a program installed in your computer wants to access the Internet, Windows firewall only warns you when an outside IP wants to get inside, if you were to have a trojan installed in your PC you would not be warned when it connects to the Internet sending out personal data.

* [http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Comodo Free Firewall] - Light on resources
* [http://free.agnitum.com/ Outpost Security Suite] - Antispyware and firewall suite

=== Remailers and Usenet ===

Anonymous email messages sent using this software will be encrypted and routed across a few Mixmaster mail servers run by volunteers, the messages will be deliberately delayed to avoid timing attacks where a rogue server operator could guess who sent a message matching connection and posting times. The main problem with messages hidding the sender IP is that spam filters often flag them as spam and they could end up in the recipient spam folder.

Anonymous newsgroups messages can be posted with the same software specifying the newsgroup name and using a mail2news gateway run by one of the Mixmaster operators, it could take a couple of days for the message to show up and no binaries (pictures) can be posted using them, only text messages, because the network uses various nodes in different countries, just like tor servers do, it is not possible to trace back the sender.

* [http://quicksilvermail.net/ QuickSilver] - Windows client to anonymously post in Usenet groups and send anonymous email messages using Mixmaster remailer network
* [https://www.awxcnx.de/mm-anon-news.htm Awxcnx Usenet] - Web based remailer to post in Usenet groups
* [https://www.awxcnx.de/mm-anon-email.htm Awxcnx Email] - Web based remailer to send anonymous email messages
* [http://mixmaster.sourceforge.net/ Mixmaster] - Command line remailer for Linux/BSD users

=== Other ===

* [http://keepass.info/ KeePass] - Open source offline password manager
* [http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/ Password Safe] - Open source offline password manager
* [http://www.ipredia.org/ iPredia OS] - Linux distribution to access the anonymous i2P network, it can be used as a live DVD
* [https://tails.boum.org/ Tails] - Linux distribution for anonymous communications and Internet browsing with tor proxy, it can be used as a live DVD

==See also==
* [Internet security tutorial]

[[Category:Technology]]

Internet security tutorial

2013-07-30T23:13:56Z

NotGNU:

This tutorial will help you stay safe when using the Internet, and avoid hackers, viruses, and accidentally giving out your private information to strangers. The first section assume that you're using Microsoft Windows (the most popular operating system for PCs). But even if Windows is the most popular operating system for PCs, not means that it is the most reliable. It is better to install an open source system. Like GNU/Linux: [http://opensuse.org OpenSUSE], [http://www.debian.org/ Debian], [http://trisquel.info Trisquel], etc. Because Microsoft is intercepting your stuff and sending it to the NSA (and the CIA and the FBI). <ref>http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/windows-8-prism-edition</ref>

==On Windows==

===Browser security===
''Main article: [[Browser security]]''

All Windows versions newer than Windows 95 (including Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP) ship with a web browser called [[Internet Explorer|Microsoft Internet Explorer]] (often called "IE"). This is the program you use to 'surf the web' and view web pages. As Windows is a popular operating system, a large percentage of web surfers (often estimated to around 90 %) use IE. But it doesn't mean that IE is the only Internet browser out there.

In fact, it is strongly advisable to use another web browser instead of IE. Here's why:
*IE is known for having many security holes that can be used by hackers and malicious code to gain entry to your computer. IE is also closely integrated with Windows, which means that security exploits in IE can easily be used to infect the entire operating system.
*IE is the most popular Internet browser on the web, which means that it is a big target for hackers and viruses out there.

Instead, it is recommended to use either [[Mozilla Firefox]] or [[Opera]] as the standard Internet browser. Firefox is open source software, while Opera is proprietary software but you can get it at zero cost. Both are simple to download and install (visit the websites linked below). Firefox seems to be preferred by many.

===Firewall/Anti-virus===
A firewall is software that monitors your internet connection and allows you to only let through the programs you want and block out potential hackers. Windows comes with a built-in firewall turned on by default, unfortunately this will not warn you against insider threats, like a trojan already installed in your computer attempting to connect to an external server, Windows firewall only blocks incoming hacking attempts, to improve your security it would be best to install one of the many free firewalls, e.g. Comodo, ZoneAlarm.

Anti-virus software will prevent computer viruses from spreading to your computer monitoring the behaviour of downloaded files, your antivirus will only come into action when you execute or unrar a file, if the virus is just sitting down on the drive the antivirus will not detect it unless you select it and run a manual scan. Windows does not come with antivirus, there are various free ones that do a good job. e.g. Avast, AVG

To be secure you should be running both, an antivirus and a firewall, both programs are complementary and do different jobs, a firewall will not analyse files, it only looks into your Internet connection and blocks unauthorised requests to access the Internet.

=== Windows Update ===
Windows has a feature called Windows Update, which lets you easily update Windows with new security fixes, you should visit Windows Update regularly (there should be a shortcut in the Start Menu) or considering turning on automatic updates. Not all software will be updated by Windows, operating system addons, like Flash, Shockwave and Java, are updated by their respective developers, you will be better off using the software settings to automatically update and you will not have to keep checking for security patches.

People working in very high security environments and fearing privacy breaches from corrupt security agencies should extreme caution when updating software, read everything before clicking on "Next" and make sure that the update is valid. It is known that top law enforcement departments have access to tools that camouflage trojans as fake Windows and Flash player updates and they are not detected by any antivirus. According to "''Wikileaks SpyFiles''", The Gamma group offers to law enforcement personnel a trojan called Finfly to remotely install monitoring software on a target computer, they also have tools to monitor huge volumes of traffic going through an ISP and lock into certain keywords, using a VPN or encrypted connection will get around ISP filters and monitoring.

== On GNU/Linux ==
GNU/Linux is the combination of the Linux kernel, with the GNU operating system created by [[Richard Stallman]].<ref name=linuxandgnu>http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html</ref> The GNU/Linux operating system is often called, simply '''Linux'''.<ref name=linuxandgnu /> This operating system is free software.<ref>http://gnu.org</ref> Free software not means zero cost software.<ref name=freesw>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html</ref> It means that respect your freedom to study, share, modify, etc the software. <ref name=freesw /> It is generally safer to use free software instead of proprietary software. Because you have the right to study it and find out what it is really doing. Becoming less vulnerable to malicious code and spyware. Some examples of spyware in proprietary software are Windows Media Player and RealPlayer that reports what each user watches or listens. <ref>http://gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html</ref>

=== Why you should not use Windows? ===
Windows have a long history of security holes.<ref>http://en.windows7sins.org/security/</ref> Windows is proprietary software and Windows 8 restricts your freedom, invades your privacy and expose your personal data. <ref>http://fsf.org/windows8</ref>

=== Migrating to GNU/Linux ===
If you use Windows and want to try the GNU/Linux system. Then you can download Trisquel [http://trisquel.info/en/download here]. The next step is to burn a CD/DVD. You can use [http://download.cnet.com/BurnAware-Free/3000-2646_4-10878661.html?part=dl-6308961&subj=dl&tag=button BurnAware Free] for that purpose. But the Windows 7 have integrated support to burn ISO images. Click in the file with the mouse right button, and select the appropriate option to burn CD/DVD. Trisquel can be used as a live CD, if you not want to install it.
[https://tails.boum.org/ Tails] is some variant of the GNU/Linux system in a live CD. Tails is focused on user privacy.

=== Anonymity via wireless ===
If you known some wireless network that allows you to get connected to. Using only information that is used by other people too(eg. the network name and the password). Then you can use it to have some anonymity. But it may only work if other people is using ''exactly the same network at exactly the same time''. Then the attacker will not know for sure, who exactly made such access.

These networks can be:
* The Internet connection offered by your job that other employees are using too.
* Open Wireless: The Internet connection offered by public places. These places can be shops, restaurants, parks and so on.
* The Internet connection offered by your university to students and teachers.

Even if the attacker never find you. It can get fairly close, then it is highly recommended that you use the methods described here with encryption or a liveCD ([http://en.boywiki.org/wiki/Internet_security_tutorial#Encryption_.26_live_CD see below]).
It is recommended that you use a anonymizer(like Tor) too.

==== Faking the MAC address ====
Each network card has a MAC address. This address is unique, so if the attacker gets it, will probably reach your computer and you. This address can not be obtained through the Internet. But it can be used to communicate with other computers or routers on the same network.

So if you want anonymity through a public network (eg. Open Wireless). You should fake that address. To fake it simply change it by something else. For example: 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5

Open a terminal and type the following lines: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
</code>

In this example I use the wlan0 device, but you may use some other to connect to the Internet, then pay attention to error messages like: wlan0: unknown interface: No such device. This means that an error occurred and the address has not changed.

You can do that for all interfaces the command <code>ifconfig</code> will show the interface name for all interfaces. Simply replace wlan0, by the name of the interface. For example: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig eth0 down 
sudo ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig eth0 up
</code>

Then run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure they succeed. This command will show the interface name followed by several information. If all went well the MAC that you typed should appear as the HWaddr of the interface that you use to access the Internet.

You may want to change the MAC for all interfaces. After it re-run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure that everything went well.

== Encryption & live CD ==
Strong password to log on accounts on your computer is a good step. But it isn't enough to protect your computer against seizure. Encryption allow your data to be unreadable for the attacker.

The last and more important line of defense is encryption, numerous BLs have had their lives destroyed after their computers have been unexpectedly lost or stolen, privacy breaches can be easily stopped using full disk encryption. Full disk encryption will encrypt every single byte in your hard drive and will only make it accessible after you enter the correct password. Encryption software like [http://truecrypt.org Truecrypt] has been known to be unbreakable by even law enforcement. There are many encryption programs out there, you should focus on those that can fully encrypt the drive, if you encrypt single files there is the risk that temporary files will still exist in your drive.

Some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia make it a criminal offense not to reveal your encryption password when required by law enforcement, in the [[United States]] there is no such law and you have no legal obligation to reveal your passwords to the authorities. If you were to live in a repressive country like China, and do no want to be found using encryption, then use a live CD like [https://tails.boum.org/ Tails], live CDs run in volatile RAM memory, when you switch off the computer after running a live CD, there will be nothing left to recover, not even tracks that you have used it.

As Truecrypt, [http://gnu.org/s/fcrypt GNU fcrypt] is a disk encryption software. It allows you to use random passwords. The randomly generated password is in memory and is never disclosed to the User. Then you not need hide anything. But this program is in development, not have released versions and may have security holes. Then if you isn't a computer hacker, it is bad idea to use this program. It only works on GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd operating systems.

==== Using secure passwords ====
The weakness of most encryption systems is the password. You must remember that computers can test password much more faster than a human. Then if your password is a dictionary word, sooner or later it will be found. Some brute force programs used by government agencies, try to combine dictionary words with numbers and do some other common changes too: like changing 'o' by '0', etc. Some weak password like john34, car23 or john34car23 may be easily found by government agencies trying to look at your files.

==Proxy==
All computers that are connected to the Internet have their own identifiable [[IP address]]. It is visible to external web sites you connect to, and in the worst case can be used to identify you as an individual. A proxy can help you stay anonymous on the Internet by masking your IP address. The easiest proxies operate via a website, like Anonymouse (link below). Using a proxy is recommended when visiting boylover sites that use external hosting of images, like [[boylover.net]].

If you're serious about Internet security, you should consider using [[Tor]]. It is an advanced proxy, and is better at protecting your privacy than web-based proxies. Tor is also considered more secure, as it is based on open source code and dynamic traffic routing, and doesn't have the possibilites for logging that a fixed web site has. It should be noted that Tor is still experimental software. Tor is a program that is installed on your computer. There are downloads and complete installation instructions available at Tor's home site (linked below).

==Internet Security and Child Pornography==
Remember that no matter how secure you can make your computer, it will never be 100 percent secure. There will always be ways law enforcement can use to bust you if you attempt downloading illegal materials on your computer. For example, the FBI put links to fake child porn sites, and then raids the homes of anyone willing to click on them. <ref>http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9899151-38.html</ref> This tutorial should only be used to help you visit legal web sites safely without having to fear revealing your personal information or getting your computer hacked or infected by nasty code, not to help visiting illegal sites. There is only one waterproof advice to avoid being caught with child pornography: '''stay away from it!'''

==securely deleting files==
Many times when using GNU/Linux or Windows, when you try to delete some file. It isn't really deleted. Instead the information about it's existence is deleted. Then an attacker can retrieve the file from disk. When using GNU/Linux you should open a terminal and use <code>shred -u <file_name></code> or <code>shred <file_name></code> instead of <code>rm</code>. If you use Windows, you can use the Eraser.

==External links==
*[https://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Firefox browser]
*[http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Comodo free firewall]
*[http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download Avast free antivirus]
*[http://www.truecrypt.org Truecrypt encryption]
*[https://ssd.eff.org Surveillance Self-Defense]
*[http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Eraser]

==References==
<References />

[[Category:Technology]]

User:NotGNU

2013-05-23T02:10:04Z

NotGNU:

[http://www.cchr.org/ CCHR] expose psychiatry as pseudo-science. Thomas Szasz says that we can't diagnose someone to be illness just because of it's behavior. It is what occur on psychiatry. Some times it is a way to stigmatize people. What occur with people attracted by children.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj7GmeSAxXo This video on Youtube show Thomas Szasz]

Richard Stallman

2013-05-23T01:29:53Z

NotGNU:

==Biography==

Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often shortened to rms, is an American software freedom activist and computer programmer. In September 1983, he launched the GNU Project to create a free Unix-like operating system, and has been the project's lead architect and organizer. With the launch of the GNU Project, he initiated the free software movement; in October 1985 he founded the Free Software Foundation.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_stallman, last modified on 28 April 2011 at 11:19.</ref>

He wrote the most of the GNU project philosophy: Show because he created the GNU project and a philosophy that all projects that are part of the GNU project should follow.

He is interested in teach people to value their freedoms and fight for them. <ref>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/rms-kol.html</ref> He says that child pornographers and terrorism are used as a excuse to take people freedom. <ref>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/the-law-of-success-2.html</ref>

==Quotes==

*On June, 28th, 2003, he declared on his website<ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2003-may-aug.html</ref>, on sexuality:

'prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia" [...] All of these acts should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness.

Some rules might be called for when these acts directly affect other people's interests. For incest, contraception could be mandatory to avoid risk of inbreeding. For prostitution, a license should be required to ensure prostitutes get regular medical check-ups, and they should have training and support in insisting on use of condoms. This will be an advance in public health, compared with the situation today. For necrophilia, it might be necessary to ask the next of kin for permission if the decedent's will did not authorize it. Necrophilia would be my second choice for what should be done with my corpse, the first being scientific or medical use. Once my dead body is no longer of any use to me, it may as well be of some use to someone. Besides, I often enjoy rhinophytonecrophilia (nasal sex with dead plants).'

*In 2006, he declared on his website:<ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2006-may-aug.html#05%20June%202006%20(Dutch%20paedophiles%20form%20political%20party)</ref>, on the creation of the [[PNVD]] (a Dutch pro-paedophilia political party linked to [[Vereniging MARTIJN]]) in The Netherlands:

'I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing.'

*On January 4, 2013 his declared on his website <ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2012-nov-feb.html#04_January_2013_%28Pedophilia%29</ref>
There is little evidence to justify the widespread assumption that willing participation in pedophilia hurts children.

Granted, children may not dare say no to an older relative, or may not realize they could say no; in that case, even if they do not overtly object, the relationship may still feel imposed to them. That's not willing participation, it's imposed participation, a different issue.

*On May 22, 2013 his declared on his website: <ref>http://stallman.org/archives/2013-mar-jun.html#22_May_2013_%28West_Virginia_proposes_to_protect_girls_by_punishing_them_for_sexting%29</ref>
West Virginia proposes to "protect" girls from the risk of embarrassment due to sexting by piling punishment on top.

When sex is concerned, we see many proposals to punish those who are mistreated in one way or another. I think that this is just prudery at work — the talk about "helping" or "protecting" is just a disguise.

If we really want to help people, we need to think about why they get hurt. The US has a ridiculous taboo on nudity, and women who show their sexuality are sneered at. This is tied up with sexism, mysogyny, and religion. If a girl feels hurt due to publication of a nude photo of her, this stigma is probably why it hurts.

One way to destigmatize something is to get lots of people doing it. I made the suggestion that Facebook should require every user to provide a nude photo. This was a joke — no one should use Facebook! — but also serious. If lots of teenagers post nude photos, so that it becomes normal, the stigma will be gone.

== Notes et references ==
Some of the above stems from an article on the french BoyWiki <ref>https://fr.boywiki.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman</ref>
<references />
[[Category:Online history|Stallman Richard]]

Richard Stallman

2013-04-30T11:43:30Z

NotGNU:

==Biography==

Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often shortened to rms, is an American software freedom activist and computer programmer. In September 1983, he launched the GNU Project to create a free Unix-like operating system, and has been the project's lead architect and organizer. With the launch of the GNU Project, he initiated the free software movement; in October 1985 he founded the Free Software Foundation.<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_stallman, last modified on 28 April 2011 at 11:19.</ref>

He wrote the most of the GNU project philosophy: Show because he created the GNU project and a philosophy that all projects that are part of the GNU project should follow.

He is interested in teach people to value their freedoms and fight for them. <ref>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/rms-kol.html</ref> He says that child pornographers and terrorism are used as a excuse to take people freedom. <ref>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/the-law-of-success-2.html</ref>

==Quotes==

*On June, 28th, 2003, he declared on his website<ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2003-may-aug.html</ref>, on sexuality:

'prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia" [...] All of these acts should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness.

Some rules might be called for when these acts directly affect other people's interests. For incest, contraception could be mandatory to avoid risk of inbreeding. For prostitution, a license should be required to ensure prostitutes get regular medical check-ups, and they should have training and support in insisting on use of condoms. This will be an advance in public health, compared with the situation today. For necrophilia, it might be necessary to ask the next of kin for permission if the decedent's will did not authorize it. Necrophilia would be my second choice for what should be done with my corpse, the first being scientific or medical use. Once my dead body is no longer of any use to me, it may as well be of some use to someone. Besides, I often enjoy rhinophytonecrophilia (nasal sex with dead plants).'

*In 2006, he declared on his website:<ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2006-may-aug.html#05%20June%202006%20(Dutch%20paedophiles%20form%20political%20party)</ref>, on the creation of the [[PNVD]] (a Dutch pro-paedophilia political party linked to [[Vereniging MARTIJN]]) in The Netherlands:

'I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren't voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea that their little baby is maturing.'

*On January 4, 2013 his declared on his website:<ref>http://www.stallman.org/archives/2012-nov-feb.html#04_January_2013_%28Pedophilia%29</ref>
There is little evidence to justify the widespread assumption that willing participation in pedophilia hurts children.

Granted, children may not dare say no to an older relative, or may not realize they could say no; in that case, even if they do not overtly object, the relationship may still feel imposed to them. That's not willing participation, it's imposed participation, a different issue.

== Notes et references ==
Some of the above stems from an article on the french BoyWiki <ref>https://fr.boywiki.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman</ref>
<references />
[[Category:Online history|Stallman Richard]]

User:NotGNU

2013-04-30T09:36:00Z

NotGNU:

I'm a free software developer. I agree with [[Richard Stallman]] on most of it's views.

Many people reject it's views, because prejudice and maybe because their souls is not complex enough to understand that.
(Note this is a figurative expression)

Internet security tutorial

2013-01-17T08:04:02Z

NotGNU:

This tutorial will help you stay safe when using the Internet, and avoid hackers, viruses, and accidentally giving out your private information to strangers. The first section assume that you're using Microsoft Windows (the most popular operating system for PCs).

==On Windows==
===Browser security===
''Main article: [[Browser security]]''

All Windows versions newer than Windows 95 (including Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP) ship with a web browser called [[Internet Explorer|Microsoft Internet Explorer]] (often called "IE"). This is the program you use to 'surf the web' and view web pages. As Windows is a popular operating system, a large percentage of web surfers (often estimated to around 90 %) use IE. But it doesn't mean that IE is the only Internet browser out there.

In fact, it is strongly advisable to use another web browser instead of IE. Here's why:
*IE is known for having many security holes that can be used by hackers and malicious code to gain entry to your computer. IE is also closely integrated with Windows, which means that security exploits in IE can easily be used to infect the entire operating system.
*IE is the most popular Internet browser on the web, which means that it is a big target for hackers and viruses out there.

Instead, it is recommended to use either [[Mozilla Firefox]] or [[Opera]] as the standard Internet browser. Firefox is open source software, while Opera is proprietary software but you can get it at zero cost. Both are simple to download and install (visit the websites linked below). Firefox seems to be preferred by many.

===Firewall/Anti-virus===
A firewall is software that monitors your internet connection and allows you to only let through the programs you want and block out potential hackers. Windows comes with a built-in firewall turned on by default, unfortunately this will not warn you against insider threats, like a trojan already installed in your computer attempting to connect to an external server, Windows firewall only blocks incoming hacking attempts, to improve your security it would be best to install one of the many free firewalls, e.g. Comodo, ZoneAlarm.

Anti-virus software will prevent computer viruses from spreading to your computer monitoring the behaviour of downloaded files, your antivirus will only come into action when you execute or unrar a file, if the virus is just sitting down on the drive the antivirus will not detect it unless you select it and run a manual scan. Windows does not come with antivirus, there are various free ones that do a good job. e.g. Avast, AVG

To be secure you should be running both, an antivirus and a firewall, both programs are complementary and do different jobs, a firewall will not analyse files, it only looks into your Internet connection and blocks unauthorised requests to access the Internet.

=== Windows Update ===
Windows has a feature called Windows Update, which lets you easily update Windows with new security fixes, you should visit Windows Update regularly (there should be a shortcut in the Start Menu) or considering turning on automatic updates. Not all software will be updated by Windows, operating system addons, like Flash, Shockwave and Java, are updated by their respective developers, you will be better off using the software settings to automatically update and you will not have to keep checking for security patches.

People working in very high security environments and fearing privacy breaches from corrupt security agencies should extreme caution when updating software, read everything before clicking on "Next" and make sure that the update is valid. It is known that top law enforcement departments have access to tools that camouflage trojans as fake Windows and Flash player updates and they are not detected by any antivirus. According to "''Wikileaks SpyFiles''", The Gamma group offers to law enforcement personnel a trojan called Finfly to remotely install monitoring software on a target computer, they also have tools to monitor huge volumes of traffic going through an ISP and lock into certain keywords, using a VPN or encrypted connection will get around ISP filters and monitoring.

== On GNU/Linux ==
GNU/Linux is the combination of the Linux kernel, with the GNU operating system created by [[Richard Stallman]].<ref name=linuxandgnu>http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html</ref> The GNU/Linux operating system is often called, simply '''Linux'''.<ref name=linuxandgnu /> This operating system is free software.<ref>http://gnu.org</ref> Free software not means zero cost software.<ref name=freesw>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html</ref> It means that respect your freedom to study, share, modify, etc the software. <ref name=freesw /> It is generally safer to use free software instead of proprietary software. Because you have the right to study it and find out what it is really doing. Becoming less vulnerable to malicious code and spyware. Some examples of spyware in proprietary software are Windows Media Player and RealPlayer that reports what each user watches or listens. <ref>http://gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html</ref>

=== Why you should not use Windows? ===
Windows have a long history of security holes.<ref>http://en.windows7sins.org/security/</ref> Windows is proprietary software and Windows 8 restricts your freedom, invades your privacy and expose your personal data. <ref>http://fsf.org/windows8</ref>

=== Migrating to GNU/Linux ===
If you use Windows and want to try the GNU/Linux system. Then you can download Trisquel [http://trisquel.info/en/download here]. The next step is to burn a CD/DVD. You can use [http://download.cnet.com/BurnAware-Free/3000-2646_4-10878661.html?part=dl-6308961&subj=dl&tag=button BurnAware Free] for that purpose. But the Windows 7 have integrated support to burn ISO images. Click in the file with the mouse right button, and select the appropriate option to burn CD/DVD. Trisquel can be used as a live CD, if you not want to install it.
[https://tails.boum.org/ Tails] is some variant of the GNU/Linux system in a live CD. Tails is focused on user privacy.

=== Anonymity via wireless ===
If you known some wireless network that allows you to get connected to. Using only information that is used by other people too(eg. the network name and the password). Then you can use it to have some anonymity. But it may only work if other people is using ''exactly the same network at exactly the same time''. Then the attacker will not know for sure, who exactly made such access.

These networks can be:
* The Internet connection offered by your job that other employees are using too.
* Open Wireless: The Internet connection offered by public places. These places can be shops, restaurants, parks and so on.
* The Internet connection offered by your university to students and teachers.

Even if the attacker never find you. It can get fairly close, then it is highly recommended that you use the methods described here with encryption or a liveCD ([http://en.boywiki.org/wiki/Internet_security_tutorial#Encryption_.26_live_CD see below]).
It is recommended that you use a anonymizer(like Tor) too.

==== Faking the MAC address ====
Each network card has a MAC address. This address is unique, so if the attacker gets it, will probably reach your computer and you. This address can not be obtained through the Internet. But it can be used to communicate with other computers or routers on the same network.

So if you want anonymity through a public network (eg. Open Wireless). You should fake that address. To fake it simply change it by something else. For example: 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5

Open a terminal and type the following lines: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
</code>

In this example I use the wlan0 device, but you may use some other to connect to the Internet, then pay attention to error messages like: wlan0: unknown interface: No such device. This means that an error occurred and the address has not changed.

You can do that for all interfaces the command <code>ifconfig</code> will show the interface name for all interfaces. Simply replace wlan0, by the name of the interface. For example: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig eth0 down 
sudo ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig eth0 up
</code>

Then run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure they succeed. This command will show the interface name followed by several information. If all went well the MAC that you typed should appear as the HWaddr of the interface that you use to access the Internet.

You may want to change the MAC for all interfaces. After it re-run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure that everything went well.

== Encryption & live CD ==
Strong password to log on accounts on your computer is a good step. But it isn't enough to protect your computer against seizure. Encryption allow your data to be unreadable for the attacker.

The last and more important line of defense is encryption, numerous BLs have had their lives destroyed after their computers have been unexpectedly lost or stolen, privacy breaches can be easily stopped using full disk encryption. Full disk encryption will encrypt every single byte in your hard drive and will only make it accessible after you enter the correct password. Encryption software like [http://truecrypt.org Truecrypt] has been known to be unbreakable by even law enforcement. There are many encryption programs out there, you should focus on those that can fully encrypt the drive, if you encrypt single files there is the risk that temporary files will still exist in your drive.

Some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia make it a criminal offense not to reveal your encryption password when required by law enforcement, in the [[United States]] there is no such law and you have no legal obligation to reveal your passwords to the authorities. If you were to live in a repressive country like China, and do no want to be found using encryption, then use a live CD like [https://tails.boum.org/ Tails], live CDs run in volatile RAM memory, when you switch off the computer after running a live CD, there will be nothing left to recover, not even tracks that you have used it.

As Truecrypt, [http://gnu.org/s/fcrypt GNU fcrypt] is a disk encryption software. It allows you to use random passwords. The randomly generated password is in memory and is never disclosed to the User. Then you not need hide anything. But this program is in development, not have released versions and may have security holes. Then if you isn't a computer hacker, it is bad idea to use this program. It only works on GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd operating systems.

==== Using secure passwords ====
The weakness of most encryption systems is the password. You must remember that computers can test password much more faster than a human. Then if your password is a dictionary word, sooner or later it will be found. Some brute force programs used by government agencies, try to combine dictionary words with numbers and do some other common changes too: like changing 'o' by '0', etc. Some weak password like john34, car23 or john34car23 may be easily found by government agencies trying to look at your files.

==Proxy==
All computers that are connected to the Internet have their own identifiable [[IP address]]. It is visible to external web sites you connect to, and in the worst case can be used to identify you as an individual. A proxy can help you stay anonymous on the Internet by masking your IP address. The easiest proxies operate via a website, like Anonymouse (link below). Using a proxy is recommended when visiting boylover sites that use external hosting of images, like [[boylover.net]].

If you're serious about Internet security, you should consider using [[Tor]]. It is an advanced proxy, and is better at protecting your privacy than web-based proxies. Tor is also considered more secure, as it is based on open source code and dynamic traffic routing, and doesn't have the possibilites for logging that a fixed web site has. It should be noted that Tor is still experimental software. Tor is a program that is installed on your computer. There are downloads and complete installation instructions available at Tor's home site (linked below).

==Internet Security and Child Pornography==
Remember that no matter how secure you can make your computer, it will never be 100 percent secure. There will always be ways law enforcement can use to bust you if you attempt downloading illegal materials on your computer. For example, the FBI put links to fake child porn sites, and then raids the homes of anyone willing to click on them. <ref>http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9899151-38.html</ref> This tutorial should only be used to help you visit legal web sites safely without having to fear revealing your personal information or getting your computer hacked or infected by nasty code, not to help visiting illegal sites. There is only one waterproof advice to avoid being caught with child pornography: '''stay away from it!'''

==securely deleting files==
Many times when using GNU/Linux or Windows, when you try to delete some file. It isn't really deleted. Instead the information about it's existence is deleted. Then an attacker can retrieve the file from disk. When using GNU/Linux you should open a terminal and use <code>shred -u <file_name></code> or <code>shred <file_name></code> instead of <code>rm</code>. If you use Windows, you can use the Eraser.

==External links==
*[https://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Firefox browser]
*[http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Comodo free firewall]
*[http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download Avast free antivirus]
*[http://www.truecrypt.org Truecrypt encryption]
*[https://ssd.eff.org Surveillance Self-Defense]
*[http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Eraser]

==References==
<References />

[[Category:Technology]]

Internet security tutorial

2013-01-16T17:39:30Z

NotGNU:

This tutorial will help you stay safe when using the Internet, and avoid hackers, viruses, and accidentally giving out your private information to strangers. The first section assume that you're using Microsoft Windows (the most popular operating system for PCs).

==On Windows==
===Browser security===
''Main article: [[Browser security]]''

All Windows versions newer than Windows 95 (including Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP) ship with a web browser called [[Internet Explorer|Microsoft Internet Explorer]] (often called "IE"). This is the program you use to 'surf the web' and view web pages. As Windows is a popular operating system, a large percentage of web surfers (often estimated to around 90 %) use IE. But it doesn't mean that IE is the only Internet browser out there.

In fact, it is strongly advisable to use another web browser instead of IE. Here's why:
*IE is known for having many security holes that can be used by hackers and malicious code to gain entry to your computer. IE is also closely integrated with Windows, which means that security exploits in IE can easily be used to infect the entire operating system.
*IE is the most popular Internet browser on the web, which means that it is a big target for hackers and viruses out there.

Instead, it is recommended to use either [[Mozilla Firefox]] or [[Opera]] as the standard Internet browser. Firefox is open source software, while Opera is proprietary software but you can get it at zero cost. Both are simple to download and install (visit the websites linked below). Firefox seems to be preferred by many.

===Firewall/Anti-virus===
A firewall is software that monitors your internet connection and allows you to only let through the programs you want and block out potential hackers. Windows comes with a built-in firewall turned on by default, unfortunately this will not warn you against insider threats, like a trojan already installed in your computer attempting to connect to an external server, Windows firewall only blocks incoming hacking attempts, to improve your security it would be best to install one of the many free firewalls, e.g. Comodo, ZoneAlarm.

Anti-virus software will prevent computer viruses from spreading to your computer monitoring the behaviour of downloaded files, your antivirus will only come into action when you execute or unrar a file, if the virus is just sitting down on the drive the antivirus will not detect it unless you select it and run a manual scan. Windows does not come with antivirus, there are various free ones that do a good job. e.g. Avast, AVG

To be secure you should be running both, an antivirus and a firewall, both programs are complementary and do different jobs, a firewall will not analyse files, it only looks into your Internet connection and blocks unauthorised requests to access the Internet.

=== Windows Update ===
Windows has a feature called Windows Update, which lets you easily update Windows with new security fixes, you should visit Windows Update regularly (there should be a shortcut in the Start Menu) or considering turning on automatic updates. Not all software will be updated by Windows, operating system addons, like Flash, Shockwave and Java, are updated by their respective developers, you will be better off using the software settings to automatically update and you will not have to keep checking for security patches.

People working in very high security environments and fearing privacy breaches from corrupt security agencies should extreme caution when updating software, read everything before clicking on "Next" and make sure that the update is valid. It is known that top law enforcement departments have access to tools that camouflage trojans as fake Windows and Flash player updates and they are not detected by any antivirus. According to "''Wikileaks SpyFiles''", The Gamma group offers to law enforcement personnel a trojan called Finfly to remotely install monitoring software on a target computer, they also have tools to monitor huge volumes of traffic going through an ISP and lock into certain keywords, using a VPN or encrypted connection will get around ISP filters and monitoring.

== On GNU/Linux ==
GNU/Linux is the combination of Linux, the kernel, with the GNU operating system created by [[Richard Stallman]].<ref name=linuxandgnu>http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html</ref> The GNU/Linux operating system is often called, simply '''Linux'''.<ref name=linuxandgnu /> This operating system is free software.<ref>http://gnu.org</ref> Free software not means zero cost software.<ref name=freesw>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html</ref> It means that respect your freedom to study, share, modify, etc the software. <ref name=freesw /> It is generally safer to use free software instead of proprietary software. Because you have the right to study it and find out what it is really doing. Becoming less vulnerable to malicious code and spyware. Some example of spyware in proprietary software is Windows Media Player and RealPlayer that reports what each user watches or listens. <ref>http://gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html</ref>

=== Why you should not use Windows? ===
Windows have a long history of security holes.<ref>http://en.windows7sins.org/security/</ref> Windows is proprietary software and Windows 8 restricts your freedom, invades your privacy and expose your personal data. <ref>http://fsf.org/windows8</ref>

=== Migrating to GNU/Linux ===
If you use Windows and want to try the GNU/Linux system. Then you can download Trisquel [http://trisquel.info/en/download here]. The next step is to burn a CD/DVD. You can use [http://download.cnet.com/BurnAware-Free/3000-2646_4-10878661.html?part=dl-6308961&subj=dl&tag=button BurnAware Free] for that purpose. But the Windows 7 have integrated support to burn ISO images. Click in the file with the mouse right button, and select the appropriate option to burn CD/DVD. Trisquel can be used as a live CD, if you not want to install it.
[https://tails.boum.org/ Tails] is some variant of the GNU/Linux system in a live CD. Tails is focused on user privacy.

=== Anonymity via wireless ===
If you known some wireless network that allows you to get connected to. Using only information that is used by other people too(eg. the network name and the password). Then you can use it to have some anonymity. But it may only work if other people is using ''exactly the same network at exactly the same time''. Then the attacker will not know for sure, who exactly made such access.

These networks can be:
* The Internet connection offered by your job that other employees are using too.
* Open Wireless: The Internet connection offered by public places. These places can be shops, restaurants, parks and so on.
* The Internet connection offered by your university to students and teachers.

Even if the attacker never find you. It can get fairly close, then it is highly recommended that you use the methods described here with encryption or a liveCD ([http://en.boywiki.org/w/index.php?title=Internet_security_tutorial#Encryption_.26_live_CD see above]).
It is recommended that you use a anonymizer(like Tor) too.

==== Faking the MAC address ====
Each network card has a MAC address. This address is unique, so if the attacker gets it, will probably reach your computer and you. This address can not be obtained through the Internet. But it can be used to communicate with other computers or routers on the same network.

So if you want anonymity through a public network (eg. Open Wireless). You should fake that address. To fake it simply change it by something else. For example: 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5

Open a terminal and type the following lines: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
</code>

In this example I use the wlan0 device, but you may use some other to connect to the Internet, then pay attention to error messages like: wlan0: unknown interface: No such device. This means that an error occurred and the address has not changed.

You can do that for all interfaces the command <code>ifconfig</code> will show the interface name for all interfaces. Simply replace wlan0, by the name of the interface. For example: 
<code>
sudo ifconfig eth0 down 
sudo ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:D0:A3:4B:C3:F5 
sudo ifconfig eth0 up
</code>

Then run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure they succeed. This command will show the interface name followed by several information. If all went well the MAC that you typed should appear as the HWaddr of the interface that you use to access the Internet.

You may want to change the MAC for all interfaces. After it re-run <code>ifconfig</code> to make sure that everything went well.

== Encryption & live CD ==
Strong password to log on accounts on your computer is a good step. But it isn't enough to protect your computer against seizure. Encryption allow your data to be unreadable for the attacker.

The last and more important line of defense is encryption, numerous BLs have had their lives destroyed after their computers have been unexpectedly lost or stolen, privacy breaches can be easily stopped using full disk encryption. Full disk encryption will encrypt every single byte in your hard drive and will only make it accessible after you enter the correct password. Encryption software like [http://truecrypt.org Truecrypt] has been known to be unbreakable by even law enforcement. There are many encryption programs out there, you should focus on those that can fully encrypt the drive, if you encrypt single files there is the risk that temporary files will still exist in your drive.

Some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia make it a criminal offense not to reveal your encryption password when required by law enforcement, in the [[United States]] there is no such law and you have no legal obligation to reveal your passwords to the authorities. If you were to live in a repressive country like China, and do no want to be found using encryption, then use a live CD like [https://tails.boum.org/ Tails], live CDs run in volatile RAM memory, when you switch off the computer after running a live CD, there will be nothing left to recover, not even tracks that you have used it.

As Truecrypt, [http://gnu.org/s/fcrypt GNU fcrypt] is a disk encryption software. It allows you to use random passwords. The randomly generated password is in memory and is never disclosed to the User. Then you not need hide anything. But this program is in development, not have released versions and may have security holes. The if you isn't a computer hacker, then it is bad idea to use this program. It only works on GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd operating systems.

==== Using secure passwords ====
The weakness of most encryption systems is the password. You must remember that computers can test password much more faster than a human. Then if your password is a dictionary word, sooner or later it will be found. Some brute force programs used by government agencies, try to combine dictionary words with numbers and do some other common changes too: like changing 'o' by '0', etc. Some weak password like john34, car23 or john34car23 may be easily found by government agencies trying to look at your files.

==Proxy==
All computers that are connected to the Internet have their own identifiable [[IP address]]. It is visible to external web sites you connect to, and in the worst case can be used to identify you as an individual. A proxy can help you stay anonymous on the Internet by masking your IP address. The easiest proxies operate via a website, like Anonymouse (link below). Using a proxy is recommended when visiting boylover sites that use external hosting of images, like [[boylover.net]].

If you're serious about Internet security, you should consider using [[Tor]]. It is an advanced proxy, and is better at protecting your privacy than web-based proxies. Tor is also considered more secure, as it is based on open source code and dynamic traffic routing, and doesn't have the possibilites for logging that a fixed web site has. It should be noted that Tor is still experimental software. Tor is a program that is installed on your computer. There are downloads and complete installation instructions available at Tor's home site (linked below).

==Internet Security and Child Pornography==
Remember that no matter how secure you can make your computer, it will never be 100 percent secure. There will always be ways law enforcement can use to bust you if you attempt downloading illegal materials on your computer. This tutorial should only be used to help you visit legal web sites safely without having to fear revealing your personal information or getting your computer hacked or infected by nasty code, not to help visiting illegal sites. There is only one waterproof advice to avoid being caught with child pornography: '''stay away from it!''' and be careful because the FBI put links to fake child porn sites, and then raids the homes of anyone willing to click on them. <ref>http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9899151-38.html</ref>

==securely deleting files==
Many times when using GNU/Linux or Windows, when you try to delete some file. It isn't really deleted. Instead the information about it's existence is deleted. Then an attacker can retrieve the file from disk. When using GNU/Linux you should open a terminal and use <code>shred -u <file_name></code> or <code>shred <file_name></code> instead of <code>rm</code>. If you use Windows, you can use the Eraser.

==External links==
*[https://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Firefox browser]
*[http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Comodo free firewall]
*[http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download Avast free antivirus]
*[http://www.truecrypt.org Truecrypt encryption]
*[https://ssd.eff.org Surveillance Self-Defense]
*[http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Eraser]

==References==
<References />

[[Category:Technology]]

Internet security tutorial

2013-01-15T17:34:13Z

NotGNU:

This tutorial will help you stay safe when using the Internet, and avoid hackers, viruses, and accidentally giving out your private information to strangers. The first section assume that you're using Microsoft Windows (the most popular operating system for PCs).

==On Windows==
===Browser security===
''Main article: [[Browser security]]''

All Windows versions newer than Windows 95 (including Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP) ship with a web browser called [[Internet Explorer|Microsoft Internet Explorer]] (often called "IE"). This is the program you use to 'surf the web' and view web pages. As Windows is a popular operating system, a large percentage of web surfers (often estimated to around 90 %) use IE. But it doesn't mean that IE is the only Internet browser out there.

In fact, it is strongly advisable to use another web browser instead of IE. Here's why:
*IE is known for having many security holes that can be used by hackers and malicious code to gain entry to your computer. IE is also closely integrated with Windows, which means that security exploits in IE can easily be used to infect the entire operating system.
*IE is the most popular Internet browser on the web, which means that it is a big target for hackers and viruses out there.

Instead, it is recommended to use either [[Mozilla Firefox]] or [[Opera]] as the standard Internet browser. Firefox is open source software, while Opera is proprietary software but you can get it at zero cost. Both are simple to download and install (visit the websites linked below). Firefox seems to be preferred by many.

===Firewall/Anti-virus===
A firewall is software that monitors your internet connection and allows you to only let through the programs you want and block out potential hackers. Windows comes with a built-in firewall turned on by default, unfortunately this will not warn you against insider threats, like a trojan already installed in your computer attempting to connect to an external server, Windows firewall only blocks incoming hacking attempts, to improve your security it would be best to install one of the many free firewalls, e.g. Comodo, ZoneAlarm.

Anti-virus software will prevent computer viruses from spreading to your computer monitoring the behaviour of downloaded files, your antivirus will only come into action when you execute or unrar a file, if the virus is just sitting down on the drive the antivirus will not detect it unless you select it and run a manual scan. Windows does not come with antivirus, there are various free ones that do a good job. e.g. Avast, AVG

To be secure you should be running both, an antivirus and a firewall, both programs are complementary and do different jobs, a firewall will not analyse files, it only looks into your Internet connection and blocks unauthorised requests to access the Internet.

=== Windows Update ===
Windows has a feature called Windows Update, which lets you easily update Windows with new security fixes, you should visit Windows Update regularly (there should be a shortcut in the Start Menu) or considering turning on automatic updates. Not all software will be updated by Windows, operating system addons, like Flash, Shockwave and Java, are updated by their respective developers, you will be better off using the software settings to automatically update and you will not have to keep checking for security patches.

People working in very high security environments and fearing privacy breaches from corrupt security agencies should extreme caution when updating software, read everything before clicking on "Next" and make sure that the update is valid. It is known that top law enforcement departments have access to tools that camouflage trojans as fake Windows and Flash player updates and they are not detected by any antivirus. According to "''Wikileaks SpyFiles''", The Gamma group offers to law enforcement personnel a trojan called Finfly to remotely install monitoring software on a target computer, they also have tools to monitor huge volumes of traffic going through an ISP and lock into certain keywords, using a VPN or encrypted connection will get around ISP filters and monitoring.

== On GNU/Linux ==
GNU/Linux is the combination of Linux, the kernel, with the GNU operating system created by [[Richard Stallman]].<ref name=linuxandgnu>http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html</ref> The GNU/Linux operating system is often called, simply '''Linux'''.<ref name=linuxandgnu /> This operating system is free software.<ref>http://gnu.org</ref> Free software not means zero cost software.<ref name=freesw>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html</ref> It means that respect your freedom to study, share, modify, etc the software. <ref name=freesw /> It is generally safer to use free software instead of proprietary software. Because you have the right to study it and find out what it is really doing. Becoming less vulnerable to malicious code and spyware. Some example of spyware in proprietary software is Windows Media Player and RealPlayer that reports what each user watches or listens. <ref>http://gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html</ref>

=== Why you should not use Windows? ===
Windows have a long history of security holes.<ref>http://en.windows7sins.org/security/</ref> Windows is proprietary software and Windows 8 restricts your freedom, invades your privacy and expose your personal data. <ref>http://fsf.org/windows8</ref>

=== Migrating to GNU/Linux ===
If you use Windows and want to try the GNU/Linux system. Then you can download Trisquel [http://trisquel.info/en/download here]. The next step is to burn a CD/DVD. You can use [http://download.cnet.com/BurnAware-Free/3000-2646_4-10878661.html?part=dl-6308961&subj=dl&tag=button BurnAware Free] for that purpose. But the Windows 7 have integrated support to burn ISO images. Click in the file with the mouse right button, and select the appropriate option to burn CD/DVD. Trisquel can be used as a live CD, if you not want to install it.
[https://tails.boum.org/ Tails] is some variant of the GNU/Linux system in a live CD. Tails is focused on user privacy.

== Encryption & live CD ==
Strong password to log on accounts on your computer is a good step. But it isn't enough to protect your computer against seizure. Encryption allow your data to be unreadable for the attacker.

The last and more important line of defense is encryption, numerous BLs have had their lives destroyed after their computers have been unexpectedly lost or stolen, privacy breaches can be easily stopped using full disk encryption. Full disk encryption will encrypt every single byte in your hard drive and will only make it accessible after you enter the correct password. Encryption software like [http://truecrypt.org Truecrypt] has been known to be unbreakable by even law enforcement. There are many encryption programs out there, you should focus on those that can fully encrypt the drive, if you encrypt single files there is the risk that temporary files will still exist in your drive.

Some countries like the United Kingdom and Australia make it a criminal offense not to reveal your encryption password when required by law enforcement, in the [[United States]] there is no such law and you have no legal obligation to reveal your passwords to the authorities. If you were to live in a repressive country like China, and do no want to be found using encryption, then use a live CD like [https://tails.boum.org/ Tails], live CDs run in volatile RAM memory, when you switch off the computer after running a live CD, there will be nothing left to recover, not even tracks that you have used it.

As Truecrypt, [http://gnu.org/s/fcrypt GNU fcrypt] is a disk encryption software. It allows you to use random passwords. The randomly generated password is in memory and is never disclosed to the User. Then you not need hide anything. But this program is in development, not have released versions and may have security holes. The if you isn't a computer hacker, then it is bad idea to use this program. It only works on GNU/Linux and GNU/Hurd operating systems.

==== Using secure passwords ====
The weakness of most encryption systems is the password. You must remember that computers can test password much more faster than a human. Then if your password is a dictionary word, sooner or later it will be found. Some brute force programs used by government agencies, try to combine dictionary words with numbers and do some other common changes too: like changing 'o' by '0', etc. Some weak password like john34, car23 or john34car23 may be easily found by government agencies trying to look at your files.

==Proxy==
All computers that are connected to the Internet have their own identifiable [[IP address]]. It is visible to external web sites you connect to, and in the worst case can be used to identify you as an individual. A proxy can help you stay anonymous on the Internet by masking your IP address. The easiest proxies operate via a website, like Anonymouse (link below). Using a proxy is recommended when visiting boylover sites that use external hosting of images, like [[boylover.net]].

If you're serious about Internet security, you should consider using [[Tor]]. It is an advanced proxy, and is better at protecting your privacy than web-based proxies. Tor is also considered more secure, as it is based on open source code and dynamic traffic routing, and doesn't have the possibilites for logging that a fixed web site has. It should be noted that Tor is still experimental software. Tor is a program that is installed on your computer. There are downloads and complete installation instructions available at Tor's home site (linked below).

==Internet Security and Child Pornography==
Remember that no matter how secure you can make your computer, it will never be 100 percent secure. There will always be ways law enforcement can use to bust you if you attempt downloading illegal materials on your computer. This tutorial should only be used to help you visit legal web sites safely without having to fear revealing your personal information or getting your computer hacked or infected by nasty code, not to help visiting illegal sites. There is only one waterproof advice to avoid being caught with child pornography: '''stay away from it!''' and be careful because the FBI put links to fake child porn sites, and then raids the homes of anyone willing to click on them. <ref>http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9899151-38.html</ref>

==securely deleting files==
Many times when using GNU/Linux or Windows, when you try to delete some file. It isn't really deleted. Instead the information about it existence is deleted. Then an attacker can retrieve the file from disk. When using GNU/Linux you should open a terminal and use shred -u <file_name>(or simply shred) instead of rm. If you use Windows, you can use the Eraser.

==External links==
*[https://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Firefox browser]
*[http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/ Comodo free firewall]
*[http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download Avast free antivirus]
*[http://www.truecrypt.org Truecrypt encryption]
*[https://ssd.eff.org Surveillance Self-Defense]
*[http://eraser.heidi.ie/ Eraser]

==References==
<References />

[[Category:Technology]]

Richard Stallman

2013-01-15T02:54:57Z

NotGNU: