BoyWiki - User contributions [en]

The Dangers of using VPN

2022-12-10T07:35:25Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I added Australia into the text.

VPN (Virtual Private Networks) are privately run encrypted proxy services that protect privacy by ''masking'' the IP address of their users replacing the original IP address with a different one that can be located anywhere in the World.

Besides hiding your IP from server logs in the websites you visit, a VPN service protects you from your Internet Service Provider spying on you, in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia where the law requires Internet Service Providers to keep a record of what URLs a user has visited <ref>Britain Investigatory Powers Bill: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/investigatory-powers-bill-snoopers-charter-passed-royal-assent-spying-surveillance-a7445276.html</ref>, they will be unable to see anything if you are behind an encrypted VPN tunnel. A VPN service will also bypass censorship, if your Internet Service Provider is filtering websites, like they do in Russia, by using a VPN, the filter is rendered useless. Another use of VPNs is to access georestricted content, online TV and music only available to certain countries, can be accessed by faking your country location with a VPN.

== IP logging ==

Almost every VPN provider claims to either keep no logs, or to keep logs for only a very short time. This is what the VPN operators ''say'', but there is ''no way'' to determine the truthfulness of their claims. Should they not be telling the truth, then any BoyLover using such a VPN may be exposing himself to serious risks.

There is no method to determine what provider is telling the truth about logs and which one isn´t, you must rely on open source information (friends, forums, etc) to pick the best VPN provider, try to pick a company with a record of not handing over logs to law enforcement <ref>VPN Provider’s No-Logging Claims Tested in FBI Case: https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-no-logging-claims-tested-in-fbi-case-160312/</ref>, this confirms that it is truly impossible for them to facilitate something they haven´t got.

== How to pick a VPN ==

When picking a VPN, if your main interest is making sure that your government does not illegally spy on you and that your Internet browsing remains private, you will want to consider the following:

<ol>
<li>Pick a VPN provider that has been around for sometime and has good reputation</li>
<li>Pick a VPN provider that does not keep any kind of logs and their focus is on privacy</li>
<li>Pick a VPN provider that will block your Internet connection if the VPN disconnects, this is known as a ''killswitch''</li>
<li>Pick a VPN provider that is not located in the same country where you live, it makes it more difficult for your government to abuse their powers</li>
</ol>

There are various ways to uncover the original IP when you are behind a VPN, if you download a file with a virus, this can be used to uncover your home IP. A more common way to out your real IP is when your VPN suddenly disconnects in the middle your Internet browsing activities, this can happen for many different reasons, like a weak Wi-fi signal or a network card bottleneck, home Internet connections are usually set up to re-connect automatically if the signal drops, automatic re-connection makes your real IP visible, to avoid this from happening the VPN software you are using must have a killswitch, this little setting instructs the firewall to stop all of your Internet activities unless the VPN is switched on.

There are other ways that your real home IP could leak, look out for DNS leaks and WebRTC IP leaks. VPN software from reputable companies will stop that from happening but you should still carry out online tests to make sure that the VPN software you are using works as expected.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) reserves certain IP address blocks for use as private IP addresses <ref>Internal IP addresses explained: https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-private-ip-address-2625970</ref>, this means that the IPs are not visible on the Internet, if one of the online tests tells you that your real address is visible and it lists it as being in the range of 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 | 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 or |192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255, you should not worry about it, these are network addresses and can not be linked to your Internet Service Provider, only the VPN knows who is using them and if they keep no logs, nobody can trace it.

== Payments for VPN services ==

There are free VPN providers but they cost money to run and if you are not paying for it then somebody else is, they might be selling your data to recoup the cost of running the service, or display advertisements while you surf the Internet, another way free VPNs can exist is by getting you through the door with a restricted free offer, limited bandwidth and low speed and push their paid services all the time in the hope what some of the free users will end up paying.

A VPN service is usually affordable even for low income people, if you use it daily, it is worthwhile to pay for it. A downside of paying for a VPN is that it can be linked to your account, but not all VPN providers link payments with accounts, some of them allow you to use cryptocurrencies and others remove identifying information from the payment records, it is possible to sign up for a VPN service without giving away your name and address, it will depend on the provider, but nearly always you will need an email address to receive the username and password, make sure to sign up using an [[E-mail]] provider that respects your privacy.

Generally speaking, if the VPN provider does not keep logs of your activities, it wouldn´t matter if the company has your name address and payment details since they can not be linked to any Internet browsing, but it is always a good idea to reduce personal data to a bare minimum so that if something goes wrong, like a VPN being hacked or a server stolen, the data will not be compromised and illegally stolen.

== See also ==

*[[Tor]]
*[[Anonymity]]
*[[Browser security]]
*[[Proxy and VPN]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

*[https://restoreprivacy.com/no-logs-vpn/ Proven No Logs VPN Services]

*[https://www.privacytools.io/providers/vpn/ VPN Services for Privacy and Security]

*[https://ipleak.net/ Ipleak test]

[[Category:Technology]]

Tor (The Onion Router)

2022-05-20T11:41:57Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I added a few sentences to expand on this article.

'''Tor''' is a free open-source project providing people with a [[proxy]] to make their computer IP address more anonymous (harder to find) when surfing the Internet. It contains its own browser.

Us boylovers community are at a higher chance of being targeted and TOR is an extra layer of anonymity.

Every computer (or phone or tablet) that is accessing the Internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Typically these are assigned by the Internet Service Provider (the company you connect to which then connects you to the Internet using their own permanent connection), and can and often are different each time you use the Internet. They are in digits and typically take the form 000.00.000.0. There are more computers than there are IP addresses, so in most cases a number is assigned when you connect and the number is released when your Internet session ends. (There are partially implemented plans to increase the number of IP addresses, by making them longer.) Internet Service Providers typically keep records of which IP address is assigned to which customer at which time. Thus, a warrant from a judge can (in the U.S.) compel the Internet Service Provider to identify who used an IP address at a certain time.

A proxy is a computer server that acts as an intermediary. It receives your request for a Web page, with your IP address exposed. It then forwards the request, using its own IP address as the requestor. When the requested page arrives, the proxy computer sends it to you.

In addition to using a VPN over Tor, also use a bridge. An ISP can see that you are using Tor without this. By using a bridge, this is another level of concealment and could make an ISP's job harder to see what websites is being viewed. Tor functions without any issues on BoyWiki.

A bridge is specifically important if you are located in a heavy censorship country. This is also applicable for a country that is considered an [[Axis of evil (dictionary)]]

Ensure that the latest updates are applied when they are available. This also ensures that protection could be provided against attackers.

Tor typically uses as series of servers (10 is a number frequently seen), each located in a different country. Thus the origin of the name: there is an similarity to layers of an onion.

To track the request for a Web page back to you, law enforcement must track it through multiple servers in multiple countries. These servers change (a new route is selected) frequently, adding to the difficulty in tracking through them. Many of the proxy servers deliberately do not keep records of the requests received and processed. Tor also encrypts the data leaving or arriving at your computer. Your IP address cannot be encrypted.

However, what cannot be concealed from your Internet Service Provider is the time you connected to Tor. At the other end, the same thing applies. In other words, if law enforcement wants to device the resources, the times you logged on to Tor can be matched with those of a recipient. This is not a hypothetical danger; law enforcement has done this. The solution is to use a [[VPN]], in any country other than the one in which you reside.

Because of the multiple steps involved, using Tor will result in slower Web page loading than when it is not used. This is, to a degree, common to all types of [[encryption]].

Be very careful when signing into websites with Tor as this is identifying information. Once done with a website that has been signed into, ensure that a new session is created. This is so that you have a new IP address right away and limits the digital footprints that the session has.

==The Darknet ==
There are a variety of services, both legal and illegal, that can be accessed using Tor and only Tor. This is called the Darknet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darknet). There is no single directory of them; they change frequently. Tor conceals which country the server of the requested material is in.

Browsing on the Darknet can easily reveal disturbing material - animal torture, for example - which is not available on the regular Internet. One can order an assassination ("no prominent politicians"). There is much copyrighted material posted illegally.

However, there is plenty of material on the Darknet which is legal under the laws of all Western democracies, but is illegal under the laws where some user finds him- or herself. For example, anti-Islamic writings or discussions of textual or other errors in the Koran, can lead to formal execution or assassination in many Islamic countries. Conversely, in the [[United States]] there is an active anti-birth control movement, where, not long ago, birth control information could not be mailed, and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger fled the country, under indictment for distributing it.

No one is in favor of the free distribution of all the information and communication, including child pornography and torture of children, found on the Darknet. (OK, a few left-wing First Amendment nuts are.) But there is no way to shut it down without shutting down the whole Internet, in which case the cure would be worse than the disease. The Darknet is, on purpose, completely decentralized; one would have to shut down individually all the hundreds of thousands if not millions who use it.

== Limitations on Tor security ==

Originally, it was thought that the anonymity provided by Tor was total. However, law enforcement, which has more resources than all the boylovers in the world put together, has developed a number of ways to penetrate Tor security. Ross Ulbricht, on whom there is a Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht) is serving a life sentence as a result of law enforcement penetrating his Tor security. It only took them a few months.
* The fact that you sent a request for an Internet page, through your Internet Service Provider, to a Tor proxy is not and cannot be concealed using current technology. Even though the name of the page is encrypted, law enforcement can easily find out that you requested some Web page through Tor (but not which one) at a particular time. Most Internet Service Providers keep logs of which pages each user requests and when they request them. At the other end of the chain of servers, law enforcement can find out which IP addresses requested the page the users of which they are investigating. Even if all they can find out is the IP address of the final Tor proxy in the chain, the time the page requested cannot be concealed. If the time the page is served matches with the time you requested a page, this does not prove that you requested that page, but it could serve as grounds to seize and search your computer (phone, tablet).

* Nothing prevents law enforcement from acting as a Tor proxy -- anyone running the browser can -- and thus spying on the data requests sent and received somewhere in the chain.

:NOTE: This article gives an overview of how Tor works. If you'd like to skip the technical information, then just see link to the Tor Project home page at the end of this article, visit the Tor home page, download the browser bundle, and install it. '''''You should make sure that the "global scripts option" (the "S" with a circle and line through it, found on the the upper-left corner of your screen) is set to ''not'' allow scripts.''''' (You can disable this option, and enable scripts, for visiting "safe" sites which do not contain sensitive information.) Using Tor, you can surf the Internet more securely. (Note: ''Never'' try to download bit torrents that contain sensitive information through Tor--you are NOT protected from others monitoring your downloads, and your real IP address will be exposed! Also, you should NEVER combine the visiting of sites which have ''the details of your real-life identity'' at the same time that you visit "sensitive" sites. Only do one thing at a time--browsing that involves your "real-life identity," should ''not be done'' at the same time that you are using Tor to visit "sensitive" sites (like BoyChat, for example) Remember: close your Tor browser, and then start it again to protect your real-life identity and to keep yourself safe.

To access the Tor network the end user runs a program called a Tor client (a special Internet browser) on his computer, this comes with an extra filtering program (like [[Privoxy]]) between the Tor client and the Internet browser on the local computer due to the risk of applications like Java revealing user information. Any Tor user with sufficient bandwidth can also choose to run a proxy allowing other Tor users to route traffic through his computer, but one has to be very careful when running an Tor "exit" node, which is the last computer in the chain, and the one that connects directly to the site you are visiting.

An '''onion router''' works by opening a circuit of [[proxy]] servers, through which the data sent from the source to the destination can be routed. By creating a series of connections, via several proxies, neither the first nor the last server knows the whole route that the data took, nor even which source is sending to which destination.

Used correctly, Tor protects one's anonymity. But there can be problems: In 2013 Ross William Ulbricht was arrested for running a Web site--Silk Road--using Tor. It was primarily a marketplace where illegal drug sellers and buyers could connect. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (See Wikipedia for information on how his site was compromised by the legal authorities.)

The Tor technology is attractive to [[boylover]]s because of the [[anonymity]] offered by the proxy network. Some sites, such as Wikipedia, restrict access or posting using Tor software, to reduce spam and malicious hackers. [[BoyChat]] for example, will only allow people to post using Tor if they have a registered nick. The Tor network also hosts hidden sites that can not be taken offline because it is not possible to work out which server is hosting them, however these sites, with the extension ''.onion'', are only accessible if you run Tor software in your computer.

=== Tor and live CD/DVD ===

Even when you use Tor it could still be possible for someone to see information on your computer hard drive, and to look at your drive's contents --websites that you have visited using Tor can be found in the Internet browser cache (if it is enabled). But if you use the "Tor browser bundle," with the special version of Firefox that comes with it, then you do not have to worry about your browser cache being stored on your computer.

Using a live DVD to browse the Internet avoids leaving any traces of your browsing history on your hard drive, because after you have finished browsing using a live DVD all of the data held in volatile RAM memory will disappear, and recovery will not be possible. A live DVD (i.e. Tails) with Tor is one of the most powerful anonymity tools that exist.

== Javascript Exploit ==
Javascript provides many "whistles and bells" in your browser while you browse the Internet. Without javascript enabled in your browser, you may find the functionality of many websites diminished. Some sites will not function at all without javascript enabled in your browser.

(NOTE: One "workaround"--which ''sometimes'' works--to the problem of javascript limiting site functionality is to access the site desired using the Wayback machine found at https://www.web.archive.org)

But you should be aware that at least one "exploit" (a "trick" used in computer programming to compromise a computer) exists which law-enforcement personnel can use to expose your identity '''even though you may be surfing behind the protection provided by Tor'''.

<big>Javascript should ''never'' be enabled in a browser used to visit "sensitive" sites, such as sites posting information which is "pro-pedophile" (or even "anti-pedophile") or which contains other information (or images) which may be of interest to a [[pedophile]].</big>

A large number of [[boylove|BoyLovers]] (and GirlLovers) are now serving very long terms in prison because they enabled javascript in their browsers. Don't be one of them!

=== Links to articles describing the risks of browsing with javascript enabled===

*Inside the Tor exploit | ZDNet
:https://www.zdnet.com/article/inside-the-tor-exploit/
*Firefox Zero-Day Exploit used by FBI to shutdown Child porn on Tor ...
:http://thehackernews.com/2013/08/Firefox-Exploit-Tor-Network-child-pornography-Freedom-Hosting.html
*FBI Admits It Controlled Tor Servers Behind Mass Malware Attack ...
:http://www.wired.com/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi/
*The FBI TOR Exploit - InfoSec Institute
:http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/fbi-tor-exploit/
*Actual risks of javascript and Flash? : TOR - Reddit
:http://www.reddit.com/r/TOR/comments/1y8r3m/actual_risks_of_javascript_and_flash/
*Identity-exposing malware on Tor "could be work of FBI"
:http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/08/05/identity-exposing-malware-on-tor-could-be-work-of-fbi/

==See also==
*[[Encryption]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.torproject.org/ Tor Project homepage]
* [https://tails.boum.org Tails live CD]
* [https://www.whonix.org/ Whonix Anonymous OS]

[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Essential reading for BoyLovers]]
[[Category:Security for boylovers]]

New Zealand

2022-05-20T11:31:45Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: Addition of South and capitalisation of East.

'''New Zealand''' is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses – that of the [[North Island]], or [[Te Ika-a-Māui]], and the [[South Island]], or [[Te Waipounamu]] – and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1500 km (900 mi) South East of [[Australia]] across the [[Tasman Sea]] and roughly 1000 km (600 mi) south of the Pacific Islands of [[New Caledonia]], [[Fiji]], and [[Tonga]]. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. New Zealand's capital city is [[Wellington]], while its most populous city is [[Auckland]]. New Zealand is considered by [[boylover]]s to be part of the [[Axis of evil]].

As of 2003, the New Zealand government was dramatically increasingly penalties for [[child pornography|child pornographers]] and considering broadening [[censorship]] laws to include policing of the Internet. Under changes to the Crimes Act, the maximum penalty for producing, copying or trading in child pornography rose from a maximum of one year's imprisonment to 10. New censorship legislation was expected before year's end based on the recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry. They included giving [[Department of Internal Affairs (Internal Affairs)|Department of Internal Affairs]] inspectors search-and-seizure powers when investigating suspected possession of pornography, and developing a code of practice for Internet service providers to police objectionable content from outside New Zealand.

==External links==
*[http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-34173842 New Zealand: Award-winning Into the River novel banned]
*'''[https://takearisknz.wordpress.com/ take a risk nz]''' - New Zealand native discusses various topics of interest. (Blog, New Zealand)

[[Category:New Zealand]]

United States

2022-05-20T10:56:48Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I changed the USA population and also inserted a ; into the main text

{{fledgling}}

The United States of America, also known as the USA, is a country in North America. It is a vast country, with a population of near 330 million people and an area that takes up well over one third of the North American continent. The United States also have many interests and political partners all over the world, especially in the western world.
==Boyloving in America==
Considering the size and diversity of the United States, there will of course be cultural variations across the country that can affect how boylovers are viewed. But still, there has been a general trend for the last decades all over the country; That all people who are attracted to or have sexual contact with minors are viewed in an extremely negative way and equated with the worst sort of child rapists. This includes boylovers.

The United States is also often accused by boylovers for 'exporting' hostile attitudes towards boylovers to the rest of the world And is considered part of the [[Axis of evil]].

[[Category:United States]]

Tor (The Onion Router)

2022-05-09T11:31:05Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I added another paragraph on the dangers of signing into websites.

'''Tor''' is a free open-source project providing people with a [[proxy]] to make their computer IP address more anonymous (harder to find) when surfing the Internet. It contains its own browser.

Every computer (or phone or tablet) that is accessing the Internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Typically these are assigned by the Internet Service Provider (the company you connect to which then connects you to the Internet using their own permanent connection), and can and often are different each time you use the Internet. They are in digits and typically take the form 000.00.000.0. There are more computers than there are IP addresses, so in most cases a number is assigned when you connect and the number is released when your Internet session ends. (There are partially implemented plans to increase the number of IP addresses, by making them longer.) Internet Service Providers typically keep records of which IP address is assigned to which customer at which time. Thus, a warrant from a judge can (in the U.S.) compel the Internet Service Provider to identify who used an IP address at a certain time.

A proxy is a computer server that acts as an intermediary. It receives your request for a Web page, with your IP address exposed. It then forwards the request, using its own IP address as the requestor. When the requested page arrives, the proxy computer sends it to you.

In addition to using a VPN over Tor, also use a bridge. An ISP can see that you are using Tor without this. By using a bridge, this is another level of concealment and could make an ISP's job harder to see what websites is being viewed. Tor functions without any issues on BoyWiki.

Tor typically uses as series of servers (10 is a number frequently seen), each located in a different country. Thus the origin of the name: there is an similarity to layers of an onion.

To track the request for a Web page back to you, law enforcement must track it through multiple servers in multiple countries. These servers change (a new route is selected) frequently, adding to the difficulty in tracking through them. Many of the proxy servers deliberately do not keep records of the requests received and processed. Tor also encrypts the data leaving or arriving at your computer. Your IP address cannot be encrypted.

However, what cannot be concealed from your Internet Service Provider is the time you connected to Tor. At the other end, the same thing applies. In other words, if law enforcement wants to device the resources, the times you logged on to Tor can be matched with those of a recipient. This is not a hypothetical danger; law enforcement has done this. The solution is to use a [[VPN]], in any country other than the one in which you reside.

Because of the multiple steps involved, using Tor will result in slower Web page loading than when it is not used. This is, to a degree, common to all types of [[encryption]].

Be very careful when signing into websites with Tor as this is identifying information. Once done with a website that has been signed into, ensure that a new session is created. This is so that you have a new IP address right away and limits the digital footprints that the session has.

==The Darknet ==
There are a variety of services, both legal and illegal, that can be accessed using Tor and only Tor. This is called the Darknet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darknet). There is no single directory of them; they change frequently. Tor conceals which country the server of the requested material is in.

Browsing on the Darknet can easily reveal disturbing material - animal torture, for example - which is not available on the regular Internet. One can order an assassination ("no prominent politicians"). There is much copyrighted material posted illegally.

However, there is plenty of material on the Darknet which is legal under the laws of all Western democracies, but is illegal under the laws where some user finds him- or herself. For example, anti-Islamic writings or discussions of textual or other errors in the Koran, can lead to formal execution or assassination in many Islamic countries. Conversely, in the [[United States]] there is an active anti-birth control movement, where, not long ago, birth control information could not be mailed, and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger fled the country, under indictment for distributing it.

No one is in favor of the free distribution of all the information and communication, including child pornography and torture of children, found on the Darknet. (OK, a few left-wing First Amendment nuts are.) But there is no way to shut it down without shutting down the whole Internet, in which case the cure would be worse than the disease. The Darknet is, on purpose, completely decentralized; one would have to shut down individually all the hundreds of thousands if not millions who use it.

== Limitations on Tor security ==

Originally, it was thought that the anonymity provided by Tor was total. However, law enforcement, which has more resources than all the boylovers in the world put together, has developed a number of ways to penetrate Tor security. Ross Ulbricht, on whom there is a Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht) is serving a life sentence as a result of law enforcement penetrating his Tor security. It only took them a few months.
* The fact that you sent a request for an Internet page, through your Internet Service Provider, to a Tor proxy is not and cannot be concealed using current technology. Even though the name of the page is encrypted, law enforcement can easily find out that you requested some Web page through Tor (but not which one) at a particular time. Most Internet Service Providers keep logs of which pages each user requests and when they request them. At the other end of the chain of servers, law enforcement can find out which IP addresses requested the page the users of which they are investigating. Even if all they can find out is the IP address of the final Tor proxy in the chain, the time the page requested cannot be concealed. If the time the page is served matches with the time you requested a page, this does not prove that you requested that page, but it could serve as grounds to seize and search your computer (phone, tablet).

* Nothing prevents law enforcement from acting as a Tor proxy -- anyone running the browser can -- and thus spying on the data requests sent and received somewhere in the chain.

:NOTE: This article gives an overview of how Tor works. If you'd like to skip the technical information, then just see link to the Tor Project home page at the end of this article, visit the Tor home page, download the browser bundle, and install it. '''''You should make sure that the "global scripts option" (the "S" with a circle and line through it, found on the the upper-left corner of your screen) is set to ''not'' allow scripts.''''' (You can disable this option, and enable scripts, for visiting "safe" sites which do not contain sensitive information.) Using Tor, you can surf the Internet more securely. (Note: ''Never'' try to download bit torrents that contain sensitive information through Tor--you are NOT protected from others monitoring your downloads, and your real IP address will be exposed! Also, you should NEVER combine the visiting of sites which have ''the details of your real-life identity'' at the same time that you visit "sensitive" sites. Only do one thing at a time--browsing that involves your "real-life identity," should ''not be done'' at the same time that you are using Tor to visit "sensitive" sites (like BoyChat, for example) Remember: close your Tor browser, and then start it again to protect your real-life identity and to keep yourself safe.

To access the Tor network the end user runs a program called a Tor client (a special Internet browser) on his computer, this comes with an extra filtering program (like [[Privoxy]]) between the Tor client and the Internet browser on the local computer due to the risk of applications like Java revealing user information. Any Tor user with sufficient bandwidth can also choose to run a proxy allowing other Tor users to route traffic through his computer, but one has to be very careful when running an Tor "exit" node, which is the last computer in the chain, and the one that connects directly to the site you are visiting.

An '''onion router''' works by opening a circuit of [[proxy]] servers, through which the data sent from the source to the destination can be routed. By creating a series of connections, via several proxies, neither the first nor the last server knows the whole route that the data took, nor even which source is sending to which destination.

Used correctly, Tor protects one's anonymity. But there can be problems: In 2013 Ross William Ulbricht was arrested for running a Web site--Silk Road--using Tor. It was primarily a marketplace where illegal drug sellers and buyers could connect. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (See Wikipedia for information on how his site was compromised by the legal authorities.)

The Tor technology is attractive to [[boylover]]s because of the [[anonymity]] offered by the proxy network. Some sites, such as Wikipedia, restrict access or posting using Tor software, to reduce spam and malicious hackers. [[BoyChat]] for example, will only allow people to post using Tor if they have a registered nick. The Tor network also hosts hidden sites that can not be taken offline because it is not possible to work out which server is hosting them, however these sites, with the extension ''.onion'', are only accessible if you run Tor software in your computer.

=== Tor and live CD/DVD ===

Even when you use Tor it could still be possible for someone to see information on your computer hard drive, and to look at your drive's contents --websites that you have visited using Tor can be found in the Internet browser cache (if it is enabled). But if you use the "Tor browser bundle," with the special version of Firefox that comes with it, then you do not have to worry about your browser cache being stored on your computer.

Using a live DVD to browse the Internet avoids leaving any traces of your browsing history on your hard drive, because after you have finished browsing using a live DVD all of the data held in volatile RAM memory will disappear, and recovery will not be possible. A live DVD (i.e. Tails) with Tor is one of the most powerful anonymity tools that exist.

== Javascript Exploit ==
Javascript provides many "whistles and bells" in your browser while you browse the Internet. Without javascript enabled in your browser, you may find the functionality of many websites diminished. Some sites will not function at all without javascript enabled in your browser.

(NOTE: One "workaround"--which ''sometimes'' works--to the problem of javascript limiting site functionality is to access the site desired using the Wayback machine found at https://www.web.archive.org)

But you should be aware that at least one "exploit" (a "trick" used in computer programming to compromise a computer) exists which law-enforcement personnel can use to expose your identity '''even though you may be surfing behind the protection provided by Tor'''.

<big>Javascript should ''never'' be enabled in a browser used to visit "sensitive" sites, such as sites posting information which is "pro-pedophile" (or even "anti-pedophile") or which contains other information (or images) which may be of interest to a [[pedophile]].</big>

A large number of [[boylove|BoyLovers]] (and GirlLovers) are now serving very long terms in prison because they enabled javascript in their browsers. Don't be one of them!

=== Links to articles describing the risks of browsing with javascript enabled===

*Inside the Tor exploit | ZDNet
:https://www.zdnet.com/article/inside-the-tor-exploit/
*Firefox Zero-Day Exploit used by FBI to shutdown Child porn on Tor ...
:http://thehackernews.com/2013/08/Firefox-Exploit-Tor-Network-child-pornography-Freedom-Hosting.html
*FBI Admits It Controlled Tor Servers Behind Mass Malware Attack ...
:http://www.wired.com/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi/
*The FBI TOR Exploit - InfoSec Institute
:http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/fbi-tor-exploit/
*Actual risks of javascript and Flash? : TOR - Reddit
:http://www.reddit.com/r/TOR/comments/1y8r3m/actual_risks_of_javascript_and_flash/
*Identity-exposing malware on Tor "could be work of FBI"
:http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/08/05/identity-exposing-malware-on-tor-could-be-work-of-fbi/

==See also==
*[[Encryption]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.torproject.org/ Tor Project homepage]
* [https://tails.boum.org Tails live CD]
* [https://www.whonix.org/ Whonix Anonymous OS]

[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Essential reading for BoyLovers]]
[[Category:Security for boylovers]]

Tor (The Onion Router)

2022-05-09T11:28:13Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I added a paragraph about the use of bridges in Tor.

'''Tor''' is a free open-source project providing people with a [[proxy]] to make their computer IP address more anonymous (harder to find) when surfing the Internet. It contains its own browser.

Every computer (or phone or tablet) that is accessing the Internet has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Typically these are assigned by the Internet Service Provider (the company you connect to which then connects you to the Internet using their own permanent connection), and can and often are different each time you use the Internet. They are in digits and typically take the form 000.00.000.0. There are more computers than there are IP addresses, so in most cases a number is assigned when you connect and the number is released when your Internet session ends. (There are partially implemented plans to increase the number of IP addresses, by making them longer.) Internet Service Providers typically keep records of which IP address is assigned to which customer at which time. Thus, a warrant from a judge can (in the U.S.) compel the Internet Service Provider to identify who used an IP address at a certain time.

A proxy is a computer server that acts as an intermediary. It receives your request for a Web page, with your IP address exposed. It then forwards the request, using its own IP address as the requestor. When the requested page arrives, the proxy computer sends it to you.

In addition to using a VPN over Tor, also use a bridge. An ISP can see that you are using Tor without this. By using a bridge, this is another level of concealment and could make an ISP's job harder to see what websites is being viewed. Tor functions without any issues on BoyWiki.

Tor typically uses as series of servers (10 is a number frequently seen), each located in a different country. Thus the origin of the name: there is an similarity to layers of an onion.

To track the request for a Web page back to you, law enforcement must track it through multiple servers in multiple countries. These servers change (a new route is selected) frequently, adding to the difficulty in tracking through them. Many of the proxy servers deliberately do not keep records of the requests received and processed. Tor also encrypts the data leaving or arriving at your computer. Your IP address cannot be encrypted.

However, what cannot be concealed from your Internet Service Provider is the time you connected to Tor. At the other end, the same thing applies. In other words, if law enforcement wants to device the resources, the times you logged on to Tor can be matched with those of a recipient. This is not a hypothetical danger; law enforcement has done this. The solution is to use a [[VPN]], in any country other than the one in which you reside.

Because of the multiple steps involved, using Tor will result in slower Web page loading than when it is not used. This is, to a degree, common to all types of [[encryption]].

==The Darknet ==
There are a variety of services, both legal and illegal, that can be accessed using Tor and only Tor. This is called the Darknet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darknet). There is no single directory of them; they change frequently. Tor conceals which country the server of the requested material is in.

Browsing on the Darknet can easily reveal disturbing material - animal torture, for example - which is not available on the regular Internet. One can order an assassination ("no prominent politicians"). There is much copyrighted material posted illegally.

However, there is plenty of material on the Darknet which is legal under the laws of all Western democracies, but is illegal under the laws where some user finds him- or herself. For example, anti-Islamic writings or discussions of textual or other errors in the Koran, can lead to formal execution or assassination in many Islamic countries. Conversely, in the [[United States]] there is an active anti-birth control movement, where, not long ago, birth control information could not be mailed, and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger fled the country, under indictment for distributing it.

No one is in favor of the free distribution of all the information and communication, including child pornography and torture of children, found on the Darknet. (OK, a few left-wing First Amendment nuts are.) But there is no way to shut it down without shutting down the whole Internet, in which case the cure would be worse than the disease. The Darknet is, on purpose, completely decentralized; one would have to shut down individually all the hundreds of thousands if not millions who use it.

== Limitations on Tor security ==

Originally, it was thought that the anonymity provided by Tor was total. However, law enforcement, which has more resources than all the boylovers in the world put together, has developed a number of ways to penetrate Tor security. Ross Ulbricht, on whom there is a Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht) is serving a life sentence as a result of law enforcement penetrating his Tor security. It only took them a few months.
* The fact that you sent a request for an Internet page, through your Internet Service Provider, to a Tor proxy is not and cannot be concealed using current technology. Even though the name of the page is encrypted, law enforcement can easily find out that you requested some Web page through Tor (but not which one) at a particular time. Most Internet Service Providers keep logs of which pages each user requests and when they request them. At the other end of the chain of servers, law enforcement can find out which IP addresses requested the page the users of which they are investigating. Even if all they can find out is the IP address of the final Tor proxy in the chain, the time the page requested cannot be concealed. If the time the page is served matches with the time you requested a page, this does not prove that you requested that page, but it could serve as grounds to seize and search your computer (phone, tablet).

* Nothing prevents law enforcement from acting as a Tor proxy -- anyone running the browser can -- and thus spying on the data requests sent and received somewhere in the chain.

:NOTE: This article gives an overview of how Tor works. If you'd like to skip the technical information, then just see link to the Tor Project home page at the end of this article, visit the Tor home page, download the browser bundle, and install it. '''''You should make sure that the "global scripts option" (the "S" with a circle and line through it, found on the the upper-left corner of your screen) is set to ''not'' allow scripts.''''' (You can disable this option, and enable scripts, for visiting "safe" sites which do not contain sensitive information.) Using Tor, you can surf the Internet more securely. (Note: ''Never'' try to download bit torrents that contain sensitive information through Tor--you are NOT protected from others monitoring your downloads, and your real IP address will be exposed! Also, you should NEVER combine the visiting of sites which have ''the details of your real-life identity'' at the same time that you visit "sensitive" sites. Only do one thing at a time--browsing that involves your "real-life identity," should ''not be done'' at the same time that you are using Tor to visit "sensitive" sites (like BoyChat, for example) Remember: close your Tor browser, and then start it again to protect your real-life identity and to keep yourself safe.

To access the Tor network the end user runs a program called a Tor client (a special Internet browser) on his computer, this comes with an extra filtering program (like [[Privoxy]]) between the Tor client and the Internet browser on the local computer due to the risk of applications like Java revealing user information. Any Tor user with sufficient bandwidth can also choose to run a proxy allowing other Tor users to route traffic through his computer, but one has to be very careful when running an Tor "exit" node, which is the last computer in the chain, and the one that connects directly to the site you are visiting.

An '''onion router''' works by opening a circuit of [[proxy]] servers, through which the data sent from the source to the destination can be routed. By creating a series of connections, via several proxies, neither the first nor the last server knows the whole route that the data took, nor even which source is sending to which destination.

Used correctly, Tor protects one's anonymity. But there can be problems: In 2013 Ross William Ulbricht was arrested for running a Web site--Silk Road--using Tor. It was primarily a marketplace where illegal drug sellers and buyers could connect. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. (See Wikipedia for information on how his site was compromised by the legal authorities.)

The Tor technology is attractive to [[boylover]]s because of the [[anonymity]] offered by the proxy network. Some sites, such as Wikipedia, restrict access or posting using Tor software, to reduce spam and malicious hackers. [[BoyChat]] for example, will only allow people to post using Tor if they have a registered nick. The Tor network also hosts hidden sites that can not be taken offline because it is not possible to work out which server is hosting them, however these sites, with the extension ''.onion'', are only accessible if you run Tor software in your computer.

=== Tor and live CD/DVD ===

Even when you use Tor it could still be possible for someone to see information on your computer hard drive, and to look at your drive's contents --websites that you have visited using Tor can be found in the Internet browser cache (if it is enabled). But if you use the "Tor browser bundle," with the special version of Firefox that comes with it, then you do not have to worry about your browser cache being stored on your computer.

Using a live DVD to browse the Internet avoids leaving any traces of your browsing history on your hard drive, because after you have finished browsing using a live DVD all of the data held in volatile RAM memory will disappear, and recovery will not be possible. A live DVD (i.e. Tails) with Tor is one of the most powerful anonymity tools that exist.

== Javascript Exploit ==
Javascript provides many "whistles and bells" in your browser while you browse the Internet. Without javascript enabled in your browser, you may find the functionality of many websites diminished. Some sites will not function at all without javascript enabled in your browser.

(NOTE: One "workaround"--which ''sometimes'' works--to the problem of javascript limiting site functionality is to access the site desired using the Wayback machine found at https://www.web.archive.org)

But you should be aware that at least one "exploit" (a "trick" used in computer programming to compromise a computer) exists which law-enforcement personnel can use to expose your identity '''even though you may be surfing behind the protection provided by Tor'''.

<big>Javascript should ''never'' be enabled in a browser used to visit "sensitive" sites, such as sites posting information which is "pro-pedophile" (or even "anti-pedophile") or which contains other information (or images) which may be of interest to a [[pedophile]].</big>

A large number of [[boylove|BoyLovers]] (and GirlLovers) are now serving very long terms in prison because they enabled javascript in their browsers. Don't be one of them!

=== Links to articles describing the risks of browsing with javascript enabled===

*Inside the Tor exploit | ZDNet
:https://www.zdnet.com/article/inside-the-tor-exploit/
*Firefox Zero-Day Exploit used by FBI to shutdown Child porn on Tor ...
:http://thehackernews.com/2013/08/Firefox-Exploit-Tor-Network-child-pornography-Freedom-Hosting.html
*FBI Admits It Controlled Tor Servers Behind Mass Malware Attack ...
:http://www.wired.com/2013/09/freedom-hosting-fbi/
*The FBI TOR Exploit - InfoSec Institute
:http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/fbi-tor-exploit/
*Actual risks of javascript and Flash? : TOR - Reddit
:http://www.reddit.com/r/TOR/comments/1y8r3m/actual_risks_of_javascript_and_flash/
*Identity-exposing malware on Tor "could be work of FBI"
:http://www.welivesecurity.com/2013/08/05/identity-exposing-malware-on-tor-could-be-work-of-fbi/

==See also==
*[[Encryption]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.torproject.org/ Tor Project homepage]
* [https://tails.boum.org Tails live CD]
* [https://www.whonix.org/ Whonix Anonymous OS]

[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Essential reading for BoyLovers]]
[[Category:Security for boylovers]]

Email security

2022-05-09T11:01:29Z

U7p4eDzmjJNkqQPe: I have added more information on Tutanota and Protonmail.

When communicating with other people by email, if you care about privacy you should be concerned about email content being intercepted and anonymity. The main email providers like Yahoo, Gmail and Outlook are the worst choices of email services for a boylover, these services have a backdoor for the NSA to read your email in real time, as proven by Snowden papers <ref>N.S.A. email mass surveillance: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/us/broader-sifting-of-data-abroad-is-seen-by-nsa.html</ref>, and they also scan your files.

Everytime you upload an image to Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook the attachment will be automatically scanned to detect if it is child pornography <ref>Gmail scans messages to detect child porn: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/google-gives-child-pornography-email-evidence-to-police/</ref>. The scanning of your messages, is a privacy violation treating everybody as criminals without being one and they do not guarantee that any of your images will not be flagged by mistake as child pornography, if this were to happen, a report is automatically submitted to the CyberTipline working with the FBI or Interpol, by the time the misunderstanding has been solved your social life would have already been ruined.

Boylovers should have into account that email services offering email [[encryption]] only work if the receiver has an account with the same email provider as you or if they are using a compatible OpenPGP service.

=== Free secure email ===

*[https://tutanota.com Tutanota.com]: Company in Germany offering free email with [[encryption]] and minimal logs. This email provider is based in a 14 eyes country. Proceed with caution.

*[https://protonmail.com ProtonMail.com]: Company in Switzerland offering free email with encrypted inbox and minimal logs. This email provider has recently (in 2021) been involved with Europol, the French police, and the Swiss police with a French activist. [https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/06/protonmail-logged-ip-address-of-french-activist-after-order-by-swiss-authorities/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFYQiDhgPTAPfMxn94qXph_NH_XAXAqZlyrvRNJLkPlZEpEeWT8o-o0xUWJe4ogym5x2nJAEuBqgNZjwrryfmHWvctagRpky0p0eGEF9C47fD26odeBEQz2UW1gMJVeWObpc7jycOTPAEPO2weh7afcUxemaS4bVQFwKot3NTSm3]

==== About Hushmail ====

According to Hushmail privacy policy<ref>Hushmail Privacy Policy: https://www.hushmail.com/privacy/</ref> deleting your account will not delete records of your activities, the company textually says: ''3. The records we keep of your activities are permanently deleted after approximately 18 months.''

Any email company keeping logs for as long as Hushmail does should never be used, the company being based in Canada can be a problem too as the country is known to take part in mass surveillance. The only way to trust a company not to hand over your data to others is when they make it impossible for their own staff to read the data, this is not the case with Hushmail.

===Disposable Email===

The following email addresses come in handy for when you want to register in a forum and all you need is to receive the welcome email where a link has to be clicked on. These email addresses are not secure but they do not need registration and if combined with a [[Proxy and VPN]] can provide low or medium level privacy.

You should bear in mind that if forum accounts are approved manually, it can take days for you to receive a welcome email, by then, the disposable address you have created will no longer exist and many times the domain name of the address gives away that it is a disposable email.

These addresses are best used for forums set to automatic registration. Disposable email provides no privacy and they can be read by everybody, make sure to pick a random username.

*[https://tempr.email/en/ Tempr Email]: No registration needed, disposable email address that can be read in desktop and mobile devices. Emails deleted after 30 days.

*[https://www.guerrillamail.com/ GuerrillaMail]: Disposable address without registration needed, it can also be used reply to messages.

*[https://trashmail.com/ TrashMail]: Forwarding address, you create an email address that can be used to forward messages to a different email.

=== Paid email services ===

*[https://posteo.de/en Posteo]: Company in Germany, servers encrypted, minimum logs and payments not connected to email accounts.

*[https://www.privatemail.com/ PrivateMail]: Email service run by VPN company Torguard, they claim they do not keep logs.

*[https://www.countermail.com Countermail]: Company in Sweden that can be paid in Bitcoins, they offer encrypted email, Jabber messenger and no logs.

==Email encryption==

If you are advanced in computers and understand how OpenPGP works you will want to encrypt emails yourself instead of relaying on a company to do that for you. Privacy email services are convenient because you don´t need to do anything to secure the email and they will save you lots of time, but the risk exists that their security could be sloppy or worse, if security is really important for you, learn how OpenPGP works and use your own private key to encrypt emails this way nobody will be able to read anything without the key that only you have in your power.

Remember that the person receiving your encrypted OpenPGP message will have to know how OpenPGP works too and have the software installed to be able to decrypt it.

* [https://www.mailvelope.com/ MailVelope] - Available as a Chrome extension and Firefox addon, this extension can be used to encrypt and decrypt any webmail, it allows you to create or import your own OpenPGP keys and manage them to encrypt and decrypt messages.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Technology]]