Going To Jail

[nixnerd]

http://www.adafruit.com/products/1914

[Erik]

@NIX Wow sweet.. whole new realm there but very interesting!

[Erik]

Feel kinda dumb now seeing as they show little kids on the website doing things and saying “It’s easy as pie” lol

[chrisburton]

That’s awesome @Joe_Temp.

[Erik]

@chrisburton I know right!

[nixnerd]

Actually @traq got me into these little computers. He told me to get a Beaglebone Black… so I did. Now I have a Pi that I play around with because they have a better ecosystem/accessories. Although the Black is DEFINITELY more badass.

You can buy these things either with a pre-installed Linux distro or you can install it yourself.

When you’re trying to have a secure machine that runs Tor or whatever… it’s best to only use that machine when you want to remain anonymous. So… it has to be dedicated to its task of running Tor and/or encryption. Most people can’t afford to have one machine for that… unless it’s a $35 RPI.

Full disclosure: I DON’T use my Pi for any sort of Tor use or torrent download action. I’m working on a project with it. So… I can’t really give you any input on how you might go about using it super securely, as I don’t.

[Erik]

I can tell you one thing I will NEVER download from Tor ever again… well movies & music that is! (Not saying I ever had)

[nixnerd]

I will NEVER download from Tor ever again

You mean… download while using Tor?

[Erik]

Sorry I meant BitTorrent, BitLord, etc…

[__]

I can tell you one thing I will NEVER download from Tor ever again… well movies & music that is! (Not saying I ever had)

TOR hides the middle of your traffic. If someone is watching the beginning of your connection (e.g., your ISP), then it accomplishes nothing. Get a VPN.

Also, while TOR is good for day-to-day anonymity, it is wholly ineffective as a cover for illegal activities. The government controls too many endpoints. Note that I’m not looking for a solution to illegal activities; but if it really worked for good, then it would also work for evil.

Although the Black is DEFINITELY more badass.

It really is. But the availability is horrible — took me eight weeks to get mine, because everyone kept selling out within 2-3 hours of getting them back in stock. Recently, sellers have been imposing one-per-order rules as well. Come on, BB! step up production!

[chrisburton]

TOR hides the middle of your traffic. If someone is watching the beginning of your connection (e.g., your ISP), then it accomplishes nothing. Get a VPN.

That’s apparently how the NSA targets TOR users.

Edit: I should have read your whole post (you stated this already). Sorry.

[chrisburton]

So what do you guys use these mini-machines (?) for?

[Erik]

I want to make a robot to bring me a Heineken from the fridge!

[__]

The ironic part is that the government is the one that designed TOR, and now they’re trying to break it.

Also (from the tor website):

Tor does not provide protection against end-to-end timing attacks: If your attacker can watch the traffic coming out of your computer, and also the traffic arriving at your chosen destination, he can use statistical analysis to discover that they are part of the same circuit.

This might sound like an impractical attack, but note that it doesn’t need to be done in real time. If someone is monitoring traffic to the website in question, they will see your final (unencrypted) request, and they can get records from the ISP after-the-fact and do the analysis later (even years later —ever wonder why the NSA stores data it can’t immediately decrypt, doesn’t have the manpower to review, and is seemingly otherwise uninterested in?).

So, VPN + HTTPS everywhere + TOR + “clean” computer and browser. Plus public internet access where you don’t need to provide your identity (e.g., starbucks wifi while wearing a disguise parked outside in a “borrowed” car with fake plates. Pay for the VPN with a prepaid debit card that you purchased with cash, preferably not cash withdrawn from your bank, also in disguise and at a store you’ve never been to before. And don’t forget to leave your cellphone at home).

edit

So what do you guys use these mini-machines (?) for?

print server, dev webserver. Home automation/ remote cameras are another common use (I think that’s what Joe is looking at doing with his). I’ve been trying to work out using mine as a controller for a (top-secret) programming desk I’m designing.

A friend of mine wanted me to build one with a rangefinder and a camera that he could mount on the back of his bike and automatically photograph license plates when cars got too close (the law here is < 3ft). I don’t have the time/money to develop that, but if anyone wants to fund me… : )

[Erik]

Facebook??? Oh that site that I have not used in years… I kinda remember something about the NSA funded site.
Facebook’s Value Tops $200 Billion

[Author]

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