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If an adversary can achieve network access on your box, they can usually download malware. At that point, it's game over. No firewall rules will protect you. T

If an adversary can achieve network access on your box, they can usually download malware. At that point, it's game over. No firewall rules will protect you. The moment you shut off Tor, you're owned. This is exactly why it's crucial to use Whonix or Tails.

mirimir 9y ago
Well, they can also download malware to when you're using Whonix or Tails. The Whonix workstation VM can not reach the Internet except through its Tor gateway VM. And the gateway VM only accepts connections from the workstation VM to the Tor process. I'm not sure that Tails protects as well against malware. Its emphasis is on leaving no traces on your computer. Being a LiveCD, and wiping RAM during shutdown.
StavrosK 9y ago
Does anyone know the differences between Whonix/Tails/Qubes? Which one is better?
- Santosh83 9y ago
  Better regarding what? Depends on what you want. AFAIK, Whonix is focused on anonymity by using Tor as an integral part of its architecture. TAILS has the same goal but is designed specifically to be run from removable media and to leave no trace on the host system after it's done, much like using a live CD. Qubes is focused on security through isolation by means of an hypervisor. Whonix can run upon Qubes, beside others of course. EDIT: if you want as foolproof of anonymity as possible it seems that Whonix holds an edge over TAILS and both are better than Qubes. Because Whonix routes all network requests through a locked down gateway VM, there is less chance that any program or system component can escape the Tor "funnel" than in TAILS and particularly Qubes, which focuses on security primarily.
  - mirimir 9y ago
    Yeah, Whonix on Qubes is the strongest option, I believe.
  - StavrosK 9y ago
    I see, thank you. I want this to be running off a removable drive (although, realistically, I'll probably just keep using Tor Browser as I don't really do anything much with it), so I'll either use Tails or see if Whonix can run off a USB disk, thank you.
    - mirimir 9y ago
      Whonix is a pair of Debian instances. One is a Tor gateway, and the other is a workstation. The Tor gateway isn't a router, in that it doesn't route packets. It just exposes Tor ports on a shared private network. The gateway and workstation instances can be run on separate hardware, as KVM or VBox VMs, or in Qubes. Some years ago, I managed to build a LiveDVD with Debian OS, VBox, a pfSense Tor gateway VM, and a stripped-down Whonix workstation VM with Openbox. But it took ~20 min to boot :(

mirimir 9y ago

Well, they can also download malware to when you're using Whonix or Tails. The Whonix workstation VM can not reach the Internet except through its Tor gateway VM. And the gateway VM only accepts connections from the workstation VM to the Tor process. I'm not sure that Tails protects as well against malware. Its emphasis is on leaving no traces on your computer. Being a LiveCD, and wiping RAM during shutdown.

StavrosK 9y ago

Does anyone know the differences between Whonix/Tails/Qubes? Which one is better?

Santosh83 9y ago
Better regarding what? Depends on what you want. AFAIK, Whonix is focused on anonymity by using Tor as an integral part of its architecture. TAILS has the same goal but is designed specifically to be run from removable media and to leave no trace on the host system after it's done, much like using a live CD. Qubes is focused on security through isolation by means of an hypervisor. Whonix can run upon Qubes, beside others of course. EDIT: if you want as foolproof of anonymity as possible it seems that Whonix holds an edge over TAILS and both are better than Qubes. Because Whonix routes all network requests through a locked down gateway VM, there is less chance that any program or system component can escape the Tor "funnel" than in TAILS and particularly Qubes, which focuses on security primarily.
- mirimir 9y ago
  Yeah, Whonix on Qubes is the strongest option, I believe.
- StavrosK 9y ago
  I see, thank you. I want this to be running off a removable drive (although, realistically, I'll probably just keep using Tor Browser as I don't really do anything much with it), so I'll either use Tails or see if Whonix can run off a USB disk, thank you.
  - mirimir 9y ago
    Whonix is a pair of Debian instances. One is a Tor gateway, and the other is a workstation. The Tor gateway isn't a router, in that it doesn't route packets. It just exposes Tor ports on a shared private network. The gateway and workstation instances can be run on separate hardware, as KVM or VBox VMs, or in Qubes. Some years ago, I managed to build a LiveDVD with Debian OS, VBox, a pfSense Tor gateway VM, and a stripped-down Whonix workstation VM with Openbox. But it took ~20 min to boot :(