3 ms·

Although, the more they interact with the internet, the more clues they leave behind. Things like Tor can be deanonymized, and even Tor has a warning. Quote: "G

Although, the more they interact with the internet, the more clues they leave behind. Things like Tor can be deanonymized, and even Tor has a warning. Quote: "Generally it is impossible to have perfect anonymity, even with Tor." Source: https://support.torproject.org/faq/staying-anonymous/ https://support.torproject.org/faq/staying-anonymous/

Proven 6y ago
Right, I'm sure they don't know about this and continue to use Tor from the comfort of their homes.
monsieurbanana 6y ago
> Although, the more they interact with the internet, the more clues they leave behind Interacting with a tor browser would be amateurish at this point. Just connect to tor (not on a browser, tor directly), use a script to upload to some random pastebin, disconnect from tor.
- bouncycastle 6y ago
  I didn't mention anything about a browser. Note that, for example, your isp can see whenever you are using tor or a VPN. From there, they can inspect the packets to work out what pastebin you have visited. Eg. simply by measuring how many bytes you have uploaded and then finding the paste and comparing the length of the paste with the number of uploaded bytes. (Just a basic example, there are more advanced methods). See https://witestlab.poly.edu/blog/de-anonymizing-tor-traffic-with-website-fingerprinting/ https://witestlab.poly.edu/blog/de-anonymizing-tor-traffic-w...
  - sudosysgen 6y ago
    Yes. This is why you don't actually post anything on pastebin yourself. Rather, you SSH into a VPS (via multiple VPNs and Tor/I2P), then program the VPS to post your message to pastebin in a week. And of course, you're not doing this from your home, you're doing this from the parking lot of a Starbucks in a car with tinted windows and fake plates, using a device with a spoofed MAC address. There are many ways of pulling this off so that no one will ever be able to pin you down. You just need to pay attention to detail. You're of course using some sort of obfuscated bridge too, so that packet sizes become meaningless.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - bouncycastle 6y ago
      Allright, good point. I'll concede the argument - there's fairly decent anonymity for those who use a combination of tools and know how to operate them. It's still not 100% perfect, but good enough. Some examples where it could go wrong: what if the VPS was a honeypot? What if the VPN logged everything? What if Tor or other piece of software they are using has a 0-day? The more complexity, the more chance for a bug or mistake... and so on...
      - sudosysgen 6y ago
        Yes, it's absolutely true that you must be very careful, and of course it's not 100% but it's 99.9999...% perfect. That said, a VPN logging everything, or Tor being compromised, or the VPS being a honeypot wouldn't be enough to compromise you, you'd need all of them to be true simultaneously.
jojobas 6y ago
Let's say you followed all of the leads down to connection points. Randomized MAC connecting to a MacDonalds free WiFi, cameras capture a masked guy in a hoodie or black Cutlass with unreadable plates. Now what?
- sterlind 6y ago
  even better: throw away a raspberry pi that automatically connects to the McDonald's WiFi at night from the trash can. the evidence is disposed of, and surveillance captures many people throwing away trash. whose happy meal had the toy?
  - jojobas 6y ago
    Or fashion an cantenna and connect all the way from KFC. Plenty of ways to be untraceable unless there is a spook at every hotspot, instantly notified of undesirable activity.

Proven 6y ago

Right, I'm sure they don't know about this and continue to use Tor from the comfort of their homes.

monsieurbanana 6y ago

> Although, the more they interact with the internet, the more clues they leave behind Interacting with a tor browser would be amateurish at this point. Just connect to tor (not on a browser, tor directly), use a script to upload to some random pastebin, disconnect from tor.

bouncycastle 6y ago
I didn't mention anything about a browser. Note that, for example, your isp can see whenever you are using tor or a VPN. From there, they can inspect the packets to work out what pastebin you have visited. Eg. simply by measuring how many bytes you have uploaded and then finding the paste and comparing the length of the paste with the number of uploaded bytes. (Just a basic example, there are more advanced methods). See https://witestlab.poly.edu/blog/de-anonymizing-tor-traffic-with-website-fingerprinting/ https://witestlab.poly.edu/blog/de-anonymizing-tor-traffic-w...
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  Yes. This is why you don't actually post anything on pastebin yourself. Rather, you SSH into a VPS (via multiple VPNs and Tor/I2P), then program the VPS to post your message to pastebin in a week. And of course, you're not doing this from your home, you're doing this from the parking lot of a Starbucks in a car with tinted windows and fake plates, using a device with a spoofed MAC address. There are many ways of pulling this off so that no one will ever be able to pin you down. You just need to pay attention to detail. You're of course using some sort of obfuscated bridge too, so that packet sizes become meaningless.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - bouncycastle 6y ago
    Allright, good point. I'll concede the argument - there's fairly decent anonymity for those who use a combination of tools and know how to operate them. It's still not 100% perfect, but good enough. Some examples where it could go wrong: what if the VPS was a honeypot? What if the VPN logged everything? What if Tor or other piece of software they are using has a 0-day? The more complexity, the more chance for a bug or mistake... and so on...
    - sudosysgen 6y ago
      Yes, it's absolutely true that you must be very careful, and of course it's not 100% but it's 99.9999...% perfect. That said, a VPN logging everything, or Tor being compromised, or the VPS being a honeypot wouldn't be enough to compromise you, you'd need all of them to be true simultaneously.

jojobas 6y ago

Let's say you followed all of the leads down to connection points. Randomized MAC connecting to a MacDonalds free WiFi, cameras capture a masked guy in a hoodie or black Cutlass with unreadable plates. Now what?

sterlind 6y ago
even better: throw away a raspberry pi that automatically connects to the McDonald's WiFi at night from the trash can. the evidence is disposed of, and surveillance captures many people throwing away trash. whose happy meal had the toy?
- jojobas 6y ago
  Or fashion an cantenna and connect all the way from KFC. Plenty of ways to be untraceable unless there is a spook at every hotspot, instantly notified of undesirable activity.