OP mentioned they had a dedicated computer, so I ignored endpoint security issues. DNS hijacking and other firms of network MITM are a risk, sure, but they are

OP mentioned they had a dedicated computer, so I ignored endpoint security issues. DNS hijacking and other firms of network MITM are a risk, sure, but they are so incredibly rare to see in the wild that it's outside the scope of most people's concerns. "Normal" attackers generally can't pull it off.