How to avoid a digital trail?

[sethmachine]

Hi,

So in a lot of crime cases, when the police narrow on suspects, they often find digital clues as well. Apparently the NSA probably has access somehow to everyone's internet history, for better or worse.

For example, a murder suspect is found to have purchased books on how to get away with murder, or have extensively googled pages / information relevant to this. For the police this is a huge red flag; pragmatically it makes sense: why would an innocent suspect look up information about committing / getting away with crime X in a time span relatively close to the date(s) the crime was committed. I mean we're allowed to have crazy interests, no law against that, as long as we don't break actual laws, e.g. vandalism or hurt someone, but it'd be very hard to argue against these things.

So, how would one erase / prevent the creation of a digital trail that could implicate them in a crime? e.g. hypothetically if I was planning to steal millions of journal publications, what would I do to ensure no digital traces could be left to me (e.g. this hive workshop post, various google searches and online forums, etc etc.)?

I've avoided stack overflow.com for now because while this is a valid research question that is interesting (e.g. imagine undercover agents in an enemy country), they really discourage these kinds of things out of very stupid assumptions.

 

[Velmarshal]

This isn't some cyberpunk universe, everything leaves traces, you can use a chain of proxies and you'll still get traced, similar thing with ToR. Nothing is 100% untraceable, the very ISPs you use spy on all your traffic.

 

[Avex]

Literally change your IP every time you change webpages, never log in to anything ever, never have javascript enabled, or ads be able to infect your computer.

In fact don't install anything, including Windows or OSX, maybe some versions of Linux would work, but seriously, all those error reports and all, all point to your PC.

 

[Vinz]

You can't. Even Apps such as Skype, Yahoo/FB/Twitter Messenger spy on people.

 

[Nuclear]

I suggest:

1. Use Tails as your operating system. (fun fact: Edward Snowden used this)
2. Use a VPN that you can pay for with Bitcoins and that doesn't save any logs, and is located in a country with tight privacy laws (e.g. Switzerland)
3. Use open source software. (Not only open source, but open source that is being constantly reviewed by others)
4. Use fake identities when using online services.
5. Encrypt your hard drives, so in case of a SWAT raid your data is safe, but for this reason your computer needs to be turned off when you don't use it.
6. Every time you turn on your computer, check for hardware keyloggers and cameras around the room. I suggest placing your own camera and checking from the footage if NSA agents have paid a visit while you were away.
7. If an online service asks you to prove your identity and you're using a fake one, buy a fake passport scan.
8. If you have dark secrets on your hard drive, don't keep it plugged in your PC, instead physically hide it. I suggest placing it in a hard environment resistant case and burying it deep in the woods. If you're not the outdoors loving type, you can also try to make a hidden compartment inside your wall.
9. Don't use smartphones. At all.
10. When holding secret discussions, only talk while in a sound proof basement, to prevent laser eavesdropping through the windows.
11. Make sure that you have many social connections and close ties with your friends. This will make sure that when you're kidnapped to a CIA torture dungeon, people will notice.
    

 

[Velmarshal]

*snip*

 

[Chaosy]

Well the (extremely) good hackers very rarely get caught so if you really want to, you wont get traced. This doesn't apply to the average human obviously.

I guess you can reduce your chance at getting caught by doing a lot of simple small steps like using proxys and don't installing any programs other than your OS pretty much. But NSA wont get stopped by proxys xD

 

[gorillabull]

the fundamental theory of telecommunication states that for any instance of a given computer x its user cannot be tracked if infact the user is not he who owns the computer
.. but you know only the people with the highest iq can think of an idea like this

 

[PlugY]

Well the (extremely) good hackers very rarely get caught so if you really want to, you wont get traced. This doesn't apply to the average human obviously.

I guess you can reduce your chance at getting caught by doing a lot of simple small steps like using proxys and don't installing any programs other than your OS pretty much. But NSA wont get stopped by proxys xD

Most people who know a few things about computers won't get stopped by proxys .

As to the topic at hand I've heard about the web browser: Onion or something.

 

[EdgeOfChaos]

Most people who know a few things about computers won't get stopped by proxys .

As to the topic at hand I've heard about the web browser: Onion or something.

That's tor browser, and it totally won't help you.

Answer: You can't.

That guy is so pro he can hack using printers...

 

[PlugY]

I'd say there is always a chance, but we just don't know how to yet.

 

[Nuclear]

It's not totally impossible to stay hidden... the NSA still aren't wizards. Just look at the guide I posted above (only take steps 1-3 seriously) and you're reasonably safe (assuming you don't make mistakes and your VPN service is not compromised).

The gif from above is from this masterpiece:

IIRC the LulzSec group that pulled off some PSN shenanigans got caught because their VPN provider HideMyAss (or SellMyAss, am I rite?) ratted them out.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Only people who plan on committing crimes want to know how to leave no trace.

 

[Nuclear]

And? Nothing wrong with that, I'd take precautions too if I was ordering drugs from the internet.

 

[sethmachine]

Only people who plan on committing crimes want to know how to leave no trace.

I am guessing when you read 1984, you were cheering on Big Brother. Oh, thought police!

 

[TriggerHappy]

I suggest:

1. Use Tails as your operating system. (fun fact: Edward Snowden used this)
2. Use a VPN that you can pay for with Bitcoins and that doesn't save any logs, and is located in a country with tight privacy laws (e.g. Switzerland)
3. Use open source software. (Not only open source, but open source that is being constantly reviewed by others)
4. Use fake identities when using online services.
5. Encrypt your hard drives, so in case of a SWAT raid your data is safe, but for this reason your computer needs to be turned off when you don't use it.
6. Every time you turn on your computer, check for hardware keyloggers and cameras around the room. I suggest placing your own camera and checking from the footage if NSA agents have paid a visit while you were away.
7. If an online service asks you to prove your identity and you're using a fake one, buy a fake passport scan.
8. If you have dark secrets on your hard drive, don't keep it plugged in your PC, instead physically hide it. I suggest placing it in a hard environment resistant case and burying it deep in the woods. If you're not the outdoors loving type, you can also try to make a hidden compartment inside your wall.
9. Don't use smartphones. At all.
10. When holding secret discussions, only talk while in a sound proof basement, to prevent laser eavesdropping through the windows.
11. Make sure that you have many social connections and close ties with your friends. This will make sure that when you're kidnapped to a CIA torture dungeon, people will notice.
    

This ^

 

[sethmachine]

Thank you Nuclear. This seems well thought out. Curious, how did you come up with these precautions?

 

[Nuclear]

Thank you Nuclear. This seems well thought out. Curious, how did you come up with these precautions?

I was ordering some human body parts and old soviet warheads from the black market, so I needed to take some precautions.

 

[sethmachine]

Would it be just as prudent to simply do all transactions on a public machine that doesn't require any login credentials?

 

[Nuclear]

No. The CIA will be watching you at your local library/coffee place.

 

[sethmachine]

Haha unlikely at this point! I think it is far too risky to use a personal machine for such rogueness.