Security tips

[carey]

...
1) Hide in the network. Implement hidden services. Use Tor to anonymize yourself. Yes, the NSA targets Tor users, but it's work for them. The less obvious you are, the safer you are.

2) Encrypt your communications. Use TLS. Use IPsec. Again, while it's true that the NSA targets encrypted connections – and it may have explicit exploits against these protocols – you're much better protected than if you communicate in the clear.

3) Assume that while your computer can be compromised, it would take work and risk on the part of the NSA – so it probably isn't. If you have something really important, use an air gap. Since I started working with the Snowden documents, I bought a new computer that has never been connected to the internet. If I want to transfer a file, I encrypt the file on the secure computer and walk it over to my internet computer, using a USB stick. To decrypt something, I reverse the process. This might not be bulletproof, but it's pretty good.

4) Be suspicious of commercial encryption software, especially from large vendors. My guess is that most encryption products from large US companies have NSA-friendly back doors, and many foreign ones probably do as well. It's prudent to assume that foreign products also have foreign-installed backdoors. Closed-source software is easier for the NSA to backdoor than open-source software. Systems relying on master secrets are vulnerable to the NSA, through either legal or more clandestine means.

5) Try to use public-domain encryption that has to be compatible with other implementations. For example, it's harder for the NSA to backdoor TLS than BitLocker, because any vendor's TLS has to be compatible with every other vendor's TLS, while BitLocker only has to be compatible with itself, giving the NSA a lot more freedom to make changes. And because BitLocker is proprietary, it's far less likely those changes will be discovered. Prefer symmetric cryptography over public-key cryptography. Prefer conventional discrete-log-based systems over elliptic-curve systems; the latter have constants that the NSA influences when they can.
...

--*http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...e-surveillance*

[aejr120]

I wish they made a list of recommended software to use and ones to stay away from.

[carey]

I wish they made a list of recommended software to use and ones to stay away from.

They exist. Like https://www.prism-break.org/

Why bother though? RMS and his cronies were right all along. It is almost too late to do anything about these recent revelations that have been around for decades.

[BNOVA]

We may say why bother with regards to somethings and it is difficult seeing that we have gotten used to social media and instant messaging platforms that are proprietary. But your link does help to minimize things. See I have been using browser add-ons that block things that track me and your link showed me a few others. Also I have a better Idea of which Linux distro I should switch to when I am ready and what programs to use. Also what mod I should flash my phone to.

Next we need a list of hardware (routers, switches) that will minimize the spying.

[BNOVA]

Question.... has anyone used Tor lately? Is it still slow for day to day browsing?