wa4chq Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I was watching a video the other day about a fellow that has hit the road in his RV. He mentioned that using public wifi you could be opening yourself up to hackers. He suggested setting up a firewall for whatever OS you were using. This stuff makes my head spin. So I googled firewall for Slackware 14.1 and it brought a page that looked simple enough until I started scrolling down. Did I mention this stuff makes my head spin? I'm thinking if I don't use public wifi for banking etc...I shouldn't worry.....don't want to risk spinning my head off....Then I saw this post by OP Hedon James. It almost sounds like what the fellow in the video was talking about. Question.... are there any live versions that I could put on a thumbdrive that would have the security already set up? I'm thinking if I was ever in the situation that I had to use pubic wifi for banking I could just plug a thumb drive in and proceed. thanks.... Simply using a trustworthy VPN will elevate the issue. Firewall rules would be needed if you didn't have a VPN. Remember.. your provider (ISP or whomever is running the wifi signal) can only see one single connection to your VPN, everything else is encrypted and hidden. For instance, when I am connected to a VPN at home, my ISP only sees one single connection to my VPN provider and cannot see anything after that. As long as your VPN provider can pass DNS leak tests, the outside connection cannot see anything at all. Good morning SB....thanks for the info. To start the learning process, I looked up the wiki for VPN's....boy, my head is starting to hurt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I was watching a video the other day about a fellow that has hit the road in his RV. He mentioned that using public wifi you could be opening yourself up to hackers. He suggested setting up a firewall for whatever OS you were using. This stuff makes my head spin. So I googled firewall for Slackware 14.1 and it brought a page that looked simple enough until I started scrolling down. Did I mention this stuff makes my head spin? I'm thinking if I don't use public wifi for banking etc...I shouldn't worry.....don't want to risk spinning my head off....Then I saw this post by OP Hedon James. It almost sounds like what the fellow in the video was talking about. Question.... are there any live versions that I could put on a thumbdrive that would have the security already set up? I'm thinking if I was ever in the situation that I had to use pubic wifi for banking I could just plug a thumb drive in and proceed. thanks.... Simply using a trustworthy VPN will elevate the issue. Firewall rules would be needed if you didn't have a VPN. Remember.. your provider (ISP or whomever is running the wifi signal) can only see one single connection to your VPN, everything else is encrypted and hidden. For instance, when I am connected to a VPN at home, my ISP only sees one single connection to my VPN provider and cannot see anything after that. As long as your VPN provider can pass DNS leak tests, the outside connection cannot see anything at all. Good morning SB....thanks for the info. To start the learning process, I looked up the wiki for VPN's....boy, my head is starting to hurt... >_ Forget that, all you need to know is how to use a client config using openvpn or just use their graphical client. No configuration needed. To make your own VPN takes some time but using one is simple to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Thanks again, SB Forget that, all you need to know is how to use a client config using openvpn or just use their graphical client. No configuration needed. Oh, that's good to know. I thought it would be way over my head. To make your own VPN takes some time but using one is simple to do. OK, that makes sense. Tnx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedon James Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 I'm with you wa4chq! Most of this is over my head too! I only have a vague understanding of VPNs, what they are, and how they could be helpful for privacy issues. The recommendation for PIA here was VERY helpful, as it accelerated my curve past all this VPN mumbo-jumbo that I don't fully understand (yet) and allowed me to go straight to being an end-user. I also recommend PIA, but the BETA version of the app, for getting up and running ASAP. I hope to figure out the rest of what I don't know over time, as I run into issues and experience things. JMO... Good luck buddy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I'm with you wa4chq! Most of this is over my head too! I only have a vague understanding of VPNs, what they are, and how they could be helpful for privacy issues. The recommendation for PIA here was VERY helpful, as it accelerated my curve past all this VPN mumbo-jumbo that I don't fully understand (yet) and allowed me to go straight to being an end-user. I also recommend PIA, but the BETA version of the app, for getting up and running ASAP. I hope to figure out the rest of what I don't know over time, as I run into issues and experience things. JMO... Good luck buddy! Thanks for the info, Hedon James. Just made my way over to https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/I've got some reading to do.... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 (edited) Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2018? In response to a growing threat of Internet surveillance and censorship, VPN services have surged in popularity in recent years. Encrypting one's traffic through a VPN connection helps to keep online communications private, but what more does your VPN provider do to keep you anonymous? We take a look at the logging policies and other privacy features of dozens of VPN providers. Using a VPN service is a great way to protect your privacy online. However, not all VPN services are as private as you might think. In fact, some are known to keep extensive logs that can easily identify specific users on their network. This is the main reason why we publish a yearly VPN review, asking providers about their respective logging policies as well as other security and privacy aspects. It’s worth keeping in mind though that not all VPN protocols and encryption algorithms are equally secure. PPTP is known to be vulnerable for example, and pre-shared keys are also a risk. We ask all VPN providers what their best recommendation is, but we encourage readers to fully research all options. Also, VPN users should always do a proper IP-leak test to confirm that their setup is safe from IPv6, DNS, WebRTC and other leaks. PIA comes second in their list so they must think quite highly of it or maybe they get a kickback for promoting it. Edited January 9, 2019 by abarbarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 PIA comes in 2nd to Nord at PCMag, too. This is where I first heard about PIA, actually. https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2403388,00.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I used Nord at one time and while they provided an ok VPN, I didn't get very fast speeds. I read plenty of other reviews that say the same thing: NordVPN Review: Easy But Slow from Tom's Hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Speed's not a problem for me with PIA, even when using distant exit servers. Also, I use 256 encryption, not the standard 128. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Speed's not a problem for me with PIA, even when using distant exit servers. Also, I use 256 encryption, not the standard 128. Is that like Spinal Tap encryption? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Speed's not a problem for me with PIA, even when using distant exit servers. Also, I use 256 encryption, not the standard 128. Yup, I do the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Speed's not a problem for me with PIA, even when using distant exit servers. Also, I use 256 encryption, not the standard 128. Is that like Spinal Tap encryption? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Well, I set up an account with PIA.... to use a quote from one of my favorite movies, "Is it safe?" Right now, I'm in a public library. Piavpn is running and I'm in "Vancouver" (I wish...Granville Island and enjoying the Jazzfest...oh and a brew). If I want to check my bank account online I'm gonna be safe, right? I didn't set the two-factor authentication up but am heading there now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Yes, you will 100% safe as long as you use PIA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Cool!... now I need to get the stupid QR scanner thang working so I can set up the two-factor authentication. OK...found "google authenticator"....here goes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 OK...it looks like they supply a series of authentications that are one-time only. I'm assuming after using them I will have to scan the QR code again to get another set..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Yes, that is how two factor authentication works. You have a password and then a second form of Auth which is usually generated using an app or hardware token. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Google authentication is ok but I prefer Authy as it is opensource it allows you to transfer between devices easily. With Google Authenticator, you have to use the backup codes that get generated with each account to change devices. Trust me, this is a big problem once you have a bunch of 2FA accounts. How Authy Built A Fault-Tolerant Two-Factor Authentication Service You can also use a hardware 2FA device like a Yubikey. This gives you even more security as it requires the physical usb drive to be inserted that generates a unique key each time and your password. You can also set it up with your password manager and you can even set up to login to your linux machine using PAM. I keep my Yubikey in my wallet and use it unlock my password manager on various devices and also used to login to my server and my main laptop. Basically you would need to have the usb hardware key and the password to log into my accounts. I have used Yubi keys for years now. Most companies do something similar. Like for instance at my job, they use smartcards as the second form of authentication on laptops and work as keys to go through doorways around the building using NFC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Congrats, Neil. You can now join all the other folks in the U.S. who use VPNs in the FBI's suspicious characters dossier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Well everyone is on that list... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Yeah, I'd imagine that it would be a pretty big list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Yeah, I should be near the top... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Yeah... not to mention the NSA data on you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Congrats, Neil. You can now join all the other folks in the U.S. who use VPNs in the FBI's suspicious characters dossier. Maybe it will also put a "disguise" on the pictures of me hanging up in the local post offices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Maybe it will also put a "disguise" on the pictures of me hanging up in the local post offices. Wait, who are you again... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 (edited) Edited June 26, 2019 by wa4chq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Apparently MX Linux is quite easy to set up as live USB with persistence on a flash drive. Sure you could set up VPN on that. Good morning sunrat. Tnx for the reply. As a matter of fact, I do have MX-17 w/ persistence on a flash drive. I'll have to do more research. Tnx! As an add on to sunrat's excellent suggestion, on a persistent MX on a flash drive you could run FireFox or another browser in -private mode through Firejail. https://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.php?showtopic=76690&do=findComment&comment=430507 For example I use, alias ***="firejail --private --dns=8.8.8.8 --dns=8.8.4.4 firefox -no-remote" from a live linux. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Apparently MX Linux is quite easy to set up as live USB with persistence on a flash drive. Sure you could set up VPN on that. Good morning sunrat. Tnx for the reply. As a matter of fact, I do have MX-17 w/ persistence on a flash drive. I'll have to do more research. Tnx! As an add on to sunrat's excellent suggestion, on a persistent MX on a flash drive you could run FireFox or another browser in -private mode through Firejail. https://forums.scots...690#entry430507 For example I use, alias ***="firejail --private --dns=8.8.8.8 --dns=8.8.4.4 firefox -no-remote" from a live linux. Thanks Abarbarian.... heading over to the link you provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wa4chq Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 LOL....I set up PIA using a different country, down under roaming with the kangaroos. Now my searches reflect "my location" . Searching for a submersible water pump to get an idea of costs and results show companies in Australia..... guess I better remember to maybe stay a little closer to home....hahaha... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 We have very good submersible water pumps in Australia! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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