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As you may have already known that all the communication between the users and the SMS server is via SSL (i.e. https protocol), a quite secure way to use strong encryption method to protect your sent messages content, which avoid anyone to intercept your secret. Then why we still need an additional secure connection? The reason is that your counter parts are not script kiddies, but a gang of state supported and well equipped professional hackers. Even your ISP will help them to monitor your cyber activities if government authority requests for it. So, they may not get your messages content easily, but they can certainly get your SMS sites DNS name and IP address easily if you don't take further steps to hide them. Once they know your SMS site, they can track all connected IP addresses to your SMS site. If SMS users don't connect to the SMS server with secure connections, their IP addresses and then their identities can be uncovered by government agents. Therefore, secure connection serves two purposes, hide your SMS site and true identity of SMS users, or at least protect SMS users even your enemies know your SMS site.
There are three ways to build a secure connection. They are virtual private network (VPN), Tor browser (Tor network), and public available WiFi hotspots. In general, public available WiFi hotspots are considered insecure, then why should they be used? Because 'secure' in here also means anonymity.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
VPN could hide your true IP address as you connect to your SMS server, but you must remember that VPN is NOT designed for anonymity. Your VPN provider knows your true IP address (and hence your true identity), and all your cyber activities if he wants to monitor you. Therefore, how to choose your VPN provider is very important for your safety. The basic principles are:
| 1. | If you need to hide yourself from your local government, don't subscribe those VPN providers that your local government's jurisdiction can be applied to them. |
| 2. | If it is possible, use free VPN services. Although freely available VPN services have many disadvantages, they could provide one more layer of anonymity for you. They don't have your payment record, and payment record can be used to identify a person. However, you should remember, free VPN providers still know your true IP address, and your cyber activities. So, rule number 1 must be considered as select your free VPN provider(s). |
For free VPN service, I recommend VPN Gate. It is developed and run by University of Tsukuba, Japan. Please note that part of VPN servers provided by VPN Gate come from volunteers, and some of them are located into the territory of dictatorial regimes like China and Russia, you should avoid those VPN servers. Table 5.1.1 shows you the brief steps to install and use VPN Gate service on varied platforms.
Another honerable mention free VPN provider is Proton VPN. It is in fact not totally free, but it provides a very good free usage plan for registered users.
| Platform | Installation & Usage | ||||||||
| Microsoft Windows |
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| Android |
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| iOS (iPhone, iPad) |
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| Ubuntu Linux |
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| Table 5.1.1 | |||||||||
Important Note:
To check your VPN status and details, launch a web browser, and go to web site https://ipleak.net. If DNS service shown on this web page is still from your original ISP, please wait a while and check again. Don't do anything until DNS service of your device is picked up by the VPN provider. Otherwise, your internet activities could still be traced by your ISP.
Tor browser is designed for user anonymity. When you use Tor browser to go to the internet, it will go through three arbitrary selected nodes of Tor network around the world, and connection between all nodes are strongly encrypted. Because of it's nature, speed of Tor browser could be very slow. Tor project officially support five platofrms. They are MS Windows, MacOS X, Linux, OpenBSD and Android. Tor browser installation on MS Windows, Linux and macOS are quite straightforward, just decompress the download archive and run it. Tor browser for Android is installed via Google Play store. Table 5.1.2 summarize some tips for Tor browser installation and usage you should know about.
Unfortunately, FireFox (except on iOS) and hence Tor browser are not supported by SMS 2.x due to technical issues. Therefore, if you want to use Tor like web browser to protect yourself, only few options on desktop or laptop computers are available. For example, you may use Brave web browser's private window with Tor feature on MS Windows, Linux or macOS. Note: Brave web browser for Android and iOS has no this feature.
| # | Tips |
| 1. | For security reason, you cannot run Tor browser in super user mode in Linux. |
| 2. | Although Tor project has no officially supported Tor browser on iOS (iPhone and iPad), an application called 'Onion Browser' (developed by Mike Tigas) can use Tor network to protect your web surfing activities. However, you must bear in mind that Onion Browser can't fully protect your IP address from leaking outside Tor network, especially on multimedia handling. |
| Table 5.1.2 | |
Besides web surfing, if you want to use Tor network to protect all your internet activities, you may turn to use Whonix. Whonix is two VirtualBox virtual machines built on Debian Linux. One is called 'gateway', another one is called 'workstation'. 'Gateway' has two network interfaces, one of the network interfaces is used to connect to the Tor network, another network interface is used locally for 'workstation'. All internet connection from the 'workstation' must go through the 'gateway'. Therefore, all internet activities on the 'workstation' is protected by the Tor network. Since Whonix must be run on VirtualBox, so that it is for desktop or laptop computers only, and it supports MS Windows, Linux, macOS (except Apple silicon mac) and Qubes.
To download Whonix, go to it's download page. For more details of Whonix, you may consult Whonix WiKi page.
Public available WiFi hotspots are usually insecure places (see this article for details). However, if you take all the precautions, you could still keep yourself anonymity and safe.
Although public WiFi hotspot can't expose your true identity directly, your trackers still have many ways to correlate indirect data to identify you. For example, coffee cafes usually provide public WiFi access, and those places also commonly have CCTV monitoring. Your face on CCTV timeline, and internet activities log on the public WiFi router, could let secret police narrow down who is the right person they target. Therefore, the following tips are for you as using public WiFi hotspots:
| 1. | Don't hang on same public WiFi hotspot frequently or regularly. |
| 2. | To cover your face, a cap / sunglasses / surgical mask is helpful. Don't dress too outstanding, and don't wear attractive or easily identified accessories. You must keep yourself low profile. |
| 3. | If it is possible, use VPN or Tor network to protect your internet connection as you are using public WiFi hotspot. |
| 4. | Activate firewall and disable all sharing on your device. For mobile devices, also disable bluetooth, NFC and all other remote connection ways except your WiFi card. |
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