How to shield your Steem account like you are paranoid

sahorearboss (4)in #steem • 6 years ago

I don't apprehend if you guys apprehend this, however the Crypto in my name, @CryptoSharon, comes from cryptography, not cryptocurrencies. i like cryptocurrencies too owing to cryptography and monetary independence, however that is a secondary impact.

Something that keeps ME thinking all the time is finding ways that to make sure the confidentiality of my communications, in addition because the ways that within which my net services might screw ME over.

How are you able to any secure your keep and access on this beautiful blockchain, until you are left while not holes to cover? there is perpetually one thing else, I tell myself, and during this case, it's true, however let's dig as deep as we are able to and see however robust we are able to build our virtual bunker.

Let's begin with Account Creation

Steem accounts will be created in several, many ways. The one issue most ways that have in common (all however one) is that your account doesn't really technically belong to you. You "own" (have access to) all of your keys and you've got the (conditional) freedom to alter your keys or recover a number of them if you lose them.

Which area unit these ways that to form your account?

1. Steemit

The makers of the Steem blockchain additionally created Steemit and created the way to form accounts for "free" directly on https://steemit.com. It's fully secure, they assure US, however once we produce the account, they're those WHO do the account creation group action, pay money for our initial fees and provides US our word.

That's right, they need our word and that they provides it to US. that is a hole. we do not wish anyone to access our word.

Even more, they need a mobile phone range associated an e-mail address. The e-mail address isn't any drawback (download Tor and use https://cock.li to line up a free anonymous e-mail address), however the mobile phone range will be a problem if you do not have associate access to associate anonymous mobile phone range. some prospects area unit asking one from an internet friend WHO does not apprehend you, shopping for a burner telephone company somehow, etc.

Steemit's insecurity boils all the way down to

They have your word
Changing and ill your word depends on them
You have to try and do all the sign in from your browser with Javascript activated, which suggests they will get plenty datarmation|of data|of knowledge} from you (more info on this)

2. Steeminvite

@pharesim created an exquisite tool to form Steemit-independent accounts with https://steeminvite.com.

	Pros	Cons
1	You don't need a cell phone number (you do need an e-mail address)	You need someone with another account (or having another account yourself) to create your account
2	You don't need to wait to see if/when the Steemit team approves your account	Your account will forever be associated with its metadata with the parent account
3	You can start with a bigger delegation for bandwidth issues	Steeminvite gives you your password, meaning they, at a certain point in time, may have your password (although I'm told that both Steeminvite and Steemconnect possibly create your password client-side, which would add safety but not ownership)

We can see that despite the fact that Steeminvite is pretty cool and, for folks with some SP to spare, a faster and more sensible choice to account creatio However, it is no

t in the least at the height of safety. Being paranoid, we'll pass.

3. Steemconnect

Steemconnect is largely like Steeminvite, solely that Steemconnect is that the one that may offer you your word and can be the final word owner of your account. Here's a tutorial on a way to produce associate account through Steemconnect.

4. AnonSteem

https://anon.steem.network/

Same as Steeminvite and Steemconnect except you do not would like another account. you simply ought to be able to transfer cash to the account creation. It's additional anonymous, you do not would like an admirer or associate e-mail address, however WHO ensures that you will be the particular owner of your account? They, like Steemconnect and Steeminvite, offer you your word.

These area unit the most on-line services that permit you to form associate account through them. i am unsure if there area unit others, however these area unit the foremost glorious and also the most "trustable".

5. CLI notecase (deprecated)

This methodology isn't any longer potential, I'm told. Before you were able to transfer, compile and run the Steem code and in there, you would be able to produce associate account through a cash transfer.

It was {by far|far associated away|out and away} the second most secure mode to form an account, and it absolutely was pretty fast and simple too if you knew what you were doing. however some hardforks agone, it absolutely was disabled.

6. Mining (deprecated)

(Not potential any longer, check the comment section for associate explanation)

This one was the toughest means, however it absolutely was additionally the safest means around. Before, you were able to mine Steem severally of WHO you were. however currently you would like to be a witness to mine, I'm told, and even witnesses cannot produce accounts any longer. If you discover the way around cli_wallet or witness account creation, please tell ME within the comment section.

Basically, after you were reaching to begin prisoner mining, you used associate account name to try and do it. If the account did not exist, it got created mechanically as before long as you bought a block.

You did not ought to pay a fee for it (although you'd have to be compelled to pay money for a server to mine, equipment, browse plenty and do plenty of labor to induce there).

Near the tip of this text, you will find some guides regarding mining (now solely helpful for commemoration))

In this means, you yourself would produce your account, no one would have your word however you, you may modification it, you may play with it, and it might be yours solely. Rejoice.

It seems, though, that the sole accessible account creation strategies straight away area unit through third parties. i will ne'er be comfy thereupon, however we are able to opt for the safest ones, that area unit Steemit, Steemconnect and Steeminvite, as so much as i do know, and that i do not know however the backend of Anonsteem works.

How to guarantee Secure Access to your Steem Account (SA to your SA)

There's many ways in which you'll be able to firmly access your Steem Account, and most of them claim to be secure, however as we tend to area unit paranoid, we'll solely trust what we all know. And what we all know is that when you set your word somewhere and hit send, do not|you do not} apprehend wherever it's sent (you don't even have to be compelled to hit send if they will see your keystrokes or your clipboard).

The only noteworthy ways that to access your account from on-line services area unit Steemconnect and Steemit. anything and you'll be able to nearly safely assume that it is a scam and they're going to steal your word.

Tip:

Whenever you're reaching to kind your word, DO check out your Address Bar. it's to either say https://steemit.com (note the s once http)

https://steemit.com/@sahorearboss

If there's any distinction within the URLs, an additional l (like Sleemit, that is one glorious phishing site) or .org rather than .com or, really, anything, don't kind your word in.

Make sure to perpetually check out the address bar once you are asked for your word. I've seen dozens fall and lose their cash and their accounts for this.

The only thanks to firmly access your account

is directly through your own code. There area unit one or two possibilities:

cli_wallet, that i discussed earlier (compiled Steem code running directly on your hardware)
RPC node wrappers. essentially making a larva or your own front-end through things like dsteem, steem-js or your most well-liked library for your most well-liked language.
Note, though, that notwithstanding you utilize Tor to access a Steem node, the Steem node encompasses a bound power over your association. i do not apprehend to that extent they will browse your info (if you recognize, please tell ME within the comments), however they will a minimum of block your access if they need (not that I've ever detected of such a issue happening, however it's potential.

Conclusion: Maximise your own security by being your own manager

The less others apprehend you, the safer your info are going to be. If you are paranoid and do not wish anyone concealing behind your back and reading your information after you produce and access your Steem account, then merely do not provide anyone the prospect to own that info.

You can, however, build some compromises. I, as an example, took a leap of religion and determined to trust Steemit with my funds. It's abundant easier and that i did not apprehend associateyone WHO would be willing to form ME an account through Steeminvite after I started (basically from scratch, fifteen Steemit-delegated SP and also the solely person I knew on the complete blockchain was @sahorearboss)

Celebrate your freedom, you'll be able to be anonymous on this tiny place of the web, for currently a minimum of, and let's hope that it keeps entering into that direction.