STOP USING WINDOWS TODAY! Try Some Hacking With Kali Linux Instead - Or Some Steeming With Ubuntu.
Throw out the windows
It has come to my attention that many Steemians are still using Windows while also trying to maintain their privacy. This however, does not and will not work in today's cyber-society. I see questions on various forums, that go something like: Is it safe to use Windows and Tor? Am I safe using Windows if I use a VPN and then Tor?
The answer is simply NO. Windows was at one point a great operating system but that time has come and gone. The web is no longer the one known when Windows 95 was out, prior to 95, or even spanning up to XP.
The only true way to stay safe, even from your operating system, is by using an open-sourced OS such as Linux. Now, I will not be telling you which Linux distro to use as that is for you to figure out. There are various Linux distros and only you can find the one most suited to your needs. Like Windows? I would recommend Ubuntu or Mint. Want a hacking machine? Kali Linux or possibly even Parrot. There are many others that I have not mentioned here as well.
My main point here is that you should not be using Windows. You should also not be using OSX or either, even though Apple does seem to be attempting to fight for encryption standards and privacy. Below I have provided links for the cases against using Windows.
Disclaimer: These are clearnet links. I will offer a brief summary of each article below the link to it.
- Recently Bought a Windows Computer? Microsoft Probably has Your Encryption Key. - Micah Lee
Basically, just as the title says, if you recently bought a Windows computer then they will automatically have your encryption key as you are forced to encrypt your hard drive and the key is associated to your Microsoft account. The only way to fix this would be to decrypt your hard drive and the re-encrypt it with another piece of software (I would suggest VeraCrypt).
- Why not Windows.
http://www.getgnulinux.org/en/windows/
You should go ahead and read this entire thing. It is not very long and many of the points are just bullets. One key piece of information is this:
Private information is collected
The licence explicitly states that "Microsoft and its affiliates" collect technical information gathered on your computer by the software. They "may use this information solely to improve products or to provide customized services or technologies".
In order to activate most Microsoft products, as part of the license agreement, your computer connects to the Microsoft servers and sends "technical" information. It can "solely" be used for pretty much anything.
- Even when told not to, Windows 10 just can't stop talking to Microsoft – Peter Bright
Windows still collects your data even when you turn off telemetry settings (the settings that collect your data)
If you do wish to install Linux, I have provided a link to a guide. This particular guide is a pdf but I find it to be the most useful.
http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/~matloff/Linux/LinuxInstall.pdf
I have also posted another guide that is not a pdf if you are weirded out by that kind of thing.
http://www.control-escape.com/linux/lx-install.html
Steem on and browse safe!
I am a fan windows but due to the issues of security, I might consider Linux. This is going to be a total shift for me since I am ignorant with Linux.
Good luck! Don't worry there are 1000s of Linux geeks on here to help you out @juvyjabian :)
Good to know that. Relieved :)
All the witnesses on here are MASSIVE linux geeks ... just post an query you have and I'm sure they'll answer it v.quickly!
Good to know that. Thanks man.
Steem/Linux on!
P.S. Kali Linux can be found here: https://www.kali.org/
Linux is awesome. It's my OS of choice at home.
It's great to see 'open source'moving onto the blockchain now @neoxian How ironic it's linux facilitates that process!
For me open source is requirement for a crypto-currency (or any blockchain). Putting thousands of dollars on a closed source blockchain? Madness!!
Agreed.
Kali linux will give you the information of any digital communication
I love it for penetration testing - it's such a killer tool!!
I hope it stays openly available, and protect it from being snatched/acquired by top dogs in this industry.
Kali will Steam it open any vulnerability lingering around.
Open source will always exist my friend as long as humanity is alive :)
Agreed, open source community will manage the sharks and sardines harvests
Open source spreads from linux to the blockchain. Nice :)
Thanks @mindhunter, I'm actually buying myself a new laptop next week (birthday present to myself 😁) And after reading your post I will definitely consider Linux. Cheers!
Try to find a local linux geek who can help you @thereceptionist Once you get on linux there is plenty of help here on Steemit! :D
If you are going to be using Kali Linux as your Main OS - do not use root as the main account / create a new account use that. Only use root for pentesting.
No worries there brother Johal I'm a seasoned pen tester on Kali. This morning I was just generating password list files. Nice to see we have password keys of 52 letter/number length for Steemit to make a brute force attack virtually impossible!! Only malware can collect these keys, and that's only ever happened in a handful of cases. Have a good day dude.<3
P.S. I hear your in Seattle, WA. My favourite West coast city :) Got some good friends in Tacoma and at Everett - near Boeing. Seattle is a great city for Steemit: coffee culture, lots of rain perfect for steeming, quirky culture, coders and Twin Peaks - I can't wait for the new season of that v.soon ... Oh! And Go Seahawks too!
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