Helpful Resources and Info

There's a lot of OPSEC chatter out there, and I though it might be a good time to expand on some of the key points when it comes to online activity, and obfuscation tactics.

This post will be more of a resource list of things I think are helpful starting points for you to do your own research into further.

• VPN
  • Choose a REPUTABLE VPN provider, specifically one that offers servers in other countries around the world (Switzerland and the Netherlands come to mind, but there are other good options). I personally use Proton, but there are other good options out there. STAY AWAY from free ones if at all possible. There are too many that have been caught up in shady data privacy practices.
• Burner Phones/Accounts
  • If you are going to buy a burner phone, be smart. Use cash and purchase from another county from the one where you live. Better still, but the device in one location and the sim card from another (again, CASH-only)
  • Hoodies and Masks are your friends when making these transactions. Remember, there are cameras everywhere.
  • Another option is buying a used phone that someone else purchased several years ago. Then pop a pre-paid sim in it.
  • If you don't want to invest in hardware, there are app-based options like Burner and Hushed. I personally have used both and prefer Hushed. Either way, you should be using the above VPN when registering these accounts.
  • Burner emails can be registered, in many cases for free, again be sure to use that VPN! More info can be found in this article here.
  • Not so much a burner phone, but what about sharing files in a "burner" way? File.io is a great tool that lets you set a self-destruct based on time or number of downloads, and lets you easily share files up to 4GB, all E2EE (end to end encrypted, something you should always look for in a communications service)
• Non-Corporate Social Media
  • Federated services are those that are spread across hundreds or thousands of independently-owned servers and can communicate with one another.
  • Mastodon is an ad-free, tracker-free alternative to Twitter/X. If anyone need suggestions for servers to join or assistance with getting set up, I'm glad to help.
  • Friendica is an option with a more classic Facebook layout.
  • I already made a lengthy blog post on this topic here.
  • Signal isn't so much a social media platform but we should ALL be using it instead of plain SMS or less privacy-friendly options like WhatsApp (owned by Meta).
• Ethical Hacking
  • Nobody should be breaking the law. You can't do much from jail. But these skills can be a valuable addition to your arsenal.
  • I highly recommend David Bombal's YouTube channel for a lot of great content on this topic as well as Information Warfare in general. He also frequently has guest that bring tons of knowledge to the table.
  • If you want to take it up a notch and spend a small amount to join an instructor-led Ethical Hacking course, I can highly recommend this course by Zaid Sabih on Udemy. I have taken it and it is well laid out and very educational.

Hopefully there is a little something here for everyone to benefit from. I will likely add to this list over time, as I see questions asked or new tools being suggested. Please subscribe to the blog if you want to receive these and all other updates!