Cybersecurity: Whistleblower Best Practices

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

National Whistleblower Center | Global Wildlife Whistleblower Program CYBERSECURITY: WHISTLEBLOWER BEST PRACTICES General information-sharing tips • Do not use a device that is owned by the government or your employer. It is best to use a device that is not linked to you personally. • Do not use your home or work internet network. • Create alias communication accounts (use fake names for email, social media, messenger, etc). • Do not engage in other activities which could identify you when sharing information, such as checking email, social media, online shopping, etc. • If you do not feel comfortable reporting on your own, work with an NGO or attorney to make the report. • Use Protonmail and its associated VPN to communicate via email. Using a mobile device • If possible, use a mobile phone that has been purchased only for whis- tleblowing purposes. It should not have any personal contacts, photos, or other information on it. As an alternative, use a publicly-available phone that is unconnected to your identity. • Before using a mobile device, turn off all tracking and Bluetooth func- tions and close any active applications. • Use internet browsers such as Tor, Orwall, Orbot, or Orweb, to make the report on your mobile device. • For text messaging purposes, use encrypted applications such as TextSecure, Silent Circle, or Threema. Using an internet cafe or other public wifi • Check to make sure that the cafe, library, or other location does not re- quire a valid identification before letting you use a computer or internet. • Download the Tails operating system or the Tor browser bundle to a USB drive, and use these tools when at an internet cafe, even if using a personal computer. • Make sure no one can walk by and see your computer screen without your noticing them. • Log out of all accounts and remove all devices and software after using a computer at an internet cafe. Need advice? Contact the National Whistleblower Center: [email protected] National Whistleblower Center | www.whistleblowers.org.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Improving Signal's Sealed Sender
Improving Signal’s Sealed Sender Ian Martiny∗, Gabriel Kaptchuky, Adam Avivz, Dan Rochex, Eric Wustrow∗ ∗University of Colorado Boulder, fian.martiny, [email protected] yBoston University, [email protected] zGeorge Washington University, [email protected] xU.S. Naval Avademy, [email protected] Abstract—The Signal messaging service recently deployed a conﬁdential support [25]. In these cases, merely knowing to sealed sender feature that provides sender anonymity by crypto- whom Alice is communicating combined with other contextual graphically hiding a message’s sender from the service provider. information is often enough to infer conversation content with- We demonstrate, both theoretically and empirically, that this out reading the messages themselves. Former NSA and CIA one-sided anonymity is broken when two parties send multiple director Michael Hayden succinctly illustrated this importance messages back and forth; that is, the promise of sealed sender of metadata when he said the US government “kill[s] people does not compose over a conversation of messages. Our attack is in the family of Statistical Disclosure Attacks (SDAs), and is made based on metadata” [29]. particularly effective by delivery receipts that inform the sender Signal’s recent sealed sender feature aims to conceal this that a message has been successfully delivered, which are enabled metadata by hiding the message sender’s identity. Instead of by default on Signal. We show using theoretical and simulation- based models that Signal could link sealed sender users in as seeing a message from Alice to Bob, Signal instead observes few as 5 messages. Our attack goes beyond tracking users via a message to Bob from an anonymous sender.
[Show full text]
How to Use Encryption and Privacy Tools to Evade Corporate Espionage
How to use Encryption and Privacy Tools to Evade Corporate Espionage An ICIT White Paper Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology August 2015 NOTICE: The recommendations contained in this white paper are not intended as standards for federal agencies or the legislative community, nor as replacements for enterprise-wide security strategies, frameworks and technologies. This white paper is written primarily for individuals (i.e. lawyers, CEOs, investment bankers, etc.) who are high risk targets of corporate espionage attacks. The information contained within this briefing is to be used for legal purposes only. ICIT does not condone the application of these strategies for illegal activity. Before using any of these strategies the reader is advised to consult an encryption professional. ICIT shall not be liable for the outcomes of any of the applications used by the reader that are mentioned in this brief. This document is for information purposes only. It is imperative that the reader hires skilled professionals for their cybersecurity needs. The Institute is available to provide encryption and privacy training to protect your organization’s sensitive data. To learn more about this offering, contact information can be found on page 41 of this brief. Not long ago it was speculated that the leading world economic and political powers were engaged in a cyber arms race; that the world is witnessing a cyber resource buildup of Cold War proportions. The implied threat in that assessment is close, but it misses the mark by at least half. The threat is much greater than you can imagine. We have passed the escalation phase and have engaged directly into full confrontation in the cyberwar.
[Show full text]
Improving Signal's Sealed Sender
Improving Signal’s Sealed Sender Ian Martiny∗, Gabriel Kaptchuky, Adam Avivz, Dan Rochex, Eric Wustrow∗ ∗University of Colorado Boulder, fian.martiny, [email protected] yBoston University, [email protected] zGeorge Washington University, [email protected] xU.S. Naval Avademy, [email protected] Abstract—The Signal messaging service recently deployed a conﬁdential support [25]. In these cases, merely knowing to sealed sender feature that provides sender anonymity by crypto- whom Alice is communicating combined with other contextual graphically hiding a message’s sender from the service provider. information is often enough to infer conversation content with- We demonstrate, both theoretically and empirically, that this out reading the messages themselves. Former NSA and CIA one-sided anonymity is broken when two parties send multiple director Michael Hayden succinctly illustrated this importance messages back and forth; that is, the promise of sealed sender of metadata when he said the US government “kill[s] people does not compose over a conversation of messages. Our attack is in the family of Statistical Disclosure Attacks (SDAs), and is made based on metadata” [29]. particularly effective by delivery receipts that inform the sender Signal’s recent sealed sender feature aims to conceal this that a message has been successfully delivered, which are enabled metadata by hiding the message sender’s identity. Instead of by default on Signal. We show using theoretical and simulation- based models that Signal could link sealed sender users in as seeing a message from Alice to Bob, Signal instead observes few as 5 messages. Our attack goes beyond tracking users via a message to Bob from an anonymous sender.
[Show full text]
A Framework for Identifying Host-Based Artifacts in Dark Web Investigations
Dakota State University Beadle Scholar Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations Fall 11-2020 A Framework for Identifying Host-based Artifacts in Dark Web Investigations Arica Kulm Dakota State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.dsu.edu/theses Part of the Databases and Information Systems Commons, Information Security Commons, and the Systems Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Kulm, Arica, "A Framework for Identifying Host-based Artifacts in Dark Web Investigations" (2020). Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations. 357. https://scholar.dsu.edu/theses/357 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Beadle Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Beadle Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A FRAMEWORK FOR IDENTIFYING HOST-BASED ARTIFACTS IN DARK WEB INVESTIGATIONS A dissertation submitted to Dakota State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Cyber Defense November 2020 By Arica Kulm Dissertation Committee: Dr. Ashley Podhradsky Dr. Kevin Streff Dr. Omar El-Gayar Cynthia Hetherington Trevor Jones ii DISSERTATION APPROVAL FORM This dissertation is approved as a credible and independent investigation by a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy in Cyber Defense degree and is acceptable for meeting the dissertation requirements for this degree. Acceptance of this dissertation does not imply that the conclusions reached by the candidate are necessarily the conclusions of the major department or university. Student Name: Arica Kulm Dissertation Title: A Framework for Identifying Host-based Artifacts in Dark Web Investigations Dissertation Chair: Date: 11/12/20 Committee member: Date: 11/12/2020 Committee member: Date: Committee member: Date: Committee member: Date: iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT First, I would like to thank Dr.
[Show full text]
20141228-Spiegel-Overview on Internet Anonymization Services On
(C//REL) Internet Anonymity 2011 TOP SECRET//COMINT REL TO USA,FVEY Jt * (C//REL) What is Internet Anonymity? (U) Many Possible Meanings/Interpretations (S//REL) Simply Not Using Real Name for Email (S//REL) Private Forum with Unadvertised Existence (S//REL) Unbeatable Endpoint on Internet (S//REL) This Talk Concerns Endpoint Location (S//REL) The Network Address (IP Address) is Crucial (S//REL) It is Not Always Sufficient, However • (S//REL) Dynamic IP Address • (S//REL) Mobile Device TOP SECRET//COMINT REL TO USA,FVEY FT ^I^hHHPPI^^B äim f (C//REL) What is Internet Anonymity? (S//REL) Anonymity Is Not Simply Encryption (S//REL) Encryption Can Simply Hide Content (S//REL) Anonymity Masks the MetaData and hence association with user (S//SI//REL) Importance of MetaData to SIGINT post-2001 can not be overstated (S//REL) There is also anonymity specifically for publishing information (S//REL) Beyond the Scope of this Talk! (U) Anonymity is the antithesis of most business transactions (but encryption may be crucial) (U) Authentication for monetary exchange (U) Marketing wants to know customer well (U) The same goes for Taxing Authorities :-) TOP SECRET//COMINT REL TO USA,FVEY 3 A j. • " * (C//REL) Who Wants Internet ity2 Vm k m j®- * k (U) All Technology is Dual-Use - (U) Nuclear Weapon to Plug Oil Well - (U) Homicide by Hammer (U) Internet Anonymity for Good T - (U) Anonymous Surveys (Ex: Diseases) - (U) Human Rights Bloggers - (U) HUMINT Sources TOP SECRET//COMINT REL TO USA,FVEY 4 , A - Jt (C//REL) Who Wants Internet m •A w (U) Internet
[Show full text]
Torward: DISCOVERY, BLOCKING, and TRACEBACK of MALICIOUS TRAFFIC OVER Tor 2517
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION FORENSICS AND SECURITY, VOL. 10, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2015 2515 TorWard: Discovery, Blocking, and Traceback of Malicious Traffic Over Tor Zhen Ling, Junzhou Luo, Member, IEEE,KuiWu,Senior Member, IEEE, Wei Yu, and Xinwen Fu Abstract— Tor is a popular low-latency anonymous communi- I. INTRODUCTION cation system. It is, however, currently abused in various ways. OR IS a popular overlay network that provides Tor exit routers are frequently troubled by administrative and legal complaints. To gain an insight into such abuse, we designed Tanonymous communication over the Internet for and implemented a novel system, TorWard, for the discovery and TCP applications and helps fight against various Internet the systematic study of malicious traffic over Tor. The system censorship [1]. It serves hundreds of thousands of users and can avoid legal and administrative complaints, and allows the carries terabyte of traffic daily. Unfortunately, Tor has been investigation to be performed in a sensitive environment such abused in various ways. Copyrighted materials are shared as a university campus. An intrusion detection system (IDS) is used to discover and classify malicious traffic. We performed through Tor. The black markets (e.g., Silk Road [2], an comprehensive analysis and extensive real-world experiments to online market selling goods such as pornography, narcotics validate the feasibility and the effectiveness of TorWard. Our or weapons1) can be deployed through Tor hidden service. results show that around 10% Tor traffic can trigger IDS alerts. Attackers also run botnet Command and Control (C&C) Malicious traffic includes P2P traffic, malware traffic (e.g., botnet servers and send spam over Tor.
[Show full text]
Co-Pilot Learnings
DECEMBER 1, 2014 - JUNE 30, 2015 SUBMITTED TO: The Knight Foundation Knight Prototype Fund Grant PROJECT CONTACTS: Seamus Tuohy, Sr. Technologist and Risk Advisor Email: [email protected] Megan DeBlois, Program Coordinator Email: [email protected] 1 Table of Contents 1. Acknowledgements 2. About Internews 3. Executive Summary 3.0.1. Findings 3.0.2. Limitations 3.0.3. Recommendations 4. Research Approach 5. Major Findings 5.1. Adoption: Making Co-Pilot valuable to the trainer community 5.2. Adaptation: Ensuring the growth and long-term stability of Co-Pilot 6. Limitations 6.1. Duty of Care: Simulating hostile environments without causing trauma 7. Recommendations 7.1. Simulations: The creation and sharing of accurate reproductions of regional censorship 7.2. Context Appropriate: Supporting the diversity of training environments 7.3. Documentation: Removing trainer uncertainty 8. Conclusion 2 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Co-Pilot project was made possible through funding from the Knight Foundation, and continuous support and cooperation of Chris Barr and Nina Zenni. Co-Pilot is a product of Internews' Internet and Communications Technology (ICT) program. Co- Pilot was designed by Seamus Tuohy (Sr. Technologist and Risk Advisor, ICT Programs) and Megan DeBlois (Program Coordinator, ICT Training Programs). Research implementation was led by Megan DeBlois. Technical development was led by Seamus Tuohy. We are indebted to the trainers and developers who volunteered their deep knowledge and critical feedback during the research phases of the project. For privacy reasons, we will not list all of your here. A special thanks to Internews' Nick Sera-Leyva for his insights as a trainer and his support with the trainer community We would also like to acknowledge the Internews management team, and specifically Jon Camfield for his technical review and inputs during the peer review processes, and his deep commitment during the development phase of the project.
[Show full text]
Technical and Legal Overview of the Tor Anonymity Network
Emin Çalışkan, Tomáš Minárik, Anna-Maria Osula Technical and Legal Overview of the Tor Anonymity Network Tallinn 2015 This publication is a product of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (the Centre). It does not necessarily reflect the policy or the opinion of the Centre or NATO. The Centre may not be held responsible for any loss or harm arising from the use of information contained in this publication and is not responsible for the content of the external sources, including external websites referenced in this publication. Digital or hard copies of this publication may be produced for internal use within NATO and for personal or educational use when for non- profit and non-commercial purpose, provided that copies bear a full citation. www.ccdcoe.org [email protected] 1 Technical and Legal Overview of the Tor Anonymity Network 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Tor and Internet Filtering Circumvention ....................................................................................... 4 2.1. Technical Methods .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1. Proxy ................................................................................................................................ 4 2.1.2. Tunnelling/Virtual Private Networks ............................................................................... 5
[Show full text]
NSIGHT SERIES May 2020 — Issue 5
NSIGHT SERIES May 2020 — Issue 5 The Decline of the Dark Web How Mobile Solutions have Disrupted the Dark Web The dark web is in decline. Once the preferred means for anonymizing users’ online activity, the dark web has now been supplanted by encrypted mobile applications and alternate solutions. Similarly, aggressive law enforcement actions have shuttered many of the dark web’s largest forums, making it a much more fleeting and much less secure destination for criminal activity. As a result, the number of users accessing dark web sites has dropped. Instead, many users are connecting through the dark web via mobile applications on Android and iOS, rather than to the dark web via standard browsers, to obfuscate their internet traffic. Indeed, the number of users accessing the Tor network has increased, even as the number of users accessing hidden Dark web platforms such as The Onion Router (Tor), I2P, service sites—the “dark” part of the dark web—has dropped. Freenet, and Zeronet, attempt to anonymize users’ digital Moreover, encrypted applications like Telegram, Signal, fingerprint so that technical attributes like IP addresses are and Wickr.me have lowered the barrier to entry for secure not easily available to entities with intent to track users’ communication and illicit transactions. As a result, just like online activity. This emphasis on anonymity was designed to many other industries, the dark web has been disrupted keep the dark web free from oversight, free from censorship, by technological innovation and aggressive competition, and open to anyone in any location. The developers of Tor, triggering a gradual decline and turning the so-called the most popular dark web platform, promote it as a tool invisible internet even more opaque.
[Show full text]
SIGCHI Conference Proceedings Format
What’s the deal with privacy apps? A comprehensive exploration of user perception and usability Hala Assal Stephanie Hurtado Ahsan Imran School of Computer Science School of Computer Science School of Computer Science Carleton University Carleton University Carleton University [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Sonia Chiasson School of Computer Science Carleton University [email protected] ABSTRACT Statistics show that the number of global mobile users sur- We explore mobile privacy through a survey and through us- passed the number of desktop users in 2014, with an increas- ability evaluation of three privacy-preserving mobile appli- ing number of people switching to mobile devices for their cations. Our survey explores users’ knowledge of privacy daily online activities [15]. risks, as well as their attitudes and motivations to protect In this paper, we present a comprehensive look at the topic their privacy on mobile devices. We found that users have of mobile privacy. We particularly focus on three privacy as- incomplete mental models of privacy risks associated with pects: private/secure messaging, privacy-aware photosharing, such devices. And, although participants believe they are and anonymity. First, we seek to assess users’ knowledge of primarily responsible for protecting their own privacy, there mobile privacy and determine whether users rely on privacy- is a clear gap between their perceived privacy risks and the preserving applications (apps henceforth) to protect their pri- defenses they employ. For example, only 6% of participants vacy. Second, for users who do not, we discern whether they use privacy-preserving applications on their mobile devices, are consciously rejecting the use of such apps.
[Show full text]
Safety on the Line Exposing the Myth of Mobile Communication Security
Safety on the Line Exposing the myth of mobile communication security Prepared by: Supported by: Cormac Callanan Freedom House and Hein Dries-Ziekenheiner Broadcasting Board of Governors This report has been prepared within the framework Contacts of Freedom House/Broadcasting Board of Governors funding. The views expressed in this document do not FOR FURTHER INFORMATION necessarily reflect those of Freedom House nor those of PLEASE CONTACT: the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Mr. Cormac Callanan July 2012 Email: [email protected] Mr. Hein Dries-Ziekenheiner Email: [email protected] 2 Safety on the Line Exposing the myth of mobile communication security Authors CORMAC CALLANAN HEIN DRIES-ZIEKENHEINER IRELAND THE NETHERLANDS Cormac Callanan is director of Aconite Internet Solutions Hein Dries-Ziekenheiner LL.M is the CEO of VIGILO (www.aconite.com), which provides expertise in policy consult, a Netherlands based consultancy specializing development in the area of cybercrime and internet in internet enforcement, cybercrime and IT law. Hein security and safety. holds a Master’s degree in Dutch civil law from Leiden University and has more than 10 years of legal and Holding an MSc in Computer Science, he has over 25 technical experience in forensic IT and law enforcement years working experience on international computer on the internet. networks and 10 years experience in the area of cybercrime. He has provided training at Interpol and Hein was technical advisor to the acclaimed Netherlands Europol and to law enforcement agencies around the anti-spam team at OPTA, the Netherlands Independent world. He has worked on policy development with the Post and Telecommunications Authority, and frequently Council of Europe and the UNODC.
[Show full text]
How to Download Tor Browser on Android Download and Install TOR Browser on Android and Ios Devices
how to download tor browser on android Download and Install TOR Browser on Android and iOS Devices. Download and Install Tor Browser on Android – how to configure orbot on Android. First, download the ‘Orbot: Proxy with Tor‘ [ tor browser android apk ] from play store now do install the ‘Orbot: Proxy with Tor’ [ install tor browser apk ]. Then launch the app. Now you can see a start button on the launch screen. tap on it and start the service on your Android device. How to download and Install Tor browser on iPhone/iPad [tor on iOS] download the VPN app –VPN Browser – TOR-powered unlimited VPN open the app and tap on the ‘enable’ button. you are done, now VPN is activated on your device now you can visit any website. your IP will not be tracked. Incoming Search terms: tor android apk, download tor browser for android, how to configure orbot on android, orfox android,orbot android,tor browser android apk, tor for android safe, orbot for iphone, onion iphone tor browser install,tor browser download,download tor,tor web browser,deep web browser,deep web,free tor browser,the tor browser,tor browser windows,android tor browser,tor android,tor browser bundle,tor bundle,proxy,proxy browser,tor browser mac,download tor browser free,tor onion browser,onion,onion browser,tor browser wiki,vpn 15,firefox tor browser 15,firefox 15,tor browser linux 10, Related Articles. This post first appeared on Xpert Tricks, please read the originial post: here. Tor Browser: Official, Private, & Secure. Tor Browser for Android is the only official mobile browser supported by the Tor Project, developers of the world’s strongest tool for privacy and freedom online.
[Show full text]