Online privacy is hard. The Internet is built to identify who you are. It is nearly impossible to use the Internet anonymously. I have over 20 years in cybersecurity. I’ve written network monitoring software, performed countless forensic responses, and executed numerous tailored offensive security operations with complete anonymity. In this post I’ll share a cheap (nearly free) walk-through to achieve moderately good online privacy using VMware and Mullvad.
If you want to be private online, you should not use social media and you cannot intermix anonymous accounts and private accounts on the same system.
You need a burner computer. You CANNOT login to any personal social media, email, on a private system. You CANNOT make a purchase on your burner using your debit or credit card. That sounds expensive but fortunately, VMware is Free!
Let’s get started. Go download and install VMware
Download and install Linux into a VM. I recommend Debian or Kali.
Go to a coffeeshop with Free wifi
Update the OS.
Disconnect the shared network.
Plug in a cheap USB Wifi adapter.
Connect the USB Wifi.
Anonymously mail $6 to Mullvad
Connect to Mullvad
Snapshot your VM
Format and AES-256 encrypt a USB drive. Remember your passphrase. Do not save it anywhere!
Move your VM to a secure AES-256 encrypted USB or even better an Ironkey
Now you’re nearly ready to go. You have a Linux VM without any social media snapshotted. Networking is disabled. You connect to the Internet using USB wifi and then VPN to Mullvad paid for in cash. You’re nearly untraceable .
When you need to browse discreetly:
- Plugin your USB drive
- Restore your VM to it’s last Snapshot
- Plugin your USB Wifi
- Start your Linux VM
- Start Mullvad
- Do your thing
When you’re done: Revert to your snapshot. Reverting deletes everything you did inside your VM and restores it to the state where it was at the time of the snapshot. Every 30 days delete your snapshot, refresh your Mullvad account, update your VM, and create a new snapshot.
