https://twitter.com/AnonEUforUKR/status/1497565664508325891[*quote*]
Anonymous Europe @AnonEUforUKR
#Anonymous can not de-censor Twitter etc. but Russian people can circumvent ISP Censorship with tor for example:
http://torproject.org/download/Here is how to install:
https://privacyaffairs.com/install-tails/#AnonymousEurope
https://www.privacyaffairs.com/install-tails/How to Install Tails OS on USB - Complete Ultimate Guide
In this guide I will show you how to install Tails on a USB. Tails provides essential facilities for you to hide your identity without getting caught.
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THIS IS ONLY AN ANCHOR!
DO READ THE ORIGINAL PAGE TO GET THE FULL PICTURE AND INSTRUCTIONS WITH GRAPHICS EXPLANATIONS!!!https://www.privacyaffairs.com/install-tails/[*quote*]
Privacy Affairs
Privacy Install Tails on USB
How to Install Tails OS on USB – Complete Ultimate GuideShanika W.
By Shanika W. . 19 February 2022
Cybersecurity Analyst
Miklos Zoltan
Fact-Checked this
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In this guide I will show you how to install Tails on a USB.
In this complete guide, you will learn about:
How to install tails on a USB stick
How to connect to the Tor Browser
How to enable persistent storage in Tails
Using two USBs for Tails
>> Click here to jump straight to the section showing you how to install Tails on USB.
Quick Summary
Nowadays, using your private computer is not as secure as you think because you leave traces of your activities that anyone can find.
The Tails operating system provides essential facilities for you to hide your identity without getting caught by prying eyes.
You can install Tails on a USB stick which consists of several steps.
Before the installation, you need to download both Tails and software to create a bootable USB. After the installation, you need to restart the machine on Tails and follow the configuration steps.
If you want to save the files persistently, you can configure the persistent storage option. Moreover, using two USBs, you can create secure encrypted persistent storage.
Related Guide: Should You Use Tails with a VPN?
Related Guide: How to encrypt your internet traffic
Related Guide: How to encrypt your HDD or USB
How to Install Tails
What is Tails
Tails or The Amnesic Incognito Live System is one of most secure portable operating systems (OS). Developed based on Debian GNU/Linux, it protects you against surveillance, censorship, advertising, and viruses.
Unlike typical operating systems like Windows, Linux, etc., that use the hard drive to boot, Tails starts using a USB drive and turns your computer into a secure system.
Because of the protection it provides, it has widespread usage among many people who have a dire need of online privacy and security. Journalists and hackers are at the top among people who use it.
The most controversial example is the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden who has claimed to have used Tails to leak secret files of the NSA.
How Does Tails Work?
Tails is installed on a USB drive to boot up the OS using the USB stick without using the machine’s hard disk. Thus, it is independent of the current OS installed in the machine.
It encrypts your files and internet usage and nothing gets saved on your HDD or SSD. So, after you shut down your computer, you will never leave any trace of anything you did or accessed on the machine you have the Tails USB plugged into.
Privacy
Tails uses a Tor network for all the internet activities encrypting and anonymizing your connection.
Because of this, third parties will not know what websites you are visiting. Moreover, advertisers cannot learn about your browsing habits as Tor allows you to be anonymous and change your identity if you need.
In addition, Tails provides a set of software applications like LibreOffice, where you can work on sensitive documents as well as OnionShare, Thunderbird, and many more.
Persistent Storage
Once you are disconnected from Tails, everything you did disappears, including the saved files. But you have the option to save the files persistently in its persistent storage. Everything in the persistent storage will be encrypted with password protection making everything in it secured and anonymous.
Now let’s see how to install Tails on a USB stick.
How to Install Tails on a USB
You can install Tails on a USB drive. This section will show you how you can install and run Tails using a machine with a Windows OS.
What are the system and device requirements?
A USB drive. You will need one USB drive to install Tails with at least 8GB of memory. Keep in mind that you will lose all the data on your USB drive during the installation. Thus, make sure to use an empty USB drive.
Your computer should have at least 2GB of RAM.
About half an hour of your time to install Tails and time to download around 1.2 GB of data.
Another device like a mobile phone, tablet, or another PC to read and follow these instructions while installing. You can also take a printout of this guide.
Downloading Tails
First, Download Tails from the official Tails website’s download page, selecting your operating system correctly. You can either directly download Tails from USB Image or download through BitTorrent, which will be much faster.
Verify Tails Download
After the download, if you downloaded directly, verify the download by clicking on ‘Verify Tails’. Then select the USB image you downloaded.
After that, the page will run the check. This step is to ensure that the download is not a malicious tails USB image.
Verification from the Tails page is based on a Javascript code embedded in the Tails download page. You do not need this step if you download through BitTorrent because BitTorrent will automatically verify the download using checksum.
Verify Tails Download
If the verification is successful, you will get the following successful verification notification.
Tails Download Verification
Download a USB installer
Next, you need to download a USB installer Etcher to write the Tails ISO image downloaded and create a bootable USB flash drive. You can get Etcher for windows from the link in the previous sentence.
Install Tails
Now we have all the things gathered to install and run Tails. Plug your USB device into your machine.
Next, click on the downloaded Etcher installer to start Etcher.
Install Tails
Step 1: Click the Select ‘Flash From file’ option. Then, select the Tails USB image, which should have a .img file extension that you downloaded earlier. You can also choose Flash from the URL option if you choose to download Tails from another mirror.
Installing Tails OS
Step 2: Next, click on ‘Select Target.’ Etcher will list all the connected USB drives and automatically selects a USB stick. Select the USB drive you want to install Tails on from the list.
Step 3: Finally, click on ‘Flash!’. Etcher will Flash your USB drive with Tails on your selected USB, which should take only a few minutes.
Tails Installation Process
After the flashing completion, Fletcher will automatically validate the installation.
Tails Installation Process
Upon successful completion, it should display the following message. After that, close the Etcher window.
Installing Tails on USB
Important: After you complete the installation, open this guide from another device because you won’t be able to access this when you run Tails.
Restart your computer on Tails
In windows, click on the Start button.
Next, while you are selecting the Power -> Restart option, press and hold the Shift key, then you will get a window with options to select the ‘use a device.’ option. If you do not get this option, find out the boot menu key according to your computer model and shut down the computer. For example:
Asus: Esc
Dell: F12
HP: F9
Lenovo: F12
MSI: F11
Samsung: Esc, F12, F2
While you start the computer, press the boot menu key identified in step 2 immediately several times.
Installing Tails OS
If the boot is successful, you will get the Boot Menu with a list of connected devices as in the above image. Then select your USB drive and press Enter. If it starts another OS installed in the computer, then restart it again as in step 3.
If your machine successfully starts on Tails, you will get the boot loader on-screen, and Tails will automatically begin showing the welcome screen.
Configure and Start Tails
You need to configure language and region settings in the Tails welcome screen as shown in the following image and click on ‘start Tails.’ After a few seconds, you will get the Tails desktop.
Tails Welcome Page
This is how the Tails desktop will look like after startup:
Tails Desktop View
How to Connect to the Internet?
Now you have successfully connected with Tails OS. For secure browsing, you can enable wifi and use the Tor browser for web surfing. For that, open the settings menu in the top-right hand corner:
Tails - Connect to the Internet
Select the Wi-Fi Not Connected option and then select Network.
Tails - Connect to Wi-Fi
After selecting the correct wifi network, the Tor Connection screen appears to help you connect to the Tor network.
Tails - Connect to Tor
This is how Tor looks like in Tails:
Tails - Tor Browser
After successfully connecting to the Tor browser, you can safely surf the internet. If you want to send any saved files through email, you need to save the files in the ‘Tor browser folder’. Otherwise, Tails does not allow you to access any file in the default home directory, where you will save your files.
Tails - Connecting to the Internet with Tor
How to create persistent storage on Tails?
Everything you save inside Tails will simply vanish after you have shut it down. Thus, if you need to keep them persistently, you can create a persistent storage. Let’s see in this section how you can configure it.
Configure the Persistent Storage
Click on the applications menu in the top-left corner and choose ‘configure persistent volume’. Then you will get the following persistent volume setup window.
Insert and verify a passphrase according to the requirements.
Tails Persistent Storage
Click on the Create button, and Tails will give you a list of features of Persistent Storage. Select only the features that you require.
Click Save.
Restart the computer on Tails
Shut down the computer and, as explained earlier, restart your Tails USB drive.
This time, you will get the following welcome screen consisting of an option to input your persistent storage passphrase.
Tails Installation - Restart Computer
Select your Language & Region settings.
In the Encrypted Persistent Storage input box, enter the passphrase you have configured earlier and unlock the Persistent Storage for the current working session.
Click on Start Tails. Within a few seconds, you will get the Tails desktop.
There is a Persistent folder in the home directory where you can now save all the working files, images, etc. You can open the Persistent folder from Places -> Persistent. Make sure to take a backup of the persistent folder because the USB stick can become corrupted or damaged at any time.
How to Install Tails on Two USBs?
You can also use two USBs to install and run Tails. The reason for using two USBs is to use the Tail installer for incremental updates and create a secure encrypted persistent storage. If you do not need encrypted storage, you can use just one USB drive.
For this, you need two USB drives of at least 4GB of storage each. Install Tails as described above on the first USB.
Create the Second USB
After installing the first USB, plug in the second USB and restart your computer with Tails. Select Tails from the boot menu.
Then, after the Tails welcome screen appears, select the language and region and start Tails. Within a few seconds, The Tails desktop will appear. At this time, Insert your second USB.
Finally, lopen the “Applications” menu in the upper-left corner of the desktop. Next, click on “Tails,” -> “Tails Installer”.
Install Tails on Two USBs
Choose the first option, “Clone the current Tails.”. Once you click it, you’ll be able to select your second USB from target USB sticks and confirm the installation.
After the installation completes, you’ll have another Tails USB.
Remove the first USB, and restart the PC back on the second USBTails. You’ll see Tails starting on it successfully.
Summary
Tails is one of the most secure operating system in the world. You can use it on any computer without your activities being tracked. Once installed, you can utilize its pre-installed software for all your anonymous activities, including the Tor browser, to connect to the internet.
This article provided a step-by-step guide on installing and running Tails on a USB stick, how you can access the Tor network and create a persistent storage.
FAQ
Can you use Tails without a USB?
You can also use a writable DVD. You can right-click on the Tails ISO image in windows, select ‘Burn Disk Image,” and select the Disk burner drive. When rebooting the machine, select the appropriate DVD drive.
Can you install Tails on a hard drive?
Tails has been designed to run live on removable media like a USB or a writable DVD. Thus, it is not a recommended installation method.
Is Tails traceable?
Tails has a sound security system allowing you to leave no digital footprint of your activities. But again, there can be loopholes. For instance, using a weak password for persistent storage. Also, if you log in from Tails into some of your social media or email accounts that are associated with your real identity, then Tails will not protect you.
Shanika W.
Shanika Wickramasinghe is a software engineer by profession. She works for WSO2, one of the leading open-source software companies in the world. One of the biggest projects she has worked on is building the WSO2 identity server which has helped her gain insight on security issues. She is keen to share her knowledge and considers writing as the best medium to do so. Cybersecurity is one of her favorite topics to write about.
Being a graduate in Information Technology, she has gained expertise in Cybersecurity, Python, and Web Development. She is passionate about everything she does, but apart from her busy schedule she always finds time to travel and enjoy nature.
Shanika W. Connect with the author:
1 Comment
Frank
February 15, 2022 11:51 pm
Warning: I created a usb stick with Tails OS on it, booted Tails OS up on my windows 10 pc. Inside I found Tails OS very slow, especially web surfing. Most web sites would not display. I had enough of Tails and shut it down, and then my windows 10 pc would not boot up. It was in and endless bootup error that I could not resolve. It took me 4 days to get my windows 10 back up and running after watching numerous videos, trying all sorts of things. Let this be a WARNNING!
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VPN with Tails — The Basics You Need to Know
Shanika W.
By Shanika W. . 1 March 2022
Cybersecurity Analyst
Miklos Zoltan
Fact-Checked this
11 Comments
Should you use a VPN with Tails?
Yes – If you pick a privacy-focused VPN and exclusively use that VPN with Tails only and never for any other purpose whatsoever.
No – If you use your Tails VPN on other occasions, such as unblocking streaming sites on your regular OS.
In other words, you need a dedicated VPN that you use for Tails exclusively.
If you use a VPN with Tails but then also use that VPN for your regular internet activity on your regular OS (where you are logged into Gmail, etc.), then you can potentially negate the privacy enhancements Tails offers to you.
I personally recommend getting a fresh ExpressVPN account registered with a disposable email address you haven’t used elsewhere.
You should preferably register this account from a clean device or OS install, or if you want to go even further, while being behind to another VPN connection. You can also pay with cryptocurrencies bought either from a local seller or a local cash-only ATM.
And finally, you should get a special VPN router on which you can install your VPN and then exclusively use that router when you use Tails. This is because most VPNs do not natively run on Tails OS directly.
Related: How to install Tails on a USB
In this article you will learn about:
How Tails operates and what it’s used for
How a VPN operates and what it’s used for
Why sometimes it’s not recommended to use a VPN with tails
How to safely use a VPN with Tails (important section!)
You can jump quickly to the relevans sections by using the menu on the right (desktop) or the one a bit further down (mobile).
VPN with Tails
Introduction to Tails and Tor
The Amnesic Incognito Live System, or simply known as Tails, is a Debian-based Linux operating system whose ultimate goal is to preserve your privacy and anonymity. To achieve this, Tails forces all your internet traffic to route through Tor — software that lets you browse the internet anonymously. Tails is also equipped with an instant messaging client, an email client, and an office suite all pre-configured with security in place.
Tails is simple and easy to use, even if you’re a novice user. With Tails OS, you can prevent third-party applications from tracking your online activities.
To learn more about Tails or Tor, follow either of these links:
Tails Operating System –
https://tails.boum.org/index.en.htmlTor Browser –
https://www.torproject.org/We assume you have some working knowledge about VPNs. So in this guide, we’ll focus on how to use VPN with Tails to keep you secure.
Advantages of Using Tails
Skip setup. As Tails is pre-configured to route all your network traffic through Tor, no setup is required.
Secure your PC.
Protect your privacy and browsing history when using someone else’s machine.
Leave no trace of visited websites, entered passwords, opened files, and many more.
Save chosen files and configurations to an encrypted persistent storage.
Access a variety of software to work with sensitive information and communicate safely.
Avoid mistakes. Tails will block applications that try to connect the internet without Tor, encrypt persistent storage, and delete all memory at shutdown
Pros and Cons of Using VPNs with Tails
The Tails organization doesn’t recommend using VPNs as a replacement for Tor, as their goals are incompatible. However, certain use cases might warrant that you use a VPN with Tails for even greater benefits.
Note that to experience the best of both technologies, significant modifications would have to be made to get VPN to work with Tails.
There are two primary ways to use a VPN with the Tails operating system.
1. Tails → Tor → VPN (VPN over Tor)
This method adds a VPN hop after the Tor network’s end.
It enables access to services and features you could otherwise get only through a VPN.
You can access services and websites that Tor would otherwise block.
There are a considerable number of disadvantages, too, when using a VPN connection after Tor.
You have access to no Tor-hidden services.
If the Tor network gets compromised, your real IP address will be leaked.
If there are third parties or other providers that want to flush you out, they’ll only have to focus on breaking the VPN, not the whole Tor network.
2. Tails → VPN → Tor (Tor over VPN)
Here, the VPN connection is established before connecting to Tor. This method offers many benefits.
You can use Tails at airports.
VPNs can help access Tor on censored networks.
This enables customers to connect when Tails is unusable to their internet service providers (ISPs), or when ISPs have blocked use of the Tor Browser.
The Tor network treats your traffic as originating from an anonymous VPN server.
If Tor gets compromised, you’ll still have a staunch defender in the form of the VPN server protecting you.
Despite the benefits of using a VPN connection before the Tor network, there are still some reasons why using a VPN isn’t recommended.
If the VPN network is compromised, your data could potentially be exposed to third parties.
The best VPNs are services you have to subscribe to and pay for.
VPNs may introduce a permanent entry guard if they’re set up before the Tor network.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you want to use a Tails VPN. But keep in mind to get a new clean account and never use it for anything else other than your Tails activity.
Using Anonymous OpenVPN with Tails
Anonymous VPN offers security services for many platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Prerequisites
Unlock and configure Persistent Storage.
Unlock persistent storage at the Welcome page by adding a passphrase.
Add the VPN application you’ll download later to the persistent storage.
Tails Setup
Set an administrator password.
Find the administration password option under “Additional Settings” by clicking the “+” button.
Set and confirm the password; you’ll be prompted to enter this in the terminal for many operations.
Tails Setup Page
Configure your internet connection.
Steps
Method 1
Purchase a VPN.
Download and install a Dedicated VPN.
After installation is complete, download the Dedicated VPN keys.
Rename DeicatedVPN**.ovpn as tov.ovpn and copy them to the persistent storage.
Download a script to connect OpenVPN in Tails and copy it to your persistent storage as tails.sh.
Tails Setup Step 4
Open a terminal where these files are located (Persistent Storage), or navigate to the folder where these files will be located after opening the terminal.
Switch to root.
Tails Setup Terminal Settings
Enter the command chmod +x tails.sh to set the execution rights.
Run the tails.sh script file with ./tails.sh
Tails Setup Terminal
Enter your username and password to authorize the VPN connection.
Upon successful completion, restart Tor and make sure it works by entering the relevant commands.
Tails Setup Commands
Method 2
Open the Synaptic Package Manager.
Search for OpenVPN under the “Not Installed” tab.
Check all the packages and mark them to be installed.
OpenVPN Tails
Apply the changes.
OpenVPN on Tails
OpenVPN Tails Settings
Configure your VPN.
Add the configured ovpn file to VPN in the network settings.
OpenVPN Settings
VPN Service Providers and Tails
VPN Service Services to Tails
ExpressVPN Works if installed on a VPN router. VPN settings and configurations not fully tested with the Tails OS, so ExpressVPN can’t yet be installed in Tails. Since Tails is a Linux-based OS, you may refer to our manual setup link below using PPTP on Ubuntu, though this isn’t guaranteed to work.
PureVPN Not tested with Tails; therefore, not guaranteed to work.
NordVPN Incompatible, as Tails doesn’t support the use of VPNs directly.
OpenVPN/Anonymous OpenVPN Not directly supported, but can be set up with a few workarounds.
Is Using VPN With Tails as Bad as They Say?
The Tails VPN Support page insists that combining Tails and VPNs is a bad idea.
Moreover, replacing Tor with a VPN is apparently a bad idea as well. If you’re inexperienced, it’s all too easy to make a mistake during the process. As shown earlier, setting up a VPN isn’t too straightforward.
Disabling Tor is a bad idea, yes, but VPNs aren’t intrinsically bad or lacking in security, as suggested by an official statement in the Tails VPN Support page.
Example
If you use Bitcoins to purchase a subscription to a reliable VPN, then the level of security you get is at least on par with that of Tor.
Data packets go from the computer to the VPN, and then to the Tor network by a permanent entry guard which creates an endpoint server to receive data before reaching the Tor network.
The connection is encrypted by the VPN. Therefore, there’s little difference between a permanent entry guard and a direct connection from the computer to the Tor network.
Here, if Tor or Tor exit nodes are compromised, the attacker would have to bypass the VPN’s security as well. This is much safer than accessing Tor directly.
Almost no VPN providers work directly with Tails. But it’s possible to overcome this with a VPN router.
Risks of Using VPN Over Tor Network
Use VPN with Tails or with a Tor network only when absolutely necessary, as this may weaken your anonymity and cause other problems if not configured properly. When considering a VPN, definitely consider the use cases previously discussed.
Circuit Switching isn’t supported when using a VPN over the Tor network.
Internet traffic goes through different exit relays when using a Tor network. This means network requests have different paths or different addresses to access the internet. However, the use of a VPN introduces a permanent exit node for internet traffic, allowing others to identify which location your data is coming from. If your Tor network gets compromised in any way, third parties will find what you requested and from where.
The anonymity of the network built with VPN over Tor greatly depends on the VPN’s anonymity.
People prefer to use Tails because of its anonymity and how it doesn’t trust the services of other applications in securing user privacy. However, if you think adding one more hop with a VPN to the process of what Tails does will increase your safety, you’d be mistaken. The purpose of using Tails is wasted if your VPN provider sells you out. Make sure the VPN you choose is reliable and trustworthy.
Use a VPN over the Tor network only when necessary.
When using a VPN service over Tor, two instances are established in your machine: one will let you route VPN over Tor, and the other will use Tails normally with Tor. It might be inconvenient to have to go through CAPTCHA so often, but you should always make sure to use the VPN instance only when you absolutely must. Some websites may also block VPN users as well.
And if you’re new to VPN and Tails, aside from the recommendations outlined here, it’s still a good idea to go through all documentation carefully.
Conclusion
Tails with Tor Browser might be the answer to many of your concerns with security and private browsing. Although there’s no consensus about whether it’s a good idea to use Tails with a VPN, the combination may in fact be extremely helpful when used in the correct manner.
If you want to track your traffic or eavesdrop on your online conversations, setting up the Tails OS to go through the VPN and then to the Tor Network will cut off all access routes to you.
This setup will give you peace of mind and keep you out of harm’s way permanently.
Additional VPN guides we recommend you to check out:
How to hide your VPN usage
How to prevent your real IP from leaking
VPN vs. proxy servers
What is a double VPN
New York VPN
Best VPN for Mac
Best VPN for Android
Disney Plus VPN
New Zealand VPN
Chapters
Introduction to Tails and Tor
Advantages of Using Tails
Pros and Cons of Using VPNs with Tails
Using Anonymous OpenVPN with Tails
VPN Service Providers and Tails
Is Using VPN With Tails as Bad as They Say?
Risks of Using VPN Over Tor Network
Conclusion
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