this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2024
254 points (100.0% liked)
Linux
47949 readers
1738 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I think any "privacy oriented OS" is inherently a questionable (kneejerk: Stupid and reeks of stale honey) strategy in the first place.
A very good friend of mine is a journalist. The kind of journalist where... she actually deals with the shit the average person online larps and then some. And what I and her colleagues have suggested is the following:
Two flash drives
Given the option? Boot the public computer to the live image. Regardless, use the latter to access whatever chat or email accounts (that NEVER are logged into on any machine you "own" or near your home) you need.
Isn't it risky plugging usb drives into untrusted machines?
... mostly the other way around?
Theoretically it is possible that a compromised machine could compromise a USB stick. If you are at the point where you are having to worry about government or corporate entities setting traps at the local library? You... kind of already lost.
Which is the thing to understand. Most of what you see on the internet is, to borrow from a phrase, Privacy Theatre. It is so that people can larp and pretend they are Steve Rogers fighting a global conspiracy while necking with a hot co-worker at an Apple store. The reality is that if you are actually in a position where this level of privacy and security matters then you need to actually change your behaviors. Which often involves keeping VERY strong disconnects between any "personal" device and any "private" device.
There have been a lot of terrible (but wonderfully written) articles about journalists needing to do this because a government or megacorporation was after them. Stuff like having a secret laptop that they never even take out of a farraday cage unless they are closer than not to an hour away from wherever they are staying that night.
What about just a blackmailer assuming anyone booting an OS from a public computer has something to hide? And then they have write access and there's no defense, and it doesn't have to be everywhere because people seeking privacy this way will have to be picking new locations each time. An attack like that wouldn't have to be targeted at a particular person.