Forum Moderators: phranque
Jon
Your wife can still tell that you're surfing for porn.
If you just want to protect your IP address from the end website, as wheel said, then any "anonymous" proxy will do. But then, let's consider how anonymous that is. Most proxies need to be additionally configured so that they don't forward any relevant information about YOU to the remote host. For example, most regular proxies will have an "X-Forwarded-For" header in HTTP requests, which contains the originating IP address, that being your IP. Maybe you need to Test your Anonymous Proxy [lagado.com] first?
Then there's the matter of logs. Do you know for sure that the anonymous proxy isn't either:
a) logging all of the requests -- basic GETs and POSTs, so tracking your travels through them.
b) logging everything that's submitted. Reading non-SSL'd email using it, or signing up for something? Who's to say that they're not running a tcpdump/packet sniffer to see what data you're actually passing back and forth?
Then there's the matter of HTTPS, which most proxies will not support, since SSL is point-to-point encryption. The option for that is that the proxy will do the SSL session management for you, but then all of your communication with the proxy is unencrypted. Now what's the point?
Then there's the matter of the "last mile", which is the most easily surveilled portion of your Internet communications. It's not so easy for me to break into Microsoft's co-locations, and install a tap on each of their lines, and filter through all the traffic in the hopes of capturing your data. It'd be much easier for me to install an inline tap on your network connection at home. If you have a wireless network, then you're in even more trouble. Also, it is possible for authorities to subpoena your connection information and logs, and possibly install a tap at the ISP.
So what can you do to protect yourself from that? Well, one of the options is to use a VPN-based anonymizing service, where all of your traffic is tunnelled and encrypted to another location, where your computer is considered part of the "local network" over there. That means that all of your outbound requests are routed through their router over there, and it appears as though your IP address is their outside interface on their router. This method also prevents too much interception on the wire, since all of the traffic is tunnelled and encrypted from end to end.
Then that brings up the question of physical security. If you leave your computer unattended, someone could come in and install a keylogger on your machine such as Magic Lantern [en.wikipedia.org] or something like bo2k, and monitor everything that you're doing.
Then there's the question about cached data on your drives -- It's there, so it's recoverable (and no, "clear cache" will not help you if the other parties are serious enough about this).
What the solution to that? Maybe a LiveCD type of an OS, where you boot off the CD, everything is in RAM, and there's no data written anywhere, and everything is gone once the power is turned off.
Then there's the possibility of someone having installed a physical keylogger, that attaches inline to your keyboard cable, and logs everything that you type.
Maybe get a laptop, so then there's no cable to plug into.
Then there's the possibility of Van Eck [en.wikipedia.org]'ing the display, so you'd need some sort of TEMPEST approved display-system.
Then again, I think most people should give up on being concerned about anonymity when you're only being mediocre about it and using some random anonymous proxy. Sure, it'll work to hide you a little bit, but really, who are you trying to hide from? If it is, as wheel jokingly said, surfing stuff your wife wouldn't approve of, then clear your cache, delete your cookies, and clear your history, and move on, without worrying about the proxy. On the other hand, if it's for more serious reasons ("I don't want the police to know it was me who went to their website and submitted an "anonymous" tip about a police officer's behaviour"), then be prepared to take some extra measures, those measures increasing with the seriousness of what you're protecting, and who you're up against.
Anyway, I apologize again for the long message, but topics such as these are fascinating to me, and I tend to go on and on, and dig myself into a paranoid pit of doom and gloom. :)
Cheers!
Matt
