Browser Extensions

The more specific browser extensions/add-ons you have, the more unique your browser “fingerprint” is. Be careful what you install and remove any extension you no longer need.

As an example, I have very specific extension sets loaded on my browser to load flash content and MIDI content despite lack of native support for my OS for Flash and MIDI; those two things means my default browsing profile is fairly unique, making my browser stand out.

Tor advises users to avoid installing extensions, because part of its anonymity relies on everyone “looking similar”. The only extension that’s broadly adopted by Tor users is uBlockOrigin.

Resources for Secure and Encrypted Communications

The following are some nice, user-friendly resources for secure/encrypted communications that you should consider getting to know that we recommend:

• ProtonMail – end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) email, with both free and premium plans available. Proton also offers a VPN service and a password manager, each with free and paid tiers. They also accept anonymous payment via BTC or cash.
• Signal – free E2EE text messaging and voice/video calling, with options for disappearing messages. Very little user data is collected and all messages are stored locally only. If you don’t have it already, GET IT – Menace actions are planned through Signal.
• Cryptpad.fr – E2EE cloud storage and productivity suite, providing a secure alternative to Google products. Allows temporary 90-day file storage and sharing without an account or permanent storage with one

NoScript

NoScript is inbuilt with Tor, has a hard learning curve, and it’s not only old but requires manifest V2 support to work best, but used properly, it can stop sites from tracking you. The “custom”  setting can be used to configure site-specific exceptions, though it’s somewhat tedious to remember to pull the dropdown from “any site” to “…foobar.xyz” to adjust it.

With Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Opera, Edge, etc.), it can’t provide protection against possible malicious JavaScript, and doesn’t prevent your browser tabs from leaking cached data when a site makes those demands.

Booting a Linux OS from an External Drive

One useful way to keep track of different faces that makes it easy to avoid crossing the streams is to have a separate drive that you can boot from – it’s a little advanced, but if you’re really obsessive about privacy it has its advantages. You can install a Linux distro on an external drive and keep the whole thing encrypted so that even if your devices are compromised your data will still be separate and secure. You can also easily back it up and boot it with any device, meaning you can take it anywhere.

This is a helpful Guide to putting a Linux Distro onto an External Drive – this guide recommends using Ubuntu, but this guide should work with any Linux distro of your preference.