Tony Narlock Living life in the cloud

Privacy tips for computer data and storage

Computer's are akin to personal black boxes. It records things without you consenting or knowing. A common folk would think they deleted a file, when it's merely be cleared from sight. Files aren't gone until they're overwritten. What's more, applications leave databases, caches, and other logfiles which are impossible to keep track of.

You can help protect and maintain privacy of your data using various methods:

1. Avoid creation of extraneous logs - Use privacy mode in your browsers, avoid making logs in the first place. Watch out, vendors are always finding new ways to sneak spyware into your PC.
2. Erase files securely - Overwrite data with scrambled junk, then delete.
3. Overwrite empty space - Inflate a file with zeroes or random junk to swallow up any remaining data.
4. Use light encryption for your Hard Disk or User folder - Using crypto will offer piece of mind if a laptop is lost or stolen.

Adobe Flash (cross-platform)

(Formerly known as Macromedia Flash.)

Delete flash cookies (Locally stored objects)

Flash settings manager will allow you to delete flash cookies.

Mozilla Firefox (cross-platform)

Grab, Flashblock and BetterPrivacy.

Locally Stored Objects

Get BetterPrivacy.

Flash junk

Grab Flashblock.

Javascript

Grab NoScript.

Advertisements

Grab Adblock Plus.

Launch Firefox by Privacy Mode by default

Launch Firefox.

In the location bar, type about:config.

It will "void your warranty", click OK.

In "Filter", type "private" and hit enter. This will help filter all those config variables.

Change browser.privatebrowsing.autostart to true.

Change browser.privatebrowsing.dont_prompt_on_enter to true.

Microsoft Windows

Internet Explorer 8 in Privacy Mode

Right-click an Internet Explorer Icon. Properties.  Shortcut.  After target, add " -private". Apply, OK. Click the icon, IE should launch in InPrivate mode.

By right clicking the IE icon on your taskbar, you'll also have the "task" of starting IE in inprivate mode. See this also.

Use Chrome in Incognito mode.

Go into your start menu, search "Chrome". Google Chrome will appear, right click. Go to properties, append (add to the end) -incognito.

Click the wrench icon, Go to Options. Click the "Privacy tab", Uncheck everything under privacy.

Your shortcut will look something like: C:\Users\<Your username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe -incognito

Pin this new shortcut to your taskbar.

Also consider using a privacy-friendly version of Chromium, SRWare Iron has been getting a lot of attention lately.

Shred documents

Download Eraser. Install it. You will now be able to right-click your trash bin to secure delete those files.

Download Ccleaner, go to "Options", Go to "Settings". Change Secure Deletion to "Secure file deletion (Slower)" and choose DOD 5220.22-M (3 passes). Check everything except "Wipe free space", even your form histories, close your browsers, Analyze. Run cleaner.

Wipe your free space

In CCleaner,  Every week or so, check "Wipe free space" then Run Cleaner.

Encrypt your Hard Drive

In 10+ useful applications for Windows 7 I recommended Truecrypt as a free solution for HD encryption. This How-to can help.  With truecrypt you can create containers for your documents and even your whole OS. If you keep a laptop with anything personal or professional on your computer make this a common practice.

Mac OS X

Chrome and Firefox

Use the tips above the Windows section. Firefox will let you go into about:config and change those variables. CoolGeex.com has a helpful post about making an incognito shortcut for Google Chrome.

Delete Locally Stored Objects

Download, install (Drag to Applications) and run Flush.app.

Encrypt your HD

Clear at least half of your hard drive space.

Go into System Preferences. Click Security. Enable Filevault.

Wait like 10 hours.

Secure delete files

Click a Finder Window.

Click File, click Secure Empty Trash.

Grab Cocktail. Drag it to your Applications folder (install) and open.

In Cocktail Preferences, choose to secure delete those files. Schedule it to run nightly and rotate/erase logs, clear browser caches, etc. If you're not open to shelling over a few cents to protect yourself, you can try Onyx.

Wipe your freespace

Open Disk Utility.

Choose your partition on the left. It may be named Macintosh Hard Drive.

Click the Erase tab.

Use Erase free space and run over it at least once. If you have more time, do more passes.

Linux

Chrome and Firefox

Use the tips above the Windows section. Firefox will let you go into about:config and change those variables.

If you use Google Chrome, open ~/.bashrc and append alias chrome='google-chrome -incognito &'. Run source ~/.profile or source ~/.bashrc. Now chrome will run google-chrome in incognito mode.

Encrypt hard drive

Fedora and Ubuntu all offer options on installation to encrypt your /home/ folder. Be sure to pay attention to your install wizard and encrypt them. Remember your password, the encryption is based upon it.

I don't want to go over encryption via pure command line because there is too much chance you can destroy your data if you make a mistake. If you google an article on this, just be sure to go into /home and copy cp -r /home/yourusername /home/yourusernamebackup so your data doesn't just die.

Secure delete commands

Note: These commands are for experienced Linux users. Don't use these unless you can understand what the commands inside mean, or else it's simply too much risk.

Open your terminal of choice. Open .bashrc vim or nano. vim ~/.bashrc.

Append this to the bottom of your .bashrc:

alias deleteeverything='find . -type f -execdir shred -u '{}' \;'
alias salttheearth='dd if=/dev/zero of=junkfile ; rm junkfile'
alias fogettaboutit='shred -u ~/.bash_history'


Run source ~/.profile or source ~/.bashrc. Here is an overview of these commands:

deleteeverything will shred files cursively then delete them. When you're done with this, type rm -rf because the -u flag in shred won't rm folders. This command works relative to the current directory your in. Thanks opentux from LinuxForums.

salttheearth will erase free space by inflating a gigantic file with /dev/zero to fill up all remaining free space, then delete the file. It takes a while. /dev/random can give you better security. Thanks ssd.eff.org.

fogettaboutit will securely delete your .bash_history. When you're done with this, you can exit your term session.

In combo moves, I like to use salttheearth & fogettaboutit.

Safely parting with your old hard drive

Don't sell people equipment with your hard drive data. Destroy it. Buy a cheap one. Find a computer geek friend to help with the hard drive. Go to best buy with your computer (which has your Windows license on a sticker) and ask them to install a windows from an on-hand OEM disc. You just gave someone a cleaner computer.

1. Secure delete data - delete everything and fill the disk with 0's. Kill Disk is a solution that lets you put the software onto an ISO or floppy to run at boot. Do at least a single run of random data. The more passes and more randomness, the longer it will take. Theoretically, more randomness and passes is more secure.
2. Physically destroy it - Get a Torx screw driver set. This will help you unscrew the screws that hold the drive together. Many drives now have multiple levels of wafers. Get a hammer to break them. Sand them. Shatter them into a million pieces. Put orange juice and pancake syrup on them. Get creative, make an art project out of it, put the digital flakes into colored sand-filled bottles and sell them at Sea World. Put them in a dumpster. You are secure my friend.

Overkill

Spybot Resident - Spybot resident prompts you everytime a registry alteration is made. This is annoying and unnecessary unless you know computers well enough to understand the warnings.

Norton and other chunky antiviruses - Norton is notorious with slowing and bogging down computers. In my Top 10 applications for Windows I tip my hat to Nod32 for a light, effective and fast AV solution.

Too much encryption - Unless you're really paranoid, is too painstaking. Many encryption appliances simply use your password as a key to encrypt your user folder. Typical people only need very light encryption. However if you have very important data know that using a portable medium is not a good idea, consider consulting professionals.

Updates

Monday May 17th, 2010 - Added Internet Explorer 8 InPrivate Mode.