Category: Privacy & Encryption

Letter Re: Safeguarding Videos of Constitutional Abuse

JWR: One concern I have is that if I were to record unconstitutional actions by police, would my phone be seized and the videos erased? One solution may be to record via internet stream. Then they would have to also think to take an extra step of checking for the software and logging into your account to delete your videos. Meanwhile, you could call someone from jail and request they copy the video before it gets deleted. I found a review of the three different sites. I recommend that you keep your recorder software signed in and ready to go …


Letter Re: A New Malware Threat

SurvivalBlog readers: If you have a fairly recently manufactured computer, there is no reason to expose your computer to malware at all. Most computers are powerful enough to host a “virtual machine” (MM) – that is, a session that is completely isolated from the hosting computer and that does not make any permanent changes to your system without your express command. VMs can be modified, saved and discarded as you wish. If you are browsing the web using a VM and suspect that you have encountered a virus or malware, simply discard that session and start a new one. There …


Letter Re: A New Malware Threat

Hello, Mr Rawles: I saw the Odds ‘n Sods piece where Michael Z. Williamson’s forwarded an article on the warning about “thousands of PCs infected” to lose Internet access that refers people to www.dcwg.org. I read the article. Sorry, but I don’t trust going to such a site. It could easily be a government-based data collection site. It’s amazing how much information is passed along with simply browsing a web site. dcwg.org is registered to someone in Cupertino, California. I found that www.DNS-OK.us will give the same information about whether a system is infected or not. That site is registered …


Letter Re: Renewing Your Google Street View Opt-Out

Jim: Regarding the post of the guy in California that Google can take a photo from the public street, and see his electric meter and objects in his open windows: the problem is not so much Google as his choice to live so close to a public road that anyone could do this.  I used Street View to “sorta” see my gate, and that is all you can see–just a gate. Google Map’s satellite photos show far more detail about the layout of my “spread”, though the detail is fairly fuzzy. – Andy G.


Letter Re: Renewing Your Google Street View Opt-Out

Dear Editor: A few years ago I blocked out the views of my house from Google Street View.  However, I recently discovered that the Street View vehicle had taken updated pictures of my street, and my house was again visible, and in much greater detail!  I was actually able to read my electrical meter from Street View and view objects inside of my house by zooming in on windows that were open.  It also appears that the Street View cameras are much higher than the previous vehicle; based on the height of a pedestrian on my street, the cameras look …


Five Letters Re: The FBI’s Cookie Caper and the VPN Imperative

JWR: Can you let your readers know what the names, identifying characteristics, and other information is that we can use to check and see if we have the FBI installed cookies on our machines? Thanks, – J.V. Web Forensics Expert Mr. X. Replies: First let me explain how to look for cookies.  The easiest way IMHO (there is more than one way to skin a cat, my favorite method involves using high-pressure air…) because it is easy and anybody can do it with little or no chance of [accidentally] nuking their own machine: In Internet Explorer, go into the File …


Important Message From JWR: The FBI’s Cookie Caper and the VPN Imperative

It has come to my attention that from August of 2011 to November of 2011, the FBI secretly redirected the web traffic of more than 10% of SurvivalBlog’s US visitors through CJIS, their sprawling data center situated on 900 acres, 10 miles from Clarksburg, West Virginia. There, the Feebees surreptitiously collected the IP addresses of my site visitors. In all, 4,906 of 35,494 selected connections ended up going to or through the FBI servers. (Note that this happened several months before we moved our primary server to Sweden.) Furthermore, we discovered that the FBI attached a long-lived cookie that allowed …


Letter Re: Ham Radio Privacy

Capt. Rawles, I enjoy your blog very much, however, I have read several times that you need a physical mailing address to get an amateur (ham) radio license.  I don’t believe that is correct.  If you look closely at FCC form 605, line 15, they ask for a “P.O. Box, and/or Street Address”.     The FCC needs a “address of record”.  One could rent a box at a UPS Store (which gives a street address) they just want to be able to reach you by mail.  You can also register as an “Entity”, i.e. a business, corporation, LLC, etc.  I …


Securing Your Data and Online Communications, by A.F.S.

If you are a frequent visitor to SurvivalBlog then I do not need to explain why the subject matter may be of importance. There are several previous posts that cover somewhat related information that I will reference and expand upon. First, the disclaimers: I am not a data security expert. I could not blind you with science nor expertly baffle you with Bravo Sierra. However, I have been directly involved in the Internet related software business for almost 20 years. I have spent many hours a day for almost two decades using the internet and watching it evolve. During that …


Letter Re: A Simple Way to Encrypt Your E-mail Using Apple Mail and GPG

Dear SurvivalBloggers: There are a number of ways to encrypt or read encrypted email.  This one is about the easiest to get installed and running on your Macintosh computer, that I’ve run across. It uses the native Apple Mail program, and adds a OpenPGP Encryption and Signature option. All you have to do is install the program from the dmg file, and enter a password.  There’s a GUI key interface for importing existing keys into it. Of course not all emails need encryption, but that OPSEC sensitive email you need to send to loved ones or group members is a …


Letter Re: A Simple IP Address Conversion Methodology

JWR, In reference to the recent change in Internet Protocol (IP) address for SurvivalBlog, I thought I’d describe a method to help people set up their computers to use it without DNS names. How to add important internet addresses to your computer. I’m using the new SurvivalBlog.com IPv4 address change as an example, I also recommend adding your mail server, and other important host names too. Audience:  I’ll try and keep the techno-babble to a minimum, so that the largest audience possible can use this.  Any Domain Name Server (DNS) experts or System Administrators out there will probably pull their …


Letter Re: 2012 National Agricultural Classification Survey

Mr. Rawles: Have you all heard about this?  Yesterday I received a 2012 National Agricultural Classification Survey [from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service] in the mail.  They ask 25 nosey questions about how many of each animal we have on our farm i.e. cows, chickens, beehives, turkeys, sheep, goats, horses etc., how much we spend in our “operation” every year, and how much we plan to make this year.  They also ask if we have internet access, how many “operators” are involved in the decision making of our “operation” how many acres we have, how many are pasture land …


Letter Re: Going Digital for Improved COMSEC

Dear Mr. Rawles, I was reading back in the archives on the DVD I purchased and found a lot of discussion regarding communications security.  I played with a form of Digital Voice, image and file transfer for HF which could link a number of retreats together with voice, pictures and digital files with a method which in my thinking would be very, very secure.  Have you ever looked at AOR USA‘s digital voice, image, and data modems using analog HF, VHF, or UHF SSB? A friend of mine here in my state purchased one and we ran a lot of …


Letter Re: A Mail Forwarding Service in The American Redoubt

James Wesley: We have opened up Kamiah Copy & Shipping Center in Kamiah, Idaho. (I consider Kamiah the unofficial capital of the American Redoubt).  Part of our services are private mailbox rental.  As a long time SurvivalBlog reader and contributor (you’ve seen my posts under the bylines B.H. in Spokane, Western Washington and North Central Idaho) I am quite familiar with the need for OPSEC and the desire for some individuals to begin to establish ties to the American Redoubt.   We are offering 5” x 12” mail box rentals for $10 per month.  A 12-month pre-paid rental gets you …


Personal Information Hidden in Plain Sight, by C.C.

Information is what makes the World go around, or at least it seems that way at times. Any Government  organization, blog or web site worth a grain of salt will suggest that you keep copies of important documents such as Birth Certificates, Drivers License,  Bank Account Information, List of Medications etc. in your emergency kit. It  is also suggested for people that are going on trips that they have this information available as they travel just in case wallets or purses are lost or stolen. If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen it is going to be to …