[liberationtech] best practices - roundup

[Fran Parker]

Great list!


On 10/9/12 12:23 PM, Katy P wrote:
> Best practices for traveling to an internet-hostile regime.
>
> There is a lot of variance - obviously the regime's capabilities as well as
> one's own visibility come into play.
>
> And, if it isn't obvious, I'm not a security expert. This is not official,
> legal advice. Everyone needs to research this on their own and make good
> decisions for themselves.
> If you're really not tech-savvy, it might be worthwhile to hook up with a
> tech-savvy friend (or IT professional) to do some of these steps.
>
> Regardless, here are some hints from the community:
>
> BEFORE YOUR TRIP
> - your laptop and mobile device should be ones that are fresh - factory
> reset to the original operating system and best case would be "burners" --
> devices that you can factory reset upon return home (some suggested also
> using a bootable Linux install)
> - do not link your Dropbox, GDrive, or other file service at any time
> - do not be logged into GMail, social media sites, etc.
> - be careful with what photos you have on your phone (before leaving the
> country especially)
> - have a virus scanner installed
> - make sure that all software is up-to-date (Windows Updates, virus scanner)
> - any sensitive data/documents should be on a USB drive, not kept in an
> obvious place (like throw it in with your toiletries or something) with an
> encrypted volume
> - change all of your passwords to something very secure before your trip
> - install TOR
> - consider a mobile security app (Here's a review of some Android ones:
> http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/top-android-security-apps/)
> - encryption may be illegal and may cause more concern
>
> AT THE AIRPORT:
> - don't be logged into anything
> - be polite
> - don't be nervous
>
> DURING YOUR TRIP
> - when on WiFi, DNSCrypt http://www.opendns.com/technology/dnscrypt/
> - set up a VPN connection
> - never leave your devices anywhere (even hotel safe)
> - assume phone conversations are monitored
> - turn off GPS
> - turn on encryption for your social media sites (Facebook encryption
> http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=215897678434749 Twitter
> http://blog.twitter.com/2011/03/making-twitter-more-secure-https.html)
> - some suggest having a different "burner" social media account
> - be careful posting pictures and updates during trip
>
> LEAVING THE COUNTRY
> - if possible, it might be a good idea to do a factory reset on devices
> before going to the airport (??)
> - upon return, do factory resets of all devices
> - change passwords upon return
>
> Thanks to everyone that made suggestions.
>
>
>
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