Alternative to Gmail

[Zillah]

Hey all!!

Just wondering what you use for your email clients, I have been thinking about privacy as of late and I'm unsure if I'd like to continue using gmail.

Thanks!

[Jonathon]

Would like to know the same myself - thanks for starting this topic!

[ThePythonicCow]

I highly recommend fastmail.fm , which I have used for quite a few years as my main email service.

I use the paying side myself (something like $20/year, if I recall), so can't speak for the free side. But they are honest and detailed in their product description, so if the free side sounds like what you want, then it should perform as advertised.

[Bongo]

I've used hotmail for about 12 years now, its nothing special... it does what i need it for. I think getting rid of your gmail is a good idea but even with that said is there an email service you would trust 100%??? I can't say I would trust 1 100%... & it is internet based after all, if someone wants in bad enough they could get in... unfortunately

[Zillah]

Thanks Paul - 20 bucks a year seems very reasonable for privacy... I will check it out...

I'd still love to hear what others are using...

I just came across this http://www.inbox.com/ - seems interesting enough, free + 5 gigs storage - if others have heard about it/used it pls post here.

All ears...

¤=[Post Update]=¤


I've used hotmail for about 12 years now, its nothing special... it does what i need it for. I think getting rid of your gmail is a good idea but even with that said is there an email service you would trust 100%??? I can't say I would trust 1 100%... & it is internet based after all, if someone wants in bad enough they could get in... unfortunately

Close to 100% is what im looking for, gmail I feel is very far from that - altho I do agree with you anyway, 100% :)

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

If you are thinking about privacy then you may want to have a client that isn't governed by USA policy.

You may want to look at this client? http://www.gmx.com/

[Zillah]

If you are thinking about privacy then you may want to have a client that isn't governed by USA policy.

You may want to look at this client? http://www.gmx.com/

"Log in with Facebook" -- arrggg.....

[58andfixed]

Free Email Services Reviews:

Top 10 compared.

http://free-email-services-review.toptenreviews.com/

In-depth review of inbox.com :

http://free-email-services-review.toptenreviews.com/inbox-com-review.html

Heads-up on "how to uninstall inbox.com" :

http://forums.techarena.in/operating-systems/1186792.htm

Seems to be an issue with the 'email notifier toolbar.'

*****

I'm not sure how PGP will 'stack up' with web-access versus POP3 ways of emailing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy

Maybe some input might shine more light on the topic.

Maybe just an issue of 'relativity' and making those that peek having to work just a bit harder.

- 58

[Phoenix]

If you are thinking about privacy then you may want to have a client that isn't governed by USA policy.

You may want to look at this client? http://www.gmx.com/

Hello, how is this client not governed by US policy? The US logs every email and call made in this country.

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

Zillah. Sorry I didn't see the f/book link for I have the scripts off. Me Bad.

Phoenix..Zillah isn't in the US so how would the US have the authority to log / monitor conversation which are outside & that by-passes their boarders?

[norman]

Whatever your email storage and front end is, it makes absolutely no difference. Well. that's not quite true. There is a difference if what you are concerned about is spamish noise. Paul's suggestion is probably a great idea if you just want to be relatively spam free.

As for real privacy, forget it. No way in web hell are you going to get that. If you have something critical to say to someone you can't talk to face to face in a noisy zone, that you don't want the executive nosey parkers to know, your best bet is to write it on paper and put it in the post.

There are other more specialist methods of electronic coms that work very well but it's not something for a novice to mess with as a substitute for a regular email service.

I use G-Mail and Yahoo mail. I get an escalating amount of spam and, of course, all those targetted creepy adverts that just let me know they are scanning everything I and my contacts write in emails. It's the spam that pi**es me off. The privacy thing is just something I live with and I don't email anything I want to keep shtoom.

[Zillah]

I think I will return to the good ol horse and buggy :)

Thanks for all the input and advice, I will ponder on this some more -- keep the suggestions coming!

You all rock.

[Cjay]

Hey all!!

Just wondering what you use for your email clients, I have been thinking about privacy as of late and I'm unsure if I'd like to continue using gmail.

Thanks!

I have been saying this for at least 20 years. Most people still don't get it.

Privacy on the internet is virtually impossible.
Once you connect to the internet via wire or wireless, your privacy is gone.

Everything you do online - and I mean EVERYTHING - is recorded.

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

EVERYTHING your computer can do under your control, it can do without your help.

If you want to be secure and private, do not connect to the internet.

[Zillah]

Hey all!!

Just wondering what you use for your email clients, I have been thinking about privacy as of late and I'm unsure if I'd like to continue using gmail.

Thanks!

I have been saying this for at least 20 years. Most people still don't get it.

Privacy on the internet is virtually impossible.
Once you connect to the internet via wire or wireless, your privacy is gone.

Everything you do online - and I mean EVERYTHING - is recorded.

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

EVERYTHING your computer can do under your control, it can do without your help.

If you want to be secure and private, do not connect to the internet.




Zillah. Sorry I didn't see the f/book link for I have the scripts off. Me Bad.

Phoenix..Zillah isn't in the US so how would the US have the authority to log / monitor conversation which are outside & that by-passes their boarders?

You know, I usually go beyond the scare tactics of privacy - but today I watched a clip on RT -- and for some reason, more than usual - it made my cogs turn... perhaps the fear mongering is working.

After reading all your replies, perhaps there there is another way to go about this - live in paranoia and those acts will manifest - or - live in a state of freedom and attract just that...

At the end there was mention about certain software to protect people from using such clients like gmail and/or their cellphone devices - this might be the right convo to have...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BQveLsoy78Y

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

You may want to look at Tor (https://www.torproject.org/)

[Zillah]

I have been saying this for at least 20 years. Most people still don't get it.


I get it. ;) Thanks for your input.

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

Zillah Hi

I've been aware of the story in that video for a while now. Richard Stallman (rms) has been warning folk about this for a few years, but folk just laughed or rubbished him really.

[KosmicKat]

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

EVERYTHING your computer can do under your control, it can do without your help.


I very much doubt that the computer can be activated remotely if the power is physically disconnected before you leave the console. Battery power to the motherboard is just enough to keep the internal clock running. Not enough to run the hard disks.


Zillah. Sorry I didn't see the f/book link for I have the scripts off. Me Bad.

Phoenix..Zillah isn't in the US so how would the US have the authority to log / monitor conversation which are outside & that by-passes their boarders?

You assume that the US government monitors haven't already arrogated to themselves that authority.

[norman]

Zillah. Sorry I didn't see the f/book link for I have the scripts off. Me Bad.

Phoenix..Zillah isn't in the US so how would the US have the authority to log / monitor conversation which are outside & that by-passes their boarders?

It get's crazier than that, even.

As I understand things, The US monitors the Brits for the Brit Gov'/intel and the Brits monitor the US for the US gov'/intel.

It's a game they play to firewall their activities better against domestic regulations.

It's even more centrally run than that in reality. The NSA are doing it all, but shelled up inside national enclaves like Menwith Hill in UK is a Brit RAF base but the operation inside is NSA.

I could go on and fascinate you with lots of juicy bits but it's not a wise thing to get into here like this.

[Franny]

Ben Rich of Skunkworks : "There are no private conversations anywhere on Earth."

I guess that about sums up privacy issues...

[Cjay]

Hey all!!

Just wondering what you use for your email clients, I have been thinking about privacy as of late and I'm unsure if I'd like to continue using gmail.

Thanks!

I have been saying this for at least 20 years. Most people still don't get it.

Privacy on the internet is virtually impossible.
Once you connect to the internet via wire or wireless, your privacy is gone.

Everything you do online - and I mean EVERYTHING - is recorded.

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

EVERYTHING your computer can do under your control, it can do without your help.

If you want to be secure and private, do not connect to the internet.




Zillah. Sorry I didn't see the f/book link for I have the scripts off. Me Bad.

Phoenix..Zillah isn't in the US so how would the US have the authority to log / monitor conversation which are outside & that by-passes their boarders?

You know, I usually go beyond the scare tactics of privacy - but today I watched a clip on RT -- and for some reason, more than usual - it made my cogs turn... perhaps the fear mongering is working.

After reading all your replies, perhaps there there is another way to go about this - live in paranoia and those acts will manifest - or - live in a state of freedom and attract just that...

At the end there was mention about certain software to protect people from using such clients like gmail and/or their cellphone devices - this might be the right convo to have...


It is not about rights and laws. They care absolutely zero about any of that.

It is not about fear-mongering. It is reality. I am telling you this because I think everyone has the right to know.

Computer security is fantasy taught to us ever since computers became "personal". I liken computer security to glass windows - they keep honest people out, they keep insects, birds, and the weather out of your house - but any burglar can throw a brick through your window.

To further enhance the illusion of computer security, they create password access control, anti-virus / anti-trojan software, firewall software, firewall hardware (slightly more robust but not impenetrable), Virtual Private Networks and a plethora of products to make us THINK we are more secure. They give us encryption, SSL, etc but gee, guess what? They have the master keys! And the worst part, they have implanted unstoppable access mechanisms INSIDE the chips before your computer is even assembled.

Just knowing this TRUTH can potentially save you from embarrassment or doing something stupid. I have known about - and written about - this reality for more than 20 years.

The capability to take control of your computer is burned into the chips inside every computer and mobile phone - the CPU and the BIOS. Bad people can transfer programs via the internet into your BIOS chips and you will never ever find any trace that they have done it - and that is just to enhance the access mechanisms that are already built in. It is the ultimate trojan method and personal computers and phones have been designed this way for a reason - to give them a back door.

Do you think the name "Intel" is just a cutesy name for a company? Hiding in plain sight people. Wake up and smell their bullsh*t.

For those who don't know, BIOS means Basic Input Output System. It is a chip or chip set that essentially has access to absolutely every piece of hardware inside your computer or phone. The operating system asks the BIOS to do things.

If you don't or won't or can't believe what I am telling you, do some research.

[Cjay]

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

EVERYTHING your computer can do under your control, it can do without your help.


I very much doubt that the computer can be activated remotely if the power is physically disconnected before you leave the console. Battery power to the motherboard is just enough to keep the internal clock running. Not enough to run the hard disks.

Correct. Your computer still needs power to operate. You can disconnect the external (AC mains) and internal (battery) power sources, then your computer is basically in a very deep sleep. When you re-connect the power, all the insidious capabilities are enabled again. When you connect to the internet, that is their conduit for remote access.

I stopped worrying about it 6 months after I discovered the truth in about 1983. There is a big difference between being worried or fearful and being awake and aware.

[ponda]

Hey all!!

Just wondering what you use for your email clients, I have been thinking about privacy as of late and I'm unsure if I'd like to continue using gmail.

Thanks!


Hi Zillah,


I used to use mail.com as an email provider but kept having login problems and then bigger problems getting any feedback etc from the 'help' section,so i looked around for a while and then settled on 'Hushmail'.

https://www.hushmail.com/

I haven't had any problems since using these guys.Emails are encrypted and spam and viruses are scanned for.There is a free service or you can pay a little and get more storage and quicker feedback/help if there are any problems.

cheers

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

Cjay... Hi

It goes a lot further than that as well. Their gateway to monitor folks activity is not restricted to a Internet connection.
Electricity is their key [sic]. From the satellite dish to the very wires in the walls. All can & are used against folk. Sounds like madness, but I speak from personal experience.
Like yourself, I stopped worrying a while back.


Sv813f2Xtrg

[Cjay]

Cjay... Hi

It goes a lot further than that as well. Their gateway to monitor folks activity is not restricted to a Internet connection.
Electricity is their key [sic]. From the satellite dish to the very wires in the walls. All can & are used against folk. Sounds like madness, but I speak from personal experience.
Like yourself, I stopped worrying a while back.

Thanks Bryn, you reminded me of something I had discussed a few times with a friend (an electronics engineer) many years ago. He talked about data and power sharing a single wire. I remember he described different methods for doing this on wires carrying AC or DC power. Let's focus on AC for now because that's what is running through the wires in our homes.

The basic principle is similar to how radio signals work. I'm out of my depth trying to explain this in detail but several different methods can be used, including AM (Amplitude Modulation), FM (Frequency Modulation) and PM (Phase Modulation).

The AC (Alternating Current) frequency (either 50 Hz or 60 Hz sinewave, depending on the country in which you live) is used as the carrier wave and the signal (the data) is superimposed on the carrier wave, without disrupting the the AC sinewave's frequency - at least as far as household appliances are concerned.

I don't want to go any deeper into explaining how it works. The important point is that it DOES work. If anyone wants more information on this concept, look at the diagrams, particularly the animated diagrams, on these pages:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_modulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplitude_modulation
and browse this page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_modulation
or do more in-depth research.

One doesn't need to understand the mathematical and electronics complexities of each method in order to grasp the basic concept. The animated diagrams in particular are fairly self-explanatory.

Sure makes living off the grid very appealing.


Oh my! We sure went way off topic

[KosmicKat]

The thing about using a power line to carry a data signal adds another conduit to something that surfaced briefly in the late '80's or early '90's when it came to light that the weak radio signal broadcast by a CRT monitor (the hog that takes up (3/4) of your desk as opposed to a flat screen) could be picked up, amplified and the screen display reproduced. And that was just something that broke the surface of mainstream news.

[Cjay]

I had not heard that before bit I am not surprised.

No doubt, every time wonderful new technologies are released, they have ever more sophisticated dirty tricks built in. For example, digital television is rumoured to be crammed with subliminal mind control.

[RMorgan]

There´s no safe e-mail service.

The best way to keep your e-mail safe, is to write the text you want into notepad, than zip it with a software like 7zip, with the encryption option turned on, and send it as an attachment. When you encrypt it, you will choose a password, then, the person who is supposed to read your email will only be able to unzip the file with the password.

Of course, the Gov is able to decrypt the file, but you´ll give them a hard time.

Cheers,

Raf.

[eric charles]

Ive never ever trusted online email ever ! i always use the one i have throught Ubuntu , through my ISP provider, best and sfaest mothod IMO , hotmail , etc etc , look how much junkmail those things accumulate , if they can find you , anyone can heheheh

[Cjay]

Ive never ever trusted online email ever !

Wise man. NO online email is safe... but if you have nothing to hide, you have little to worry about.

[leavesoftrees]

I highly recommend fastmail.fm , which I have used for quite a few years as my main email service.

I use the paying side myself (something like $20/year, if I recall), so can't speak for the free side. But they are honest and detailed in their product description, so if the free side sounds like what you want, then it should perform as advertised.

I use fastmail too. Really good, and I like the way you can have a number of aliases, with the $20 a year account. Fastmail was sold a few years ago , and I worried that it might change into something else, but it is still ticking along smoothly

[norman]

Ive never ever trusted online email ever !

Wise man. NO online email is safe... but if you have nothing to hide, you have little to worry about.


HeHe, what I have to hide depends on who's looking.

[toad]

There´s no safe e-mail service.

The best way to keep your e-mail safe, is to write the text you want into notepad, than zip it with a software like 7zip, with the encryption option turned on, and send it as an attachment. When you encrypt it, you will choose a password, then, the person who is supposed to read your email will only be able to unzip the file with the password.

Of course, the Gov is able to decrypt the file, but you´ll give them a hard time.

Cheers,

Raf.

PGP is a great encryption scheme, infact the man who invented it(Phill Zimmerman), was investigated by the US gov't for exporting munitions without a license. The problem with some encryption schemes which are not open source is the possibility of built in backdoors which essentially circumvent the security without the challenge of having to brute force your way in.


Criminal investigation

Shortly after its release, PGP encryption found its way outside the United States, and in February 1993 Zimmermann became the formal target of a criminal investigation by the US Government for "munitions export without a license". Cryptosystems using keys larger than 40 bits were then considered munitions within the definition of the US export regulations; PGP has never used keys smaller than 128 bits so it qualified at that time. Penalties for violation, if found guilty, were substantial. After several years, the investigation of Zimmermann was closed without filing criminal charges against him or anyone else.

Zimmermann challenged these regulations in a curious way. He published the entire source code of PGP in a hardback book,[12] via MIT Press, which was distributed and sold widely. Anybody wishing to build their own copy of PGP could buy the $60 book, cut off the covers, separate the pages, and scan them using an OCR program, creating a set of source code text files. One could then build the application using the freely available GNU Compiler Collection. PGP would thus be available anywhere in the world. The claimed principle was simple: export of munitions—guns, bombs, planes, and software—was (and remains) restricted; but the export of books is protected by the First Amendment. The question was never tested in court with respect to PGP. In cases addressing other encryption software, however, two federal appeals courts have established the rule that cryptographic software source code is speech protected by the First Amendment (the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the Bernstein case and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the Junger case).

US export regulations regarding cryptography remain in force, but were liberalized substantially throughout the late 1990s. Since 2000, compliance with the regulations is also much easier. PGP encryption no longer meets the definition of a non-exportable weapon, and can be exported internationally except to 7 specific countries and a list of named groups and individuals[13] (with whom substantially all US trade is prohibited under various US export controls).

Asfar as security goes, anyone who knows anything about security knows that there is nothing that is secure, its an illusion like airport security and the locks on your doors. Almost any conventional lock can be picked or bumped open in a matter of seconds. I used to love picking locks as a kid and it got me fascinated with the idea of security in general, eventually leading me to become fascinated with digital security. Ubuntu or any linux distro is a beautiful alternative for those looking for a more secure system. To become more secure you'll want to implore as many firewalls as you can to whatever you're trying to protect, and I mean firewalls in a very general sense not some piece of software on your computer, as many levels as you can to keep people from accessing whatever it is you're trying to protect. For instance say you're hiding xmas presents from your kids, or anyone, you wouldnt want to just hide it in one layer, you'd want to make them move or open as many things as you can in order to find this. My parents were brilliant when it came to things of this nature, and it taught me how to properly hide things. Its a fun subject to discuss.

[Antagenet]

I like to use India.com
it's easy to register an email address, a minimum of annoying ads
and many of the names I want are available, as their user base is not so hugs as the big companies.

[The Lawnman]

Check out Safe-mail.net, they offer a secure email hosting site. www.safe-mail.net

[toad]

You could also look into Tor for any communications that are sensitive in nature.

[atlantianferret]

You can run your own server and encrypt your messages. You are still exposed by the receivers side.

You can have privacy on the Web. Very much so. I am in the process of writing out steps and methods for my clients. It is not easy but not impossible.

[Ernest]

You can turn your PC off and go to bed feeling safe n secure. They can turn your PC on, do whatever they want, almost as if they were sitting at your keyboard, then turn it off again before you wake up - all by remote control.

This reminds me of when I woke up because my computer was starting up all by itself in the middle of the night, really got my heart pumping. If such things can be done remotely, I wouldn't know how it could be done, but at least you can turn of the power ... then you should be able to get some sleep.

[toad]

You can run your own server and encrypt your messages. You are still exposed by the receivers side.

You can have privacy on the Web. Very much so. I am in the process of writing out steps and methods for my clients. It is not easy but not impossible.

There is literature in NDAA FY2012, that loosely states digital threats. I often wonder if that will translate into Tor and other various things being considered threats to national security.

[Jay]

There will never be complete privacy - even if the masses had their own independent web :-(
Articles like this from main stream media don't mean that anyone is REALLY looking after anyone's privacy (JMHO) Facebook battles Germans on privacy http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8926232/Facebook-battles-Germans-on-privacy.html

George Orwell's "Big Brother" was a baby
The baby has grown up..

_____
PS: FI : http://www.hideproject.org/ tongue in cheek .."there be (sic) no hiding.." http://www.hideproject.org/images/hide-logo_220.png

[atlantianferret]

Simple actions that can improve your privacy are encryption, proxies, changing MAC addresses frequently, using public internet access, strict cookie management, and a web browser like firefox that gives you more control of information that is being requested and sent. The browser part takes a lot of explanation of which I am not covering now. Also note there is research that people can be identified by their preexisting internet use patterns, so throwing in visits and searches for subjects outside of your normal pattern will help mask you.

These would keep you, the individual, from being tied to your actions on the web.

Privacy from home is much harder to achieve since you are accessing through a provider that knows who you are and tracks your traffic and actions.

It is funny to see people use privacy and social networking together.

[phillipbbg]

http://www.hushmail.com/

[grapevine]

Cjay... Hi

It goes a lot further than that as well. Their gateway to monitor folks activity is not restricted to a Internet connection.
Electricity is their key [sic]. From the satellite dish to the very wires in the walls. All can & are used against folk. Sounds like madness, but I speak from personal experience.
Like yourself, I stopped worrying a while back.


Sv813f2Xtrg

Thanks Bryn - I enjoyed seeing that again. Having watched the series when it was new this is all the more meaningful now. :)

[Mad Hatter]

Stated in an interview with IBM in 1986 by a Bulgarian virus writer going by the handle of 'Dark Avenger' the two rules for computer security are...

1) Don't buy one.
2) If you do, don't turn it on.

The commercial version of PGP is broken so use Zimmerman's original. Minimum 4MB key.

If you really want to p!ss them off research how to use one time pads.:p

[Zillah]

an article today with a little info on privacy:

How to Protect Your Internet Privacy

January 18, 2012


In light of the various threats to Internet privacy, it is necessary to protect yourself not only from governments, but multinational corporations, internet service providers, universities, employers, and criminal networks.

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
Patrick Henry, American Founding Father and Revolutionary Patriot.

by Jack Helios
(henrymakow.com) (http://www.henrymakow.com/anonymity.html)


The U.S. Government is one of the leading threats to Internet freedom.

In 2011, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized more than 100 domains, often without any basis in law.

Some politicians--most notably Joseph Lieberman--have called for an Internet Kill Switch whereby the executive branch of the United States Government would be given the "legal authority" to "kill" or terminate some or all of the Internet for any reason.

More recently, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a draconian measure supported by much of Hollywood, threatens to subvert what little freedom remains on the Internet.

However, legislation targeting Internet freedom must be construed in a broader context: since September 11th, 2001, the Patriot Act has essentially sundered the rights and freedoms afforded by the United States Constitution. And, in many ways, it has given birth to the National Security State.

In light of the various threats to Internet privacy, it is necessary to protect yourself not only from governments, but multinational corporations, internet service providers, universities, employers, and criminal networks.

ENCRYPTED INTERNET

Every connection to the Internet has an Internet Protocol (IP) address issued by an Internet service provider (ISP). The IP address may not only reveal who the internet service provider is, but more importantly, the approximate city, state, and country of a particular user.

In addition, every search made and every website visited (in particular, online banking, email logins, et al) record a person's IP address and saves it indefinitely.

It is this number that uniquely identifies every user on the Internet. And since the ISP has a record of the subscriber (name, tax identification number, home address, et al) , every connection is traceable--traceable, that it is, unless the data is first encrypted by a proxy or a VPN service before passing through the internet service provider, making the data unreadable to the ISP.

In addition to encrypting data, proxies and VPNs can hide a person's IP address and replace it with a different IP.

Although many services on the Internet promise privacy and anonymity, few deliver on such a promise. All web based proxies, such as yourcheat.com, anonymouse.com, and shadowsurf.com, for example, are ineffective and consequently must be avoided.

Web based proxies do not encrypt an Internet connection and simply cannot handle third party plugins such as JavaScript, Flash, Java, et al. More importantly, many web based proxies are in fact run by criminal networks, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), unlike proxies, encrypt the whole Internet; however, like proxies, VPNs can be good or bad, depending on the service provider. A VPN connection typically encrypts data from a person's computer through the ISP to a VPN server.

How to choose a VPN:

• Always read the privacy policy of a VPN provider. Avoid services that keep data logs.

• Understand that all VPN services, regardless of the privacy policy, offer private--not anonymous--connections. VPNs are not anonymous because all data passed from users' connections are visible to the VPN provider; ultimately, VPNs require a certain amount of trust on the user's end.

• Avoid Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) services. PPTPs are considered less secure than OpenVPN services.

• OpenVPN is open source VPN technology that encrypts Internet connections with high grade encryption. www.vpn4all.com and www.cyberghostvpn.com are a few popular VPN services.
Proxy Services:

• Only use network proxies that are open source programs.

• Onion Proxy services (such as Tor) are the most anonymous Internet connections but also are among the slowest.

• Proxies have limitations on the ports they can anonymize. In order to anonymize all ports, proxies require third party software known as Socksifiers.

EMAIL


Email messages resemble a post card--there is nothing preventing anyone from reading it in transit. Here are some precautions you can take:

• Always encrypt sensitive emails with either PGP or S/MIME standards.

• Avoid popular email services offered by www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, and www.hotmail.com. Those services are neither private nor anonymous.

• Be cautious of certain email services claiming to be private (i.e. www.safe-mail.com) but are in reality intelligence honeypots.

• Always read the privacy policy of email services. It is almost always preferable to use an email service outside of local jurisdiction. www.vekja.net; www.cryptoheaven.com; and www.lavabit.com are popular choices.

• To avoid spam, preserve privacy, and protect against potentially dangerous email, always use a disposable email service for forum logins, online coupons, and other online activities. www.mailinator.com and www.dispostable.com are good choices. However, please remember that most throwaway email services are not intended for sensitive data, since anyone may be able to read the contents of the email.

ONLINE PURCHASES

• It is always preferable to use a prepaid gift card (American Express, Visa, et al) for anonymous online purchases than a debit or credit card.
• It is preferable to use an alias when purchasing online products.
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The author is the author of The Privacy Book. Contact the jackhelios@vfemail.net --For more information, please visit https://www.awxcnx.de/handbuch.htm

[CdnSirian]

If you have a Linux OS the mail options provide an encryption of all mail going in and out. You select PGP from the menu. That would be Thunderbird or Evolution. It provides a measure of privacy. Obviously nothing is absolute. :)

I see this was discussed above in good detail.

[toad]

It all depends on how secure you really want to be. If you're dealing with sensitive information, you cannot really go wrong with a solid PGP encryption/VPN/tor etc.. you could go further using a LiveCD and networking at the library.

[Zillah]

Coming on Tuesday Jan 31st on Coast to Coast: Katherine Albrecht is a consumer privacy expert and VP of startpage.com, the world's most private search engine. She contends that Google is using our personal information without consent to create a centralized database of just about everything.

Startpage Protects Your Privacy!
Startpage is powered by Ixquick.
The only search engine that does not record your IP address.

Your privacy is under attack!

Every time you use a regular search engine, your search data is recorded. Major search engines capture your IP address and use tracking cookies to make a record of your search terms, the time of your visit, and the links you choose - then they store that information in a giant database.

Those searches reveal a shocking amount of personal information about you, such as your interests, family circumstances, political leanings, medical conditions, and more. This information is modern-day gold for marketers, government officials, hackers and criminals - all of whom would love to get their hands on your private search data.


Why should you worry?

Major search engines have quietly amassed the largest database of personal information on individuals ever collected. Unfortunately, this data can all too easily fall into the wrong hands. Consider the following story:

In August 2006, the online world was jarred when AOL accidentally released three months' worth of aggregated search data from 650,000 of its users, publishing all the details in an online database.
That database is still searchable. It is an absolute eye-opener to see the potential for privacy nightmares... Read more (https://www.startpage.com/eng/protect-privacy.html)