Ubuntu for the security conscious
Solitary Island
Ubuntu Privacy Remix is a solitary island among distributions. Isolated from the outside world, it is well protected against attacks, but in the long term, it's only suitable for Robinson Crusoe types in the private sector. Even if you can do without a hard drive thanks to the encrypted USB solution, the lack of Internet access makes normal communication with the outside world very difficult.
A solution is to use another USB stick with a Live system that has Internet access, or even a second computer. For the previous version of UPR, 10.04r3, a dual-boot DVD offers the Tails distribution for anonymous surfing with Tor, which is a partial solution.
The small group of people who manage sensitive data without the need for special software or the Internet is well served with UPR, however. Security researcher Bruce Schneier uses a similar solution [1]: "If I want to transfer a file, I encrypt the file on the secure computer and walk it over to my Internet computer, using a USB stick." Armed with two USB sticks, it does not matter which computer you work on. Infected documents can be viewed without any worries, because the malware never touches your disk.
Even for smaller companies, the use of UPR could be worthwhile if they need special software and the programs do not retrieve data from a CRM or groupware, as is often the case in a corporate environment. Customer records, including credit card information, would be collected on the Internet but could then be split: The sensitive data could be managed securely on a computer without Internet access, while the communication data resides on computers and servers with network access. Also, bills, cost accounting data, or strategic planning data could be managed on such a computer.
Ubuntu Privacy Remix presents a radical solution to the problem of computer security that requires a whole new orientation. Indeed, working without the Internet or a conventional hard drive would be completely foreign to most modern computer users. However, the reasons for operating in this kind of isolation are well known to security experts and well documented in recent headlines. If you are serious about security and you are ready for a new approach to the daily business of working with your computer, try the Ubuntu Privacy Remix.
Infos
- Bruce Schneier: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-how-to-remain-secure-surveillance
- Ubuntu Privacy Remix: https://www.privacy-cd.org
- TrueCrypt: http://www.truecrypt.org
- Mastering your own UPR: https://www.privacy-cd.org/en/tutorials
- Tails: https://tails.boum.org
- Downloading UPR: https://www.privacy-cd.org/en/using-upr/download
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.