THREAT LEVEL: ELEVATED
IP VISIBILITY: HIDDEN
/OPSEC

OPERATIONAL SECURITY

Privacy is not a crime. It is a discipline. Follow the Golden Rules to zero your digital footprint.

01. TAILS OS SYSTEM

Windows sends telemetry. macOS is closed source. Tails OS is the only safe option.

  • Amnesic (Forgets everything on shutdown)
  • Forces traffic through Tor
  • No hard drive trace
How to flash Tails USB →

02. TOR CONFIGURATION

Should you use a VPN with Tor? generally, NO. It adds a point of failure.

  • Use Tor Bridges if censored
  • Set Security Level to "Safer"
  • Do NOT maximize window size
Tor Browser Security Settings →

03. IDENTITY HYGIENE

Keep your Darknet identity completely separate from your real life (IRL).

  • Clean Metadata (EXIF) from photos
  • Never reuse usernames/passwords
  • Use ProtonMail or TempMail
Metadata removal tools →

CRITICAL MISTAKES

These actions lead to de-anonymization and LE (Law Enforcement) attention.

  • Using Mobile Phones: Android/iOS are tracking devices. Never order from a phone.
  • Bitcoin (BTC): Public ledger. Easily traced by Chainalysis.
  • Clearweb Links: Clicking drughub.com instead of .onion.
  • Javascript Enabled: Massive attack vector for browser exploits.
  • Talking too much: OpSec means keeping your mouth shut.

BEST PRACTICES

Habits that keep you invisible on the network.

  • PGP 2FA: Always enable Two-Factor Authentication with your key.
  • Monero (XMR): Use local-node wallets or Cake Wallet (carefully).
  • Verify Signatures: Check the PGP signature of every market URL.
  • KeePassXC: Store passwords offline in an encrypted database.
  • Warrant Canary: Check the market canary for signs of seizure.

Advanced OpSec Analysis

Why "Tor over VPN" is bad advice

Many novice users search for "Best VPN for Darknet". This is a misconception. If you use a VPN before Tor, your VPN provider knows you are using Tor. If the VPN logs (and many do, despite "No Log" claims), they can hand that data to authorities.
Trust the Tor Protocol. If your ISP blocks Tor, use a Pluggable Transport (Obfs4 Bridge).

The Monero Standard

Bitcoin is not anonymous. It is pseudonymous. Every transaction is permanently recorded. Drughub exclusively enforces Monero (XMR) because it uses Ring Signatures, RingCT, and Stealth Addresses to obfuscate the sender, receiver, and amount.

root@tails:~#
$ apt-get install mat2 # Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit $ mat2 image.jpg >> Processed image.jpg. Cleaned.