Translator’s note: Guys, many of the items in this manual will be inapplicable to the realities of the West, and some are simply outdated. But they will be translated anyway, at least because without them the guide will be incomplete, and also because if the guide will be read by marketplace owners who want to modify the rules of dead drop location - because this is a VERY important point in the drug-trade.
In this manual we will go through from A to Z all the aspects you will (or may) encounter during your work. I ask you to read it carefully, as it was created for you by a whole team of experts who have been practicing in this field for years. I hope that everything written here will help you.
The information is organized into the following topics:
To carry your dead drop from the treasure point to home I advise the following ways:
In case of a patrol with cops, they will have to look through all the packages, but they will not do it in 99% of cases. Just don’t panic and delete all compromising information from your phone.
Here is a set of rules that will make your life easier in this difficult job.
Ask yourself the question “What exactly do you want out of this job?” and answer it honestly, because the average person can rarely achieve the level of self-control to cope with the stress of the job without doping:
Above we have considered the behavior on the street, but the most important thing in the work of a scout is his behavior at home. Earning 200 dollars a week is quite average even for the province, but it is very risky to spend the money.
Locations Each location for dead drop will have its own strengths and weaknesses, so I will try to give you the most detailed characterization of each location.
Entranceway A very bad place for a dead drop, although it is full of secluded places. With the seeming comfort of picking up dead drops, as well as their location here, the list of minuses is long (neighbors, concierges, guests, cameras). But the main minus is that the entrances are very convenient and known to those who want to devour the goods for free, and this is a loss.
The back side of the house There are several convenient points for placing dead drop. Garages, bushes under windows and rocks are especially good. But you need to be careful not to attract attention to yourself, in addition, all the time to control the side vision of passing pedestrians.
The front side of the house This location is bad for almost everything. There are a lot of walkers, and it is impossible to make several dead drop, and a limited number of comfortable places, as well as a huge chance of “explosion” (taking dead drop freeloader - translator’s note). Don’t forget that playgrounds are always placed on the front side of the house, so it is simply impossible to maintain a distance of 50 meters. (important fact - according to the rules of almost all marketplaces in Russia, dead drop is forbidden to be located close to educational institutions, kindergartens, police stations, military units and other locations - stores are fined for this - translator’s note).
Garage The place is convenient in terms of the number of secluded hiding places, as well as a small number of passers-by. But everything is made worse by the fact that there are often police patrols and freeloaders, so I do not recommend doing more than 5 dead drop on a small garage cooperative.
Between yards This area because of the large flow of people is not suitable for all types of treasures. except for magnets. which can be easily hidden inconspicuously. But this location is the most visible if the area is not filled with bushes and trees.
Destroyed buildings A very interesting place for convenience and safety dead drop. People are rarely seen in such places, and because of the huge number of landscape elements in any point of the dead drop will not be obvious for searches. The most significant disadvantage is packs of wild dogs.
Unfinished building Abandoned unfinished building is worse in terms of safety than the previous location, but for lack of others, it can also be used as a place for searching.
Wasteland A few dead drops can be made in wastelands very reliably, even if there are no trees, but the openness of the area allows a passing patrol to see the treasure hunter.
House fronts and front gardens Unreliable in terms of duration of treasure preservation and viewable locations themselves. Suitable for treasures with camouflage in the form of a hidden stone.
Fences and factory stacks Because of the video surveillance and the scout’s distinguishability against the gray and white color of the walls, which do not have trees, the place has security risks. But along the railroad tracks a car with policemen will not be able to drive up, plus you can make a dead drop with landmarks on the graffiti.
Railroad I remind you that there is no vegetation in this place, all places are of the same type, there are few points for orientation. But dead drop at the numbered posts will be easy to find, and the difficulty of passage for the patrol makes the place quiet. But don’t work there all the time. Tracking services may turn in the surveillance camera footage if a scout works there all the time.
Summer village Interesting place to work in terms of security and the number of unique points for dead drop, but often checked by cop patrols. The less houses with permanent residence and surveillance cameras in the location. Beware of dogs!
Areas near hospitals IS FORBIDDEN. There’s surveillance and scouts can be spotted by passersby.
Cemetery Ethically wrong place and dangerous because of the limited number of exits where cops can patrol. Inconvenient and dangerous, not only for the scout, but also for the buyer.
Ravines, gorges, slopes Rarely occurring locations and characteristic only for the southern regions of Russia. They are convenient for dead drop locations because of their spontaneous relief, but can be washed away by a landslide or rain on the slope itself.
Cellars A highly questionable place for dead drops and especially mass ones. Limited entrance to the location plus darkness will play a negative role when laying dead drop.
Park This location is highly dependent on the size of the city and where it is located. Parks in small or southern cities are screened for several months of the year and are not suitable for frequent work. The park must have dense undergrowth to conceal the Scout, many trails, and uneven terrain. In small towns it is common to find a park with only one and every tree dug up by the purchaser, if dead drop underground. In such parks, cop patrols are found all the time. In northern large cities, parks are frequent and large, so a properly camouflaged/legendary park can be worked very successfully. Keep in mind that in parks, you can only work on trails that cannot be traveled by car and where there are few bystanders.
Forest Park Unlike the park, the forest park occupies a larger area, less well-maintained and with a poor network of roads for car passage. But there is a very poor GPS signal and it is necessary to make a detailed photo route from the entrance to the location to the place of treasure, indicating all the turns on the photo. But, as in the forest location. in the forest park at night to find dead drop is almost unrealistic. In the forest park there are typical locations, which will be for the buyer the starting point of the search for dead drop: glades, buildings, ravines, glades. To them you can make not a detailed path on the photo from the entrance to the location. In forest parks and forests after storms, the landscape often changes dramatically!
Woodland A woodland is a forest park in which trees are planted in even rows. They are found along roads, highways, along fields and as an area where a city neighborhood ends. Due to the distance from public transportation, little suitable as a permanent location for work, but good for large dead drops that can be buried. Suitable for working scouts from small towns with a personal vehicle.
Field, beach Not at all suitable for work due to the impossibility of finding a sufficient number of landmarks, due to the mobility of the ground (beach) and due to the openness of the terrain.
Forest The forest is the safest and most difficult place to work in terms of photography. In the forest, the GPS signal will only pick up in clearings, so always look for a place with good cell phone reception to choose your starting photo. In the woods, DO NOT LIMIT yourself to 2 PHOTOGRAPHS IN DEAD DROP DESCRIPTION! It is necessary to photograph in detail all the way to the treasure from the point of confident cellular signal reception, indicating all the turns on the photo with arrows and with a detailed description of the place of the treasure in text, taking into account the packaging and depth of the buried dead drop. Treasure in the forest area should be made along the trails, with an indent from them in the direction of the forest from 2x meters to 20 meters. Avoid nettle thickets, swampy areas and streams, because there is a chance of exposing the buyer to the risk of injury and hypothermia in floods or after rains. Select forests closely adjacent to trails, roads, and housing developments so that buyers can reach the goods on trails.
In the forest, any scout can make 100 dead drops a day, but their buying rate will be slow. But if you follow all the rules, you don’t have to worry about your dead drops being taken by freeloaders. The forest is also good in northern areas because you can disguise yourself as a mushroom hunter. Demand dead drop in the forest is very dependent on the season, in winter and fall, people try not to buy treasures in the forest because of the cold, and in spring the area is swamped and greatly changes the landscape from the blossoming green.
Part I — /post/86b6eb018efc5c39d278
It is the moment of laying that is the most probable place of error. After all, if you’re just walking down the street like a normal person, you have nothing to suspect, but if you’re fiddling with a transformer, I’m sorry, there are more than enough reasons to detain you. So you should never, not for a moment, lose control of yourself and stop thinking about the risks of meeting the cops. If this happens, your best chance of success is to appear to be a buyer, and for this you need to have only 1 package in your pocket at that moment. In such a case, with a skillfully played performance and a certain amount of money, the issue is resolved. without reaching the police station. Why the drama and spectacle? Understand, police are people too, it will be much easier for them to take the money if they are sure that they just taught another drug addict a lesson, so let them understand that you use weed once in six months, and then decided to try something else, just did not know that it is illegal, for weed up to 6 grams - administrative punishment, I thought the same here. The best thing is to try to stay as calm as possible, your emotions will be off the charts and they will be, trust me.
Further, it will be written how to act in such situations, but for now, your task is to identify secret places for all the stuff. Here you made a dead drop, moved away from the place, made sure that no one is around, wrote geolocation, coordinates, everything you need, and only then you can take out the next bag of stuff, or walk around with empty pockets, and take out after you take a photo, just before the “installation”. You can do it that way too, if it’s convenient.
Another very important point is your smartphone. It is proof of sale. That is, if you make a dead drop, and then photos of made treasures, it is obvious that if this becomes known during the search, and the chances of success, alas, there is almost no chance of success. So if you realize that now the action will begin, leisurely move into your pocket and press the off button to lock your phone. The main thing there when searching is to keep the smartphone screen off, all the cops’ attention will be on finding you have a lot of staff on your hands, and when they quickly realize you’re a regular customer, the conversation will be about the bribe. At no point(!) draw attention to your smartphone, and if they ask you to unlock it, it will likely mean you weren’t convincing and there’s no trust in you.
Tip
Don’t drive your car up to the dead drop location, make sure to be sober and look inconspicuous. Another important consideration is the timing of the dead drop process and this directly relates to safety.
Night
There is no one in the yards, it is dark, everything is quiet. Patrol cars drive by regularly, if you meet them, there is a very good chance of socializing. If you decide to work at night, be extremely careful, strain your ears, it is quiet at night, you can easily hear a car entering the yard. Cops don’t go deep into the neighborhoods, so plan neighborhoods where you can walk, away from the main roads. Remember, this is probably the most dangerous period for working with staff, but on the other hand, it is also the most productive.
Rush Hour It’s the opposite, there’s a lot of people, there’s almost no police. The main difficulty here is that everyone is always staring at you, only doing what they suspect you of doing (at first it seems that way), and generally interfering with your work. at first Look, there are neighborhoods where you can work in rush hour, in most cases, of course, there are nuances.
Morning After everyone has left for work, the best time for dead drop begins. Usually there are a couple of hours in residential areas, when everyone who needs to leave, pensioners and mothers with children are still at home (perhaps drinking tea by the window), and schoolchildren at lessons, when you can work quite effectively with relatively small safety risks, Conditionally this time from 10 to 12 noon, although the day for the day does not fall, can and at 10:30 in winter cars for half an hour to warm up, and can and already at 11 am and all go to work. I would call this period “night”, but with a small number of people, and much better chances of safety.
Photo The time to take a photo should be minimized, and ideally, it should be a smooth motion when approaching a location or right after setting up a dead drop. This is easily achieved by using the volume buttons in the app to take the photo, rather than holding your smartphone with one hand and trying to hit the touchscreen with the other. Prepare your device in advance when approaching a location so that all that’s left to do is pull it out and press the button to get the shot. The whole process of “photo + bookmark” should take no more than 5 seconds, everything else, unlocking the phone and making a voice description we spend before and after this moment.
I remind you once again, the smartphone MUST be encrypted, so that you need to enter a password to access it.
And another thing. Remember, money can help, so the sooner you create a safety cushion for yourself the better, it may be the one that helps you avoid big problems and you could have bribed on the spot. Cops take cards. Or rather, they take you to an ATM.
Social behavior
We have already talked about how being inconspicuous is our best disguise, and it is true, we also never forget rule #1. One of the most important points is that the true reasons why a Scout can get into major trouble is only due to ignorance or unwillingness to use the most basic of basics, the second of which can be summarized as “always remain inconspicuous”.
The vast majority, and all major drug court cases are based on available information, suspicion, snitching, etc. In any case, if you arouse suspicion among ordinary citizens, it can go all the way to the police station. To prevent this from happening, use simple rules. Be prepared to engage in conversation with people and behave as naturally as possible. For example, if you are walking down the street with your Staff, and a passerby discreetly asks you, “what time is it?” you should never get lost and act like a freshman at an exam, but calmly look at your watch or pull out your phone and tell the time.
Another example: you rent an apartment and combine the function of a “warehouse” (i.e. you operate with weights of more than 50 or 100 grams - translator’s note), and often take large amounts of drugs there, and at the same time, the neighbors in the new place are very interested in you. In such a situation, it is best to be the first to make contact, be friendly, say hello if they try to start a conversation with you, it gives you an opportunity to make yourself known as a good neighbor, but remember, you should not make any close acquaintances. The main thing is to do everything calmly and naturally, then no one will be able to suspect anything wrong even in a situation where you yourself have made a gross mistake.
When working outdoors or in a park, it is important to pay attention to everything that is going on around you. And the “blind spot” behind you, too. But a person who constantly turns his head instantly arouses the suspicion of employees and the desire to inspect him increases.
WHAT TO DO IN SUCH A CASE?
The easiest and most reliable way is to look in the mirror! But usually no one carries a mirror with him, so you will be helped by your turned-off phone. The reflection in your smartphone is enough to spot cops or a patrol car. If your eyesight does not allow you to see in the dark glass reflection, then the front camera will help you wonderfully. The main thing is not to fuss! If you notice the “tail” from behind, you can without panic delete the photo with treasure, turn the corner and even stand there smoking, along with dropping the staff from your hands somewhere in the stash.
Every one of us buys from the competition. Sometimes your favorite item isn’t available, sometimes your competitors just have it better, so every scout periodically buys from a fake account from a competitor and goes to pick up a dead drop. And at that very moment may well be of interest to the patrol. Under today’s rules, a patrol can go anywhere at all, from your phone to your foreskin looking for information to confirm that you want to pick up a dead drop. How to leave them without a bribe and yourself with your ribs intact?
The most common situation is when you picked up a dead drop and a patrol appears from around the corner. You can drop the item, you can hide it, but all this does not give a normal guarantee.
My advice is this:
Take a small piece of reinforced plumbing tape with you and after removing the outer layer of the package and cleaning off the dirt, seal the ziplock in that tape. Plumbing tape is good because it will not leak moisture in high humidity conditions and is non-toxic. When you’ve packed the staff you can transport it to the mouth house and when the patrol shows up just swallow the staff. In 24 hours you will see him again. :)
Here part of the guide was dedicated to the issue that during public holidays/elections, the police increase the number of patrols, in order to prevent terrorist threats.
Write out the main public holidays in your country and remember: ** it is strictly forbidden to work in the field on these days and do your dead drops BEFORE the holidays.**
Very important! In case you are met by a patrol of cops at the moment of pawning, it is not the end. This means that now the big policemen with guns and handcuffs will come out and immediately start a search, check your pockets, immediately ask questions sharply - in general, a difficult psychological situation.
But at the same time, if you have taken care in advance that the most basic places are not prepackaged stuff, and immediately make it clear that you are a buyer, then money, most likely, can solve the issue. Here it is important to understand that you are caught and the situation is not in your favor, if you demand a protocol, witnesses and “respect for your rights” in such circumstances, it will only confirm your guilt in the eyes of the patrolmen, and there will be a more serious search, where all prepackaged staff will be found, and the probability of getting to the station will be maximum.
Therefore, if you observe the rule “in your pocket no more than 1 ziplock”, then there are two options:
l. You are fiddling for a long time (correcting the staff, removing rust from the mounting point) and you still have the pack in your hands and you see a car stop nearby. Then you take the staff in your pocket, then say you just took it off, bought it online, it’s the easy of the two options; II. You’ve just made a dead drop, go away from the place to take a photo, if you haven’t already or you’re about to leave, and there they are! This is much more difficult, because, whatever you say, they will not find anything in your pockets, and the next step of one of the police officers will probably be to examine the place you took the photo, and there you may find a dead drop. If so, your role is almost 100% established, the cops know you’re a scout. In that case, you need to constructively start talking about the bribe.
Option
If on the spot the cops will not find the dead drop - it will be on a tricky magnet or buried so that you can not immediately guess from the tracks where, then your further actions depend ONLY ON YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL READINESS.
If you are able in such an extreme situation to make a calm face and declare that I was just walking around, I have nothing with me, “what questions can there be to me?”, then you will be released immediately. But if you say the same thing but get nervous, stammer, blush, etc., it will only make it worse, now you will definitely be searched head to toe or more thoroughly check the area you were photographing. So if you don’t feel confident then say you bought 2 grams of weed online, came in and there’s nothing here, I was told I needed to take a photo “for the dispute”. In this case, the picture will be complete and they will probably try to bribe you for a small bribe.
If police officers find more than one dead drop, there is a small chance to pretend to be a “seagull” (a person who collects treasure “intuitively” – notices the most popular places of scouts and searches them, getting a staff for free - translator’s note), explaining that you “went and collected everything.” But the likelihood is extremely slim.
How else can you still be caught by the police
It often happens that a dead drop is found by employees of public utilities, in this case they can call the police, who can conduct a fingerprint examination, and if your fingerprints are in the database, there is a chance to get into the development. Responsible and attentive citizens should not be forgotten either.
Initially, choose places with little traffic
If you follow maximum safety and choose hard-to-reach places for your dead drop, then in this case you have a chance to escape, because in blind yards it is difficult to move quickly by car, and most likely you will realize about the approach of a police car in advance and there will be more space for maneuver.
If you set dead drop quickly. it is certainly good, but still you need to take into account the time of approach to the place and exit from it, and if it is still 10 seconds (there are such places), then judge for yourself, and if it is also at a dangerous time, then here you have a very high probability of being caught.\
That’s if you make all the mistakes. But the saddest thing in this case is that there will be practically no chance to escape. The car will arrive quickly, the patrolmen will come out and grab you, and if you start running…. your chances of escape are minimal.
[/subtitle ]Is it possible to flee the scene of a crime?
Yes, you can, but there are a few things to consider.
Even if a patrolman follows you in a car for 200 meters, in sprint mode it will take a lot of energy away from you, and a fresh driver will have an advantage. If you adhere to the rules of safety of the place, then blind courtyards, where it is difficult to get into by car, give you the opportunity to get ahead of the danger, and therefore there will be a second or two to assess the situation, and the most important points will be: the presence of a pedestrian road into the interior of the area and the presence of a further exit. If a patrolman is approaching from the side where you have not been and do not know what is there, it is logical that you will consider the option of escape on the way of arrival at the place, and you will have fresh information in your memory about what awaits you. in this case you will have both time and geographical awareness to make a decision, add to this the understanding of your physical capabilities, and you can quickly predict the success of such a step.
In case the patrolmen approach from an unknown side, there will be less information for making a decision, and you will have to act more on luck. Hence the rule: when approaching the place of DD, look particularly carefully at the sides that are unknown to you.
**BUT REMEMBER, ONCE YOU START RUNNING, IT’S AN ALL-IN BET. **
Choose those who specialize in similar cases, so that he had a proven track record. In no case, it is not worth contacting those who promises and guarantees to win you any case or hope for law offices, which, “in case of what” will give you the best specialist. No. Take care of it yourself, because in your puncture, it can really help.
First and foremost, you need to realize that you don’t stand a chance and try to reason, and act, in cold blood as much as possible. If the cops fundamentally refuse to take a bribe, it will not be easy to get out of the situation. your goal is to cooperate with the investigation as little as possible.
They will definitely scare, threaten, offer favorable deals, all this against you, no assistance, it will only get worse. If you point to your deaddrop, they will go separate episodes, if you gave up accomplices with a large weight - all this will be combined as an OCG.
It is necessary to calm down and properly assess the situation, weigh the events that are taking place. There were cases when one scout was arrested with 3 grams of amphetamine, he turned in a “warehouse”- employee and instead of a suspended sentence he got almost 15 years, of which a couple of years were deducted for cooperation with police.
There are 3 main types of dead drop:
Magnet
A magnet, is a dead drop that has a small neodymium magnet placed in it, so it will be attached to a metal surface. The magnet can be hidden in a pipe, under a tin visor, behind the upholstery of the door or garage, behind the bars or any other place that can not be seen but can be reached by hand. Thus the chance of finding the bookmark by the buyer increases, especially in the city, which allows the store to raise the price of goods for service and convenience. In this case, the dead drop is made at a great depth so that only an adult can reach it. (It is customary for scouts to pay 10-15% more for magnets - translator’s note).
Minuses:
Stash
Stashes are dead drops, which include dead drops in the trash, behind a piece of furniture, and dead drops that can be called “camouflaged”. Stashes are best suited for scouts who have mastered them or for newcomers who cannot work in the woods.
Minuses:
Stashes should blend in with the rest of the items in the bag. Do not make stashes in:
Decoy
Decoys (or borrows) are dead drops that are made into the ground. Most often they are made in forested areas, private sector and landfills.
This type of laying has its pros and cons, and we will try to list them most fully.
Pluses:
Minuses:
Also to be considered:
To summarize: this type of dead drop is good for a beginner scout, but disadvantageous to the shop in most cases.
Each type of location will be characterized by its own methods of describing the dead drop, and if in urban areas one photo with an arrow pointing to the location is enough, then for forest locations you may need up to 12 (!) photos describing the route with all the turns and a detailed description. Each type of description will be adequate for the type of dead drop and location the scout is working in, so I will try to categorize the locations. The only thing that will be common for all categories is the obligation to specify the treasure point in the format of GPS coordinates and a clear photo near the dead drop point (you can’t make a dead drop 10 meters away and take a photo from afar).
Categories are categorized by territoriality
City:
Depending on the conditions and location, in the city you can limit the description of dead drop to one or three photos, depending on how far away the nearest landmark is located. In the city the most suitable will be treasures like “magnet” and “stash”.
Suburbs:
Due to the fact that in the suburbs a sufficient number of unique elements of the landscape, which are visible from afar landmarks for the search for dead drop, the number of required photos to describe the location of the search from 2 to 6. In the suburbs it is required to indicate the starting point of the route, attach photos, maps of the area and specify the exact coordinates of the dead drop point with a panoramic photo of the treasure site and a detailed photo of the exact dead drop point.
Suburbs:
The suburbs are the most convenient in terms of safety and the most problematic in terms of requirements for description of locations. Due to the weak GPS signal in these locations it is necessary to orient to roads and tracks to mark the beginning of the route, as well as to the trails leading to the entrance to these locations.
VERY IMPORTANT - PUT YOURSELF IN THE BUYER’S SHOES AND MAKE THE DESCRIPTION ACCURATE AND DETAILED ENOUGH SO THAT YOU CAN FIND THE DEAD DROP WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM PHOTOS AND COORDINATES
Specify all noticeable landscape elements that will be on the way to the dead drop. Only the coordinates are not enough and your geocaches made in these locations and decorated with only 3 photos will be unaccepted when checked by the employer.
DD on magnets
Here in most cases we need only one picture, since there is a house address, and the picture should clearly show the attachment point. The standard description scheme includes the address of the house where the attachment point is located.
Examples:
(Address). Dead drop is magnetically attached to the upper left corner of the 1st right basement grate on the back side of the house. Or. Dead drop is attached magnetically to the upper left corner of the basement grate as well. If viewed from the back of the house, this would be the right corner grate;
(Address). DD is at the bottom of the left wall inside the transformer box on the curve of the house. Or. DD is magnetically attached to the left wall of the transformer, which is located on the back side at the corner of the house.
DD troves in the ground
Unlike the previous option, one photo will definitely not be enough for us here. At the very least we need to show a general view of the area and the location of the buried treasure with appropriate markings. If the DD is in a park, it will be very good if in the description you tell how to reach the place.
Examples:
Attention! If you think that in the description it will be enough only to specify the coordinates and attach a photo with the place of DD, I assure you that such a format will not bring anything good. Often when taking coordinates there are errors, inaccuracy can reach in some cases several hundred meters, it can be caused by poor quality gps-receiver, change of satellites at the moment, weather conditions, external interference. Do not hope that this will not happen to you, make normal descriptions and everything will be fine.
The ideal DD description is one that clearly and unambiguously describes the geocache, and includes:
Before you start using the stash that is described below, I strongly recommend that you study the terrain in which you will place them. Otherwise, these stashes will be of no use if they will be out of the general landscape and attract unnecessary attention. Study the terrain, see what stash is ideal for it and only then act. I also recommend you to cover DD with earth, it will give them additional stealth and get rid of the attention of random passersby.
In the city now you need to camouflage under rocks or garbage (scraps of paper are not good, as well as a pack of cigarettes or a wrapper from a candy bar). And do not leave it on the surface (if it is not a crevice), but press it into the wet ground. You should also do the same with tea camouflage - thanks to the large surface area of the tea wrapper, it is easy to find when digging out of the ground.
Tea bags Secret tea bag packaging. Many people know the recipe, but I will repeat it. More and more tea manufacturers are now packaging tea bags in extra packaging. The first to do so, if I remember correctly, were the makers of Greenfield tea. So, these bags are not sealed with glue at the factory, but pressed with an iron, which gives us the opportunity to open the bag without damage and seal it.
Manufacturing:
Don’t leave such hiding places in places where they will be blown away by the wind. Make the DDs far apart. You can stick the bags in the posts, but only if there is already trash there and you cover your dead drop with it too. And far away from each other!
Stone This kind of hiding places are very popular, and they are among the most reliable, but I would like to point out a very important factor. All reliability is lost the moment the stone is dislodged from the terrain. Before making a stash under the stone. study the area in which you will work, take samples of those stones that are in this area and coming home experiment and try to achieve similarity with these stones.
Variant 1 Plasticine + black sand (volcanic) The main disadvantage of plasticine is the uniformity of color and artificiality of shape. The eye can notice the “wrong” stone, so such hiding places can be taken away by “seagulls”. Plasticine is not rolled in foliage, the dirt from it will come off quickly, but it is well fixed with black sand, which can be bought at the store. There you can also buy black shaped plasticine by kilograms.
Stash in black plasticine and dipped in black volcanic sand human eye will not be able to distinguish on the move from ordinary dirt from - because of the shine of quartz and black color of materials To give the shape of the stone should take into account that the plasticine needs a frame. This frame can be food foil, which is wrapped around the package with goods.
The old methods of making stones out of plaster or plaster are completely unsuitable, because these stones stand out. An experienced gull can easily distinguish them on the ground. The exception is for the method with the use of silicone mold, then the stone turns out to be similar even from plaster. But this method requires serious initial costs.
So I suggest you go to the building store, buy there cement-sand mixture and a whole pile of granite, marble sand chips and experiment with the composition. Even in the simplest case dead drops turn out to be very unusual in appearance, and if we take into account that it is recommended to bury them, then even the the most experienced seagull, seeing such a stone will not pay attention.
Variant 2 You will need:
Manufacturing:
Take a pack of plasticine and heat it in warm water for 2 minutes;
A piece of branch Will need:
Manufacturing:
Piece of brick Will need:
Manufacturing: l. Make the mixture (500g of gypsum and 250g of cement, if desired you can add a tint, add water and stir until medium viscosity); 2. Place in a silicone mold dead drop; 3. Pour on the bottom of the molds mixture, somewhere up to the middle of the molds can be a little higher that the package dead drop would not stick out; 4. We put the pre-prepared dead drop in the tape; 5. Fill the molds to the end so that the tape was not visible; G. Put our molds under a fan or heat gun and dry the stones for 5-20 minutes; 7. At the end of drying remove the finished stones from the molds; 8. Since the stones have a smooth surface, score it with a knife, imitating construction debris.
Moss stash Moss grows everywhere: forest, city, garages, fences, asphalt, poles, road signs. Such a stash will be appropriate almost everywhere where the rain hits. The choice of material for the stash is quite extensive. You can buy artificial, stabilized, natural moss or grow it yourself. You can order in an online store or buy in the nearest flower store. 50 grams of moss is enough for a dozen dead drops.
Manufacturing:
Flower seedlings This stash is perfect for countryside use, because we disguise ourselves as a gardener, who simply takes seedlings to his cottage, and in the right season. Even tools like a trowel or a hoe won’t look suspicious in your hands.
Manufacturing:
Digging can be the same trowel, inserting to the back in the recess together with the pot. So the buyer will be easier to find the dead drop.
Pinecone Need:
Manufacturing:
Use apply only in the area where there are cones, and try to place this stash as far as possible from a large cluster of cones, otherwise the buyer may simply not find the dead drop.
Wet wipes In a time of pandemic and everything associated with it, having 3-5 wet wipes is unlikely to raise any suspicions.
You will need:
Manufacturing:
Seasonal specifics
Obviously, the time of year has a direct impact on the overall situation on the street, and we cannot ignore this. Of course, the region and the locality also matter, everywhere has its own differences, as in the architecture of buildings, the landscape of the terrain, the length of daylight hours, but we will analyze the main features of work in different seasons.
Summer At this time everyone is warm and well, on the one hand, it is convenient to walk and lay out, on the other hand, large crowds of people go out for a walk. That is why you should immediately exclude places for DD on the front side of the house, where there are benches at the entrance and open places in front of children’s or playgrounds. We do not know at what time our dead drop buyer will go to shoot our dead drop, but it is likely that it will be a popular time, and as a consequence, justified dissatisfaction. Another feature of working in the summer can safely be considered the presence of camouflage in the form of bushes, trees and other vegetation, and this is really the biggest plus.
Winter Here, on the contrary, it is less pleasant to work, but there are few people, especially when it is very cold, and the lack of foliage of plants, which provides the best camouflage, makes it very difficult to work. One more moment, when snow falls, here it is necessary to understand clearly for yourself that the traces leading to the place of DD, in a deserted place can lead there “seagull”, so the approach to such a place should be worked out or excluded at all. And the last circumstance arising from these two is the lack of camouflage and people sitting at home, so it is better to exclude places that are viewed from large houses directly, you may end up with a lot of failed purchases just because of this.
Fall-spring
It depends more on the region, but in general, you can put the fall and spring periods somewhere “between summer and winter”. I will note only a few non-obvious points. On weekends, in winter, we work very well and quickly, as people are sleeping early in the morning, nobody wants to go outside, for us it is just an ideal time, for an hour we can make up to 20 excellent, remote from each other in inconspicuous places dead drops, but with the onset of spring the situation changes dramatically and the morning of the weekend becomes not so….
Place security Pattern of patrols: main routes along the main streets with entry into the courtyards. As a rule, they drive along the first adjacent road, sometimes going farther, and much less frequently into the courtyards. Hence the conclusion, the more deep into the yards and farther from the road, the safer it is. Think out in advance the routes of transportation from one neighborhood to another. It is highly undesirable to work for a long time in one sector, it can attract unnecessary attention of different persons. It is also not a good idea to work in the same neighborhoods every day. The best option is to alternate neighborhoods every day, and you can choose different locations in each neighborhood from time to time. When traveling on foot, use the main streets, when traveling by car do not violate traffic rules, hide your stuff in a secluded place in case of inspection.
Particular attention should be paid to parks and forest belts. Lately, in all there’s been an increase in patrols in all cities. Quiet and safe places are not only good for you, but also pleasant for the buyer.
Causes of disappearing DD After we have considered in detail each stage in our scheme, it’s time to talk about the reasons for which perfectly made dead drop suddenly disappeared, the version about the bad faith of the buyer now we do not consider. About the latter, there have always been, are and will be such, although it is obvious that the system of reviews and comments inside the marketplace, as well as statistical information allows us to calculate them.
“Seagulls” To reduce the risks associated with “seagulls”, stick to these simple rules.
Accidental pick-up There are two options here - either you were seen or you chose a bad place. How to avoid both is described in this guide.
Bad description This is probably the most common reason. The treasure is lying where it is, but the client can’t find it. Now I can see why I repeatedly said that all the way through. It wasn’t about the stash itself.
Utility workers They are always sweeping streets, seeing public items, mowing grass, working with electricity, and generally being on the job all the time. A magnet fell off. Yes, it happens. But the reason for this is not weak magnets, as many believe, but the surface to which the DD was attached. Most often it is rust or other layers of dirt on the place of attachment. To avoid this, spend 1 second more when laying down to make sure that the dead drop is magnetized securely. Otherwise, you can try to quickly clean the spot with one or two hand movements and magnetize again, or you can abandon the spot if you are not absolutely sure that the DD will not drop.
Your “fellow” scouts If you’ve found a good spot, it’s possible another scout will do the same. This happens a lot in standard magnet locations.
Types of dead drop
Magnet
The most unreliable, but convenient way of hoarding, most often used for fast-selling items (0.5-1g), because it implies easy removal, which is very fond of buyers.
This type of treasure is in the greatest demand against the background of the rest, so do not discard it, but the bulk of non-finds fall on them, and to be more precise, on the incorrect use of this method.
For a magnet to last more than two days it should be laid in the most unconventional and unpredictable way possible.
In entrances 95% of dead drops are found by unscrupulous freeloaders, and the remaining 5% are difficult to remove, so we will consider only dead drops on the street.
**Bad places for magnets:
These are all unreliable places and in such places there are a lot of unreachable, dead drop there rarely last more than a day.
Buyers know this and even if they get their dead drop in such a place it may provoke them to cheat, as they will have an argument in front of the moderator in their favor.
So use magnets carefully and wisely.
Our goal is to make a pack that is weatherproof, easy to remove without being seen, inaccessible to “seagulls”. **
Rain is not terrible for such DD if properly packed, but snow and further icing will throw the DD down the drain.
Water storage
If you put one ziplock on the next 20-30 pipes, hardly anyone will find it, even if they are “checked” every night. I advise you to hide it deeper on the inner part of the pipe, which is closer to the building, it is not easy to remove, but remember about rain.
A magnet on the back of the fence leg Fences are everywhere and quite a few have yard fences that limit the sidewalk from the lawn near the house. You have to figure out in advance if they are cleaned up or not, but generally it is rare that they are cleaned up and the grass is just cut there in the summer once at the beginning of the month. Due to the fact that the legs of the fence is a lot + it is a yard, such is unlikely to be taken by seagulls”, and due to the grass that grows, pak will not be seen from any angle. You can even press it into the ground and cover it with grass. If the DD is underground but magnetized to a metal base, the treasure type remains a magnet.
Remember No more than 1 such pack per yard. Made a magnet on the leg, through 6-7 fence spans made a dig, a little more passed, threw the stash, and quietly leave the location. The point is that the magnet should be made either in the original place, where others would not even realize that can be something, or that the location was too many places for the magnet, which all do not “check”. I also advise you to avoid the middle and corners, “seagulls” love them. Use magnets carefully and wisely. Take into account the popularity of the place.
Decoy This is the most reliable DD method, but at the same time, if it is made too difficult, the risk of not finding it is very high. There should always be a static landmark in the frame, by which you can orient yourself where exactly to dig. It sells slower than other types of DD. Digs should also be done wisely, because they can also fall victim to “seagulls” This is especially true for digging in the forest, it is not reliable to dig close to the trunk of a tree, because trees are a reference point for “gulls”. It is better to bury a little farther away from a static reference point (tree trunk, pole, or bench leg), but so that it can still be oriented.
Let’s divide the decoys into 2 types: urban and forestry.
City As a rule, there are no problems with digging in the city, except that you should not make them in passable and well visible places.
It’s hard to make a burrow quickly and inconspicuously as a stash, and even if it can be done (I do not advise you to try), the probability that the buyer in a panic kicking the ground will be able to find DD is minimal. Therefore, we do in quiet places, 15-20 cm from the post / leg of the fence.
When making a hole in the forest, there are many nuances related to the soil.
In winter, the probability of finding DD is reduced to zero, and just with heavy rains and winds, the terrain will change. From each tree or any other landmark make an offset of more than 30cm.
Pay attention to the soil, the soil that is easily removed or has imperceptible craters, which indicates that in a place there are rodents, they have a whole tunnel systems, which disappear DD.
Even underground DD for various reasons treasure can shift, so try to dig into earthen/sandy soil, it is least susceptible to any changes and even after a drop will literally be exactly where you buried it.
Stash When done correctly, a stash is the perfect combination of ease of removal and ease of use the reliability of a DD.
The stash can be anything from a pack of matches or a can of beer to a rock or a piece of grass. It can be hidden anywhere and in any way you want, it is limited only by your imagination.
It should not be a pack of cigarettes lying on the windowsill in the entrance or any other open place where it can be carried away or blown away by the wind. In fact, there are plenty of reliable places, the main thing is to think outside the box and not to look for something specific: a reliable place for DD can be cheesed almost anywhere.
Only with this approach you will be able to do your work productively and safely, your DD should be done in your comfort zone, you should not be hanging around the windows of houses or be in other places where you can arouse suspicion.
Unsafe places
Entrances It’s a popular place for DDs, and there’s a lot of no-shows, so take that into account. In order to work in them, you must know the exact code of the intercom, so that you don’t end up with a customer buying at night and waiting until morning for someone to come out.
Not finding there happen because usually scouts lay in one entrance 3-4 DD in quite predictable places or worse - the same type (for example, in the elevator on different floors behind the frames) and the buyer coming to pick up his DD, takes all the others.
You should also realize that there are NO escape routes from the entrance. I would advise against working in entrances because it turns the residents against you and makes them more vigilant, because you are trespassing on their territory, which no one will tolerate and calling the police becomes more likely. Always be careful going into places that seem too convenient for a DD location, such as on some outskirts, and it happens that it is already patrolled.
Not safe decoys
I recommend to avoid such places and initially set yourself up to think creatively, and this is how you can achieve both reliability and high performance, the choice of places is not limited to the above examples, I advise you to improvise and choose the most non-standard places.
Additionally
Unreliable camouflage
1.0 Duct tape. It is suitable for DD-decoys. 1.1 If there is hardly any land, use black. 1.2 If there is a lot of earth, use bright.
In any other places the duct tape will stand out. I suggest using rag duct tape, it looks like rock.
The DD should always be camouflaged and not visible from the outside, even if the DD is in a cigarette packet, it should be camouflaged, hidden under snow or a rock, but NOT left in the VISIBILITY ZONE.
One of the most important parameters for the reliability of treasures is environmental: “ no more than 3x DD on an area of 100 square meters. meters; “ no more than 2 dd per house; “ no more than 3x single-type caches along the trail; “ no more than 2 stashes per yard; “ no more than 1 magnet per 10 garages.
If there is a dormitory, communal apartment or barracks building within 500 meters, the maximum DD is reduced by a factor of 2.
Translator’s note: I know that this part of the translation is of little use at the current moment. But if you have read the past parts of the translation carefully, you will remember very well that you should NEVER, FUCKING NEVER DO DEAD DROP WITH:
- Playgrounds and educational facilities for children;
- Buildings belonging to the police/army/any law enforcement agency;
- Cemeteries. Dudes, this is fucking unethical and unsafe for the buyer.
And if DD ever gains popularity, these rules would be a good basis to start enforcing a “code of operation” already within the marketplace.
Below will be a list of rules, which under no circumstances should not be violated carefully study them, your salary depends on it in the truest sense of the word (for violation of the rules, the store is fined first, and then the fine is transferred to the “scout”/operator, who did not check the correctness of the layout, before “release to the showcase” - translator’s note). Take this with complete seriousness.
- It is strictly forbidden to sell addresses (or “make dead drops”), located at a distance of up to 50 meters from educational institutions (schools, kindergartens and other institutions whose contingent is minors), on playgrounds (sandboxes, merry-go-rounds and so on), cemeteries and memorials, near law enforcement and security agencies of any level and type.
The place of training of minors and the place of deposit must be separated either by a road with a constant flow of cars or by a building that excludes visibility to the place of DD.
Attention! The distance of 50 meters is not from the building itself, but from the closest point adjacent to the dead drop. For example, count from a fence.
The minimum allowable distance between DD:
Addresses must have the form: “ Neighborhood; “ Coordinates: “ Close-up photo; “ One panoramic photo;
Description consisting of:
This small guide contains the basic rules of correct and successful interaction with a buyer who opened a dispute.
Remember that when the moderator decides to issue a replacement, he first of all pays attention to respectful and considerate communication. That is, those who allow themselves mate, insults, humiliation and vulgarity in communication are almost always the loser. 1. Don’t ignore disputations. 2. Treat the buyer respectfully.
Address disputes only in you, no matter what the buyer is. The more mate and insults in your address will say the buyer, provided that you will only in a respectful way to communicate with him, the more you have the right to appeal to the moderator to close the dispute in your favor due to the buyer’s violation of the rules of the resource.
3. Jokes are forbidden. Almost any joke in one way or another offends, so in business communication with a person who did not find what he bought, it will be regarded by him as bullying.
**4. Talk exclusively about the disputation. ** Don’t get into distracted conversations. It’s distracting and you may suddenly say information you didn’t intend to say.
5. Look carefully at photos. Disputes without attached photos will not be considered, so tell the buyer that photos are needed. Look at them carefully, note if they were searched and if the DD was in the ground, note how thoroughly they were searched. If only a small area is cleared in the photo, it may indicate deception. A buyer who did not find a decoy in the ground leaves a hole behind. Report it. The buyer may not have noticed what he or she was looking for.
6. Night photo. If the buyer went to look at night and did not find it, insist that he continue looking during the day.
7.Fresh address. If a dispute is opened on an order that is less than a day old, the dispute will be resolved in favor of the store if the location is reliable.
8. Attention to the buyer. Never write in the first message that the probability of “theft” is minimal and on the request to issue another address or refund, you refuse. Clarify the details with the buyer and only then state your opinion.
9. Show up often in the dispute. Be in chat several times a day, try not to miss any disputes. It is very important to go to the store 1-2 times every day, because you will be called for cases of not finding. And most shoppers don’t find DD , because they are looking in the wrong place.
Also keep in mind that there are a lot of freeloaders in this field, so you should not trust everyone, especially buyers with a bad reputation. (to determine the “reputation of the user” marketplaces use a proven system since the days of Hydra - about the buyer leave notes, and if among them is negative, then most often the dispute will be resolved in favor of the store - translator’s note).
Non-finds can be the fault of the buyer or the fault of the scout, because of unclear description or unreliable location. Therefore, if from your side everything is 100% clear (both DD reliability and description) and you think that the buyer is lying, your task is to defend your position, to give arguments in your favor or to point out inconsistencies in the words of the buyer.
The decision to issue compensation is made by the operator, replacements are issued from ready-made addresses, you do not need to go and make a replacement yourself, replacements are issued from the common pool (that is, all DDs in the storefront), so do not be surprised if your DD will be issued as a replacement for another scout’s DD.
The scout’s task in a dispute is to look carefully at the buyer’s photo and then follow the instructions for dialog in an open dispute.
You need the following for your job:
At the beginning of your career path, you can use your personal smartphone and computer, but at the first opportunity you should buy separate devices ONLY FOR WORK.
We will now go over the basics of neat and quick packing
Now we’re going to look at the basics of packing neatly and quickly
Below is a list of what you’ll need to pack your stuff well.
1. Gloves I recommend buying thin household or medical gloves. It is much more convenient to pack in them, as they fit your hand very well and do not interfere with packing. You can buy them from pharmacies to hypermarkets. 2. Garbage bag Cut it up and use it as a tablecloth. It is necessary to avoid unnecessary traces of packing. 3. Scales You need a scale with a step of 0.01 grams. Ask when buying a scale to calibrate it for accurate measurement. 4. Colored cardboard and a jar of soy sauce We will need it for weighing and further packing into ziplocks. Instead of cardboard, you can also use an ordinary sheet of paper. 5. Zip-lock bags; I do not recommend taking large and medium-sized zip-locks, as they will take up extra space during the packing process; try to take denser zip-locks, but not too dense. These ziplocks will take up a lot of space and usually tear at the bend. 6. Foil and food wrap; We will need this for the initial packaging of the ziplock. To protect it from duct tape. 7. Duct tape and plumber’s tape. There are several options: A. PVC tape. Great for geocaches, will adhere perfectly to the compound with which it will be treated on top; B. Duct tape Great for magnet locations; C. Sanitary tape. With its help, you can make a so-called “anti-patrol stash” and anti-patrol stash. Stuff in this type of tape can be swallowed and nothing will happen to it.
If you use antipatrol cut the sharp edges, otherwise you can damage your intestines. On top of this layer, you need to place a layer of film or foil so the buyer doesn’t have to swallow the dirty paсk. It is purchased at any plumbing supply store.
Packing process
After packing and masking are done: Take the foil off the scales, the bag you used as a tablecloth and the gloves you did it all in and throw it in the trash, preferably put it in another container. Then wash the area where you worked with Domestos and wash your hands with soap and water, being especially careful to wash the places between your fingers.
Storage of consumables
Stuff storage Stuff that has already been prepared is best stored in hiding places. What the stash will be is up to you, but DO NOT store it at home.
Legend
Additional recommendations Divide the packing process into stages
Until you have not finished with one stage - do not proceed to the other.
Safe saving of photos on the street when working with stuff
To work, we will need a desktop computer or laptop to pour addresses and a smartphone to work on the ground. At your workplace you should have a TOR-browser to access the site and preferably use a foreign VPN, paid by BTC or XMR.
If you plan to work on a separate scheme (see chapter “Organization and principle of work”), you can use SAS.Planet program to store the descriptions of geocaches, in it you can put the description of geocaches on an offline map. This way you can see the geography of your geocaches.
Smartphone to work on the streets should be equipped with a good camera and flashlight, GPS-receiver, have enough internal memory and flash drive. The cheapest options can not be considered, because they have terrible cameras, from which the photos are fuzzy, a small amount of internal memory, because of which you can not install and use all the necessary applications, it happens, moreover, in addition, does not always work GPS-receiver. Of the relatively budget options can be distinguished Xiaomi Redmi 4A and MEIZU M5.
Smartphone software
In order to work effectively with a smartphone, you need to think in advance about the sequence of actions, what you do and what program you use in this case. Basically, we need to take a few photos and make marks on them.
Translator note: The next chapter is already devoted to direct confrontation with law enforcement agencies and direct arrest, which is a purely country-specific practice. The main thing to remember is to behave calmly, prepare a lawyer in advance, and not to snitch on your colleagues to avoid getting a longer prison sentence. And don’t fuck with the law enforcers, being cocky with a stiff on your pocket won’t count against you.
Translator’s note: guys, before you criticize this guide on OPSEC moments, remember - it is written for people “off the street” who may have never messed with or been interested in network security at all in their lives. If you want to add to it or correct it (which I doubt very much), feel free to write to me.
Below will be information on how to set up your Android mobile device, how to properly go online from it, and messengers you can use for work.
Safe networking on your mobile device.
In order to maximize your safety when logging on to the network from your mobile device you will need:
Let’s look at each item in more detail:
Smartphone
You can buy on any online market “from hand” I recommend to take a high-capacity battery (preferably from 5000 mAh will come in handy in work and do not need to carry a power bank) and a camera with good autofocus (also will be a plus when working do not need to wait long until the camera will focus for a picture) preferably that the device was running on Android.
With this smartphone do not enter any social networks they save the IMEI of the device from which the entry was made.
Firmware
Official firmware has a huge number of programs that, for one thing, collect a huge amount of information.
You can’t remove it just like that, so the easiest way will be to install custom firmware on your device.
You can choose any of them, the main thing - do not install the program package from GOOGLE, namely gapps. Detailed installation of firmware on your device you can find in the network, usually on the forum “4PDA”. (for Russian-speaking users - translator’s note)
Sim card
We will run all traffic from the device through it. Any device with a SIM card can be tracked in this way, as devices are registered in the network with their IMEI number and constantly keep in touch with the cell tower, theoretically you can see what tower the device is connected to and how far it is from it. Knowing the location of specific towers is not difficult for someone who needs it. And the distance of the user from the tower is measured simply, the stronger the signal, the closer to the tower.
**That’s why we need a device that is not registered to you, so that IMEI and number do not point to you. This is also the case with a SIM card - the police can recognize the owner by the SIM card number. **
IMPORTANT
If you use someone else’s SIM card - your IMEI will not be tracked. However, it is also quite easy to determine - if the IMEI of the smartphone first registered in the network with a SIM card in your name, and then - with a SIM card in another name, it is easy to realize that (with a high probability) both SIM cards are not tracked. you’re the only one using both SIM cards.
THEREFORE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INSERT YOUR PERSONAL SIM CARD INTO YOUR WORK PHONE.
App store
In order to qto get the programs we need we need a secure app store, and here are a number of those. that you can use:
TOR download the application file from the official site of the project (https://www.torproject.org/).
Quite common question “Which bridge to choose dll browser Top?” and we recommend using official resources. To do this:
Turn on the device then start the VPN-client, then copy the bridges from the site, start the TOR-browser, add bridges, select the security level and go to the desired resource. Done. Now we have excellent anonymity on the network from a mobile device.
Authenticator
Two-factor authentication or 2FA code is a method of adding an extra layer of security for your online accounts. Be sure to set up 2FA for your accounts to prevent them from being hacked.
Android customization
By default, Android owners don’t own them completely; the phone you buy is initially limited. Why? For the manufacturer, you’re a dumb user. And the manufacturer likes to pump there a bunch of unnecessary junk in the form of applications, on which he will make a lot of money.
Changing the ID code via Terminal Eimulator For Android
If you can’t figure out where you need to click to enter this command, let’s try it another way. First, you need to get root privileges. Download Terminal Eimulator For Android. Next, the instructions are very simple - enter the command “su”, which means that from now on we go into superuser mode.
A new window opens in front of you, in which you need to enter this: echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,7. your identification code’ /dev/iudio/pttycmdl echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,l0, your identification code’ /dev/radio/pttycmd1.
Translator’s note: guys, before you criticize this guide on OPSEC moments, remember - it is written for people “off the street” who may have never messed with or been interested in network security at all in their lives. If you want to add to it or correct it (which I doubt very much), feel free to write to me.
Below will be information on how to set up your Android mobile device, how to properly go online from it, and messengers you can use for work.
Safe networking on your mobile device.
In order to maximize your safety when logging on to the network from your mobile device you will need:
Let’s look at each item in more detail:
Smartphone
You can buy on any online market “from hand” I recommend to take a high-capacity battery (preferably from 5000 mAh will come in handy in work and do not need to carry a power bank) and a camera with good autofocus (also will be a plus when working do not need to wait long until the camera will focus for a picture) preferably that the device was running on Android.
With this smartphone do not enter any social networks they save the IMEI of the device from which the entry was made.
Firmware
Official firmware has a huge number of programs that, for one thing, collect a huge amount of information.
You can’t remove it just like that, so the easiest way will be to install custom firmware on your device.
You can choose any of them, the main thing - do not install the program package from GOOGLE, namely gapps. Detailed installation of firmware on your device you can find in the network, usually on the forum “4PDA”. (for Russian-speaking users - translator’s note)
Sim card
We will run all traffic from the device through it. Any device with a SIM card can be tracked in this way, as devices are registered in the network with their IMEI number and constantly keep in touch with the cell tower, theoretically you can see what tower the device is connected to and how far it is from it. Knowing the location of specific towers is not difficult for someone who needs it. And the distance of the user from the tower is measured simply, the stronger the signal, the closer to the tower.
**That’s why we need a device that is not registered to you, so that IMEI and number do not point to you. This is also the case with a SIM card - the police can recognize the owner by the SIM card number. **
IMPORTANT
If you use someone else’s SIM card - your IMEI will not be tracked. However, it is also quite easy to determine - if the IMEI of the smartphone first registered in the network with a SIM card in your name, and then - with a SIM card in another name, it is easy to realize that (with a high probability) both SIM cards are not tracked. you’re the only one using both SIM cards.
THEREFORE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INSERT YOUR PERSONAL SIM CARD INTO YOUR WORK PHONE.
App store
In order to qto get the programs we need we need a secure app store, and here are a number of those. that you can use:
TOR download the application file from the official site of the project (https://www.torproject.org/).
Quite common question “Which bridge to choose dll browser Top?” and we recommend using official resources. To do this:
Turn on the device then start the VPN-client, then copy the bridges from the site, start the TOR-browser, add bridges, select the security level and go to the desired resource. Done. Now we have excellent anonymity on the network from a mobile device.
Authenticator
Two-factor authentication or 2FA code is a method of adding an extra layer of security for your online accounts. Be sure to set up 2FA for your accounts to prevent them from being hacked.
Android customization
By default, Android owners don’t own them completely; the phone you buy is initially limited. Why? For the manufacturer, you’re a dumb user. And the manufacturer likes to pump there a bunch of unnecessary junk in the form of applications, on which he will make a lot of money.
Changing the ID code via Terminal Eimulator For Android
If you can’t figure out where you need to click to enter this command, let’s try it another way. First, you need to get root privileges. Download Terminal Eimulator For Android. Next, the instructions are very simple - enter the command “su”, which means that from now on we go into superuser mode.
A new window opens in front of you, in which you need to enter this: echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,7. your identification code’ /dev/iudio/pttycmdl echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,l0, your identification code’ /dev/radio/pttycmd1.
Most apps that allow you to get both root permissions and change IMEI at the same time, more often than not, don’t work properly and can make the apps worse.
The methods above are guaranteed not to make things worse, even if you enter the wrong code in the command line or fail to get root privileges (however, I strongly recommend that you follow any instructions on how to get root privileges BUTTON IN BUTTON, DO NOT MISS ANYTHING, otherwise you will turn your device into a brick - translator’s note). It is because of the high security that the methods described in this article remain effective even after time. If none of the above methods worked for you, you can simply google how to change IMEI on your device.
Change MAC address
MAC is a unique identifier of a device belonging to one or another system.
You can change MAC address automatically, for this purpose you need to install BusyBox program and Terminal Emulation for Android application, and then perform the following actions:
1 . Launch the terminal and execute the command “su” 2. Allow root permissions, if the corresponding pop-up window appears pop-up window appears; 3. Run the command “busybox iplink show wlan0” and see the valid address; 4. Enter the command busybox ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 1b:4a:5g:55:8e:9E into the line 5. Then change 1b:4a:5g:55:8e:9E to the desired address.
Data deletion
When it comes to the value of confidential information, the questions of ensuring its security and safety immediately come to mind. However, there are also reverse situations, when for some reason, all data stored on storage devices or inside various gadgets should not be saved, but emergency and guaranteed erasure (destruction).
So, we have a persistent knock on the door, masked men in the peephole. To be honest. in apartments there are bells, and in the peephole will be a neighbor who will ask you to help. Probably the first option that comes to mind is to throw the phone out the window, but they know about this technique and it doesn’t work well. Another option that immediately comes to mind is to flush the devices down the drain. Usually this is done with money, but hardly any smartphone can be flushed down the toilet, and sewers have filters…. I’m not considering smashing it with a hammer either. Modern smartphones are not badly protected from shocks, so with a high probability of a small home hammer you will not only not damage the disk, but not even put the phone out of action.
The first way is to use the standard firmware
With this firmware you will often encounter google services that are not necessary and that keep very strict tracking. In fact, practically for “user convenience” was introduced login to all resources through a Gmail account so they way Google is tracking you. Therefore, we will not consider this way. It does not suit us categorically.
The second way is to use non-standard firmware
This is the only correct solution. But before we continue, let’s discuss the theory.
Developer Mode
Go to Settings/About phone/tap the build number 7 times and you will become a developer. And gives us the ability to customize the device and opens the following menu item:
This will allow you to install the firmware via USB
Enable fake location, We will need it for GPS spoofing and hiding our location, for systems and we will move and be in a different place.
Do not turn off the screen while it is in debugging mode.
The names of the items may vary depending on the manufacturer and versions.
VPN
OpenVPN is an open source tool used for building site-to-site VPN networks using SSL\TLS protocol or with shared keys. It acts as a secure tunnel to transfer data through a single TCP\UDP port on an insecure network like the Internet.
It consists of 3 parts
OpenVPN connect is the app that we will use to connect to your VPN server. A minimum of Duble VPN or Wireguard is required to use your mobile device securely.
Blocking traffic bypassing the VPN Net Guard is a software that restricts apps from accessing the internet. Now you don’t have to worry about leaking unnecessary data. Programs that are not allowed to do so will not go online.
TOR
ORBOT is a free program for proxy connections, it allows other applications to use Internet connections more securely. Orbot uses Tor to encrypt Internet traffic, which is then hidden as it is sent across multiple computers in different parts of the world. should only use TOR in conjunction with a VPN.
Geolocation spoofing
Geolocation is the determination of the geographic location of an Internet user.
MOCK LOCATIONS is an application through which you can set a route in any city and anywhere in the world, for your device and those who will try to track your geolocation will display a fake location. Through it you can set any route, speed error, speed itself. You will not just be a static point. but a moving point that looks more believable.
Change IMEI
Changing IMEI via smartphone’s engineering menu
One of the easiest ways to change the ID code of your smartphone is through the engineering menu.
There are many different settings there that can drastically change the way your device works, but we need one function, which can be found in the Connectivity section. The first difficulty is how to get to the engineering menu?
There is no specific combination of buttons or item in the settings menu that will let you into the secret section of Android, so you will have to try to find on the Internet, specifically for your device, how to get into the engineering menu from your smartphone.
For example, for Xiaomi devices you need to enter the combination ##6484###* in the “Phone” application, but on Samsung the combination is slightly different ##8255##.
Since there are too many smartphone models to list all the codes for all models, it will be easier if you find them yourself, how to get into the engineering menu of your manufacturer. You can form a query in a search engine, and the first link will surely point you to the right answer. What do we do in the engineering menu?
Despite the fact that all devices have a partially different engineering menu. descriptions of items are generally similar, and some even coincide. Our task is to find the item in the Connectivity menu, and then find the CDS Information item. In the new window find Radio Information, select the only available phone and see a lot of information about the gadget.
At the very top you can see AT+ and the input field, with which we will interact. So, enter there the following combination: EGMR= 1,7, and your IMEI.
The complete erasure of information from media with no possibility of recovery is commonly referred to as “assured data destruction”
This is used to protect information from leaks, which usually occur when a device is taken out of service or in case of force measure. Data destruction itself can occur with or without damaging (destroying) the media (software methods).
Even after complete deletion of this or that information from the device memory, it does not disappear completely and can be restored using special tools. Before the next operation, we advise you to enable data encryption on your Android device. On different versions the encryption item is in different places, usually in Settings -> Security, Data Encryption, Data Protection, Screen Lock, Encrypt device.
Encryption is needed so that you can’t restore it after deleting data using the following instructions:
In the settings, write the password and click “set”: it is necessary when you open the application and want to change something in it. Now after entering the password incorrectly several times, the phone will turn off and the process of deleting (Data Reset) will begin, after which the smartphone will be as good as new, and you will not be able to restore any data because they were encrypted.
Tips for improving anonymity:
To summarize, TOR has its pros and cons, just like any other way of achieving anonymity today. To be safe, use a VPN in conjunction with TOR to hide your use of the TOR network from your ISP. You first connect to the VPN and then to TOR.
Of course, the probability that the TOR will be traced by the security services and come to your home is quite low.
And remember that good anonymity in the network is achieved not just by using one technology, but by using multi-level protection, which together will close the maximum number of possible gaps in the defense of your anonymity!
Translator’s note: guys, before you criticize this guide on OPSEC moments, remember - it is written for people “off the street” who may have never messed with or been interested in network security at all in their lives. If you want to add to it or correct it (which I doubt very much), feel free to write to me.
Below will be information on how to set up your Android mobile device, how to properly go online from it, and messengers you can use for work.
Safe networking on your mobile device.
In order to maximize your safety when logging on to the network from your mobile device you will need:
Let’s look at each item in more detail:
Smartphone
You can buy on any online market “from hand” I recommend to take a high-capacity battery (preferably from 5000 mAh will come in handy in work and do not need to carry a power bank) and a camera with good autofocus (also will be a plus when working do not need to wait long until the camera will focus for a picture) preferably that the device was running on Android.
With this smartphone do not enter any social networks they save the IMEI of the device from which the entry was made.
Firmware
Official firmware has a huge number of programs that, for one thing, collect a huge amount of information.
You can’t remove it just like that, so the easiest way will be to install custom firmware on your device.
You can choose any of them, the main thing - do not install the program package from GOOGLE, namely gapps. Detailed installation of firmware on your device you can find in the network, usually on the forum “4PDA”. (for Russian-speaking users - translator’s note)
Sim card
We will run all traffic from the device through it. Any device with a SIM card can be tracked in this way, as devices are registered in the network with their IMEI number and constantly keep in touch with the cell tower, theoretically you can see what tower the device is connected to and how far it is from it. Knowing the location of specific towers is not difficult for someone who needs it. And the distance of the user from the tower is measured simply, the stronger the signal, the closer to the tower.
**That’s why we need a device that is not registered to you, so that IMEI and number do not point to you. This is also the case with a SIM card - the police can recognize the owner by the SIM card number. **
IMPORTANT
If you use someone else’s SIM card - your IMEI will not be tracked. However, it is also quite easy to determine - if the IMEI of the smartphone first registered in the network with a SIM card in your name, and then - with a SIM card in another name, it is easy to realize that (with a high probability) both SIM cards are not tracked. you’re the only one using both SIM cards.
THEREFORE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES INSERT YOUR PERSONAL SIM CARD INTO YOUR WORK PHONE.
App store
In order to qto get the programs we need we need a secure app store, and here are a number of those. that you can use:
TOR download the application file from the official site of the project (https://www.torproject.org/).
Quite common question “Which bridge to choose dll browser Top?” and we recommend using official resources. To do this:
Turn on the device then start the VPN-client, then copy the bridges from the site, start the TOR-browser, add bridges, select the security level and go to the desired resource. Done. Now we have excellent anonymity on the network from a mobile device.
Authenticator
Two-factor authentication or 2FA code is a method of adding an extra layer of security for your online accounts. Be sure to set up 2FA for your accounts to prevent them from being hacked.
Android customization
By default, Android owners don’t own them completely; the phone you buy is initially limited. Why? For the manufacturer, you’re a dumb user. And the manufacturer likes to pump there a bunch of unnecessary junk in the form of applications, on which he will make a lot of money.
Changing the ID code via Terminal Eimulator For Android
If you can’t figure out where you need to click to enter this command, let’s try it another way. First, you need to get root privileges. Download Terminal Eimulator For Android. Next, the instructions are very simple - enter the command “su”, which means that from now on we go into superuser mode.
A new window opens in front of you, in which you need to enter this: echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,7. your identification code’ /dev/iudio/pttycmdl echo ‘AT+EGMR=I,l0, your identification code’ /dev/radio/pttycmd1.
Most apps that allow you to get both root permissions and change IMEI at the same time, more often than not, don’t work properly and can make the apps worse.
The methods above are guaranteed not to make things worse, even if you enter the wrong code in the command line or fail to get root privileges (however, I strongly recommend that you follow any instructions on how to get root privileges BUTTON IN BUTTON, DO NOT MISS ANYTHING, otherwise you will turn your device into a brick - translator’s note). It is because of the high security that the methods described in this article remain effective even after time. If none of the above methods worked for you, you can simply google how to change IMEI on your device.
Change MAC address
MAC is a unique identifier of a device belonging to one or another system.
You can change MAC address automatically, for this purpose you need to install BusyBox program and Terminal Emulation for Android application, and then perform the following actions:
1 . Launch the terminal and execute the command “su” 2. Allow root permissions, if the corresponding pop-up window appears pop-up window appears; 3. Run the command “busybox iplink show wlan0” and see the valid address; 4. Enter the command busybox ifconfig wlan0 hw ether 1b:4a:5g:55:8e:9E into the line 5. Then change 1b:4a:5g:55:8e:9E to the desired address.
Data deletion
When it comes to the value of confidential information, the questions of ensuring its security and safety immediately come to mind. However, there are also reverse situations, when for some reason, all data stored on storage devices or inside various gadgets should not be saved, but emergency and guaranteed erasure (destruction).
So, we have a persistent knock on the door, masked men in the peephole. To be honest. in apartments there are bells, and in the peephole will be a neighbor who will ask you to help. Probably the first option that comes to mind is to throw the phone out the window, but they know about this technique and it doesn’t work well. Another option that immediately comes to mind is to flush the devices down the drain. Usually this is done with money, but hardly any smartphone can be flushed down the toilet, and sewers have filters…. I’m not considering smashing it with a hammer either. Modern smartphones are not badly protected from shocks, so with a high probability of a small home hammer you will not only not damage the disk, but not even put the phone out of action.
The first way is to use the standard firmware
With this firmware you will often encounter google services that are not necessary and that keep very strict tracking. In fact, practically for “user convenience” was introduced login to all resources through a Gmail account so they way Google is tracking you. Therefore, we will not consider this way. It does not suit us categorically.
The second way is to use non-standard firmware
This is the only correct solution. But before we continue, let’s discuss the theory.
Developer Mode
Go to Settings/About phone/tap the build number 7 times and you will become a developer. And gives us the ability to customize the device and opens the following menu item:
This will allow you to install the firmware via USB
Enable fake location, We will need it for GPS spoofing and hiding our location, for systems and we will move and be in a different place.
Do not turn off the screen while it is in debugging mode.
The names of the items may vary depending on the manufacturer and versions.
VPN
OpenVPN is an open source tool used for building site-to-site VPN networks using SSL\TLS protocol or with shared keys. It acts as a secure tunnel to transfer data through a single TCP\UDP port on an insecure network like the Internet.
It consists of 3 parts
OpenVPN connect is the app that we will use to connect to your VPN server. A minimum of Duble VPN or Wireguard is required to use your mobile device securely.
Blocking traffic bypassing the VPN Net Guard is a software that restricts apps from accessing the internet. Now you don’t have to worry about leaking unnecessary data. Programs that are not allowed to do so will not go online.
TOR
ORBOT is a free program for proxy connections, it allows other applications to use Internet connections more securely. Orbot uses Tor to encrypt Internet traffic, which is then hidden as it is sent across multiple computers in different parts of the world. should only use TOR in conjunction with a VPN.
Geolocation spoofing
Geolocation is the determination of the geographic location of an Internet user.
MOCK LOCATIONS is an application through which you can set a route in any city and anywhere in the world, for your device and those who will try to track your geolocation will display a fake location. Through it you can set any route, speed error, speed itself. You will not just be a static point. but a moving point that looks more believable.
Change IMEI
Changing IMEI via smartphone’s engineering menu
One of the easiest ways to change the ID code of your smartphone is through the engineering menu.
There are many different settings there that can drastically change the way your device works, but we need one function, which can be found in the Connectivity section. The first difficulty is how to get to the engineering menu?
There is no specific combination of buttons or item in the settings menu that will let you into the secret section of Android, so you will have to try to find on the Internet, specifically for your device, how to get into the engineering menu from your smartphone.
For example, for Xiaomi devices you need to enter the combination ##6484###* in the “Phone” application, but on Samsung the combination is slightly different ##8255##.
Since there are too many smartphone models to list all the codes for all models, it will be easier if you find them yourself, how to get into the engineering menu of your manufacturer. You can form a query in a search engine, and the first link will surely point you to the right answer. What do we do in the engineering menu?
Despite the fact that all devices have a partially different engineering menu. descriptions of items are generally similar, and some even coincide. Our task is to find the item in the Connectivity menu, and then find the CDS Information item. In the new window find Radio Information, select the only available phone and see a lot of information about the gadget.
At the very top you can see AT+ and the input field, with which we will interact. So, enter there the following combination: EGMR= 1,7, and your IMEI.
The complete erasure of information from media with no possibility of recovery is commonly referred to as “assured data destruction”
This is used to protect information from leaks, which usually occur when a device is taken out of service or in case of force measure. Data destruction itself can occur with or without damaging (destroying) the media (software methods).
Even after complete deletion of this or that information from the device memory, it does not disappear completely and can be restored using special tools. Before the next operation, we advise you to enable data encryption on your Android device. On different versions the encryption item is in different places, usually in Settings -> Security, Data Encryption, Data Protection, Screen Lock, Encrypt device.
Encryption is needed so that you can’t restore it after deleting data using the following instructions:
In the settings, write the password and click “set”: it is necessary when you open the application and want to change something in it. Now after entering the password incorrectly several times, the phone will turn off and the process of deleting (Data Reset) will begin, after which the smartphone will be as good as new, and you will not be able to restore any data because they were encrypted.
Tips for improving anonymity:
To summarize, TOR has its pros and cons, just like any other way of achieving anonymity today. To be safe, use a VPN in conjunction with TOR to hide your use of the TOR network from your ISP. You first connect to the VPN and then to TOR.
Of course, the probability that the TOR will be traced by the security services and come to your home is quite low.
And remember that good anonymity in the network is achieved not just by using one technology, but by using multi-level protection, which together will close the maximum number of possible gaps in the defense of your anonymity!
Virtual Private Network - virtual private network
Thanks to VPN it is impossible to calculate what sites you visited, what browser you use, where you are, etc. This gives us the following advantages:
Of course, there are disadvantages of using it:
Periodic breakdown of the VPN connection, suddenly traffic goes out to the public network. Often you may not notice the connection break and data leakage, also VPN connection may not be restored automatically, which is not very safe.
IPv6 (IPv6 is an enhanced version of IPv4) is almost never supported by VPNs. Consequently, when IPv6 is used on a public network and the Internet resource also supports it, traffic will default to the public IPv6 network. To prevent this from happening, you can simply disable IPv6 in the OS.
How does VPN work?
For the sake of simplicity, let’s consider the following example:
Let’s say you’re visiting a website.
During the connection, your computer transmits to the server a lot of small packets carrying information. For example, a request to open a page or confirm the selection of a product, and so on. The client sends a series of requests to the server. The server responds to each of the requests. At the same time, the data is transmitted in an open form.
What happens if you add “encapsulation”?
With encapsulation, one packet will be placed inside another, i.e. the packets will look like this: inside one box there is a smaller box, which contains our request.
Let’s consider the structure of a packet:
The transmitted packets contain several parts. Conventionally, they can be divided into two:
— the payload (the information itself); — service information (sender’s address, etc.).
When one packet is encapsulated into another packet, the entire encapsulated packet becomes the payload of the other packet.
Without explanation, it may be difficult to understand what I am talking about, so let’s imagine a box divided into two parts: one part contains the service information and the other part contains the payload.
Now one packet has started transmitting another packet. But how will the web server realize that this was encapsulation?
And he does not need to! This “shell” removes the VPN-server, and the web-server (site), which you wanted to visit, will get the packet in its original form.
Accordingly, the procedure of processing the packet when the server responds is in reverse order: the packet goes to the VPN-server, where it is packed and transmitted to the device, where it is already unpacked by the VPN client. And only after that you see the server’s response in the browser.
But this raises a logical question: is this supposed to protect us from eavesdropping?
Of course not, because an encapsulated packet is very easy to extract back. That’s why the second basis of VPN is encryption. The point is that with encapsulation, all payload that is encapsulated in another packet is fully encrypted. That is, now even if you extract the packet back, it will be impossible to know what exactly you sent and where.
Encryption is a process that converts data in such a way that only a computer with the right key can convert it back into a readable form. For everyone else, the data will remain in a completely meaningless form. With a VPN, the computers at each end of the VPN tunnel encrypt the data sent into the tunnel and decrypt the data coming out of the tunnel at the other end.
But applying VPN encryption requires more than just a key pair.
VPN protocols
VPN protocol is a set of rules that both client and server follow to establish a secure connection between them. It is the VPN protocol that determines how the secure tunnel between the client and the server is actually formed and functions. Depending on the protocol, a VPN can have different speeds, features and vulnerabilities, most VPN providers will let you choose which one you would like to use.
Here is a table of the most common VPN protocols:
Open source, sufficient security, and works on almost all VPN-enabled devices. It is well tested and remains the best option among all the options offered.
IKEv2 / lPSec. IKEv2 is a newer closed-source VPN protocol. It’s secure, fairly fast, and can easily handle network changes. Which makes it an ideal protocol for mobile devices that switch from WIFI to mobile network and vice versa.
l2TP / lPSec;
The protocol is currently quite outdated and has a number of security flaws. When used with an AES cipher it is generally considered secure, but there is speculation that the protocol has been compromised by the NSA.
A closed-source protocol. It was developed by Microsoft and is based on SSL 3.0, which, by the way, is vulnerable to the Poodle MITM attack, which is why it is better to prefer another protocol.
It is definitely not worth using. It has been compromised for a long time and it can take minutes to hack it.
This is the newest protocol to date. It is very promising as it strives to be secure and user-friendly. However, there has been no stable release so far. Therefore, this protocol is still experimental. (Remember, the guide was released about 4-5 years ago - translator’s note).
Encryption
VPN protocols create a tunnel by securely connecting the client to the server, and ciphers are used directly to encrypt the transmitted information.
Encryption and decryption is based on the knowledge of the key. Without it, it is very difficult to decrypt information. In some countries, intelligence services even have the right to force private companies to disclose information about their clients. Of course, this applies to all logs on the company’s servers.
At the same time, the company has no right to talk about the fact that the government agencies have received such a request.Simply put, we can say that there is a double compulsion: first the company is forced to give all the necessary information, and then to keep silent.
VPN should be rented in the country where the legal field in the field of information privacy is strongly developed. The country itself should not have international cooperation with more intrusive “jurisdictions”. Among other things, it is desirable that in the country where the VPN provider is based, it is also desirable that there are no precedents for the prosecution and arrest of citizens based on the history of their browsers.
Ideal and candidates for the listed requirements can be considered:
Cayman Islands, Panama, Seychelles, Switzerland, British Virgin Islands, etc.
Do the servers save your logs?
This is a very important question!
When you use the service of any VPN-provider, you trust it with all the information about yourself: what sites you visit, what requests you make, etc. (also do not forget about your real IP address) (also do not forget about your real IP address)
And now, let’s assume a situation in which the VPN-provider passes the information to third parties. What is the point of using it then? After all, it turns out that we could absolutely work the same way without VPN, but at the same time do not fill ourselves with false confidence in their security.
Before choosing a provider, you MUST familiarize yourself with the information that he collects about you: whether he saves your logs, LP address and other data. If yes - then you realize that it is not the best choice.
What information should not be collected by the VPN provider?
It should not log the following information:
Conclusion:
The above information will fully help you in choosing a good VPN service. You should also realize that VPN is not a panacea, which only by its work on your device can hide you and your actions in the network and make you completely anonymous.
Your provider sees that you are using a VPN anyway.
VPN protocols
VPN protocol is a set of rules that both client and server follow to establish a secure connection between them. It is the VPN protocol that determines how the secure tunnel between the client and the server is actually formed and functions. Depending on the protocol, a VPN can have different speeds, features and vulnerabilities, most VPN providers will let you choose which one you would like to use.
Here is a table of the most common VPN protocols:
Open source, sufficient security, and works on almost all VPN-enabled devices. It is well tested and remains the best option among all the options offered.
IKEv2 / lPSec. IKEv2 is a newer closed-source VPN protocol. It’s secure, fairly fast, and can easily handle network changes. Which makes it an ideal protocol for mobile devices that switch from WIFI to mobile network and vice versa.
l2TP / lPSec;
The protocol is currently quite outdated and has a number of security flaws. When used with an AES cipher it is generally considered secure, but there is speculation that the protocol has been compromised by the NSA.
A closed-source protocol. It was developed by Microsoft and is based on SSL 3.0, which, by the way, is vulnerable to the Poodle MITM attack, which is why it is better to prefer another protocol.
It is definitely not worth using. It has been compromised for a long time and it can take minutes to hack it.
This is the newest protocol to date. It is very promising as it strives to be secure and user-friendly. However, there has been no stable release so far. Therefore, this protocol is still experimental. (Remember, the guide was released about 4-5 years ago - translator’s note).
Encryption
VPN protocols create a tunnel by securely connecting the client to the server, and ciphers are used directly to encrypt the transmitted information.
Encryption and decryption is based on the knowledge of the key. Without it, it is very difficult to decrypt information. In some countries, intelligence services even have the right to force private companies to disclose information about their clients. Of course, this applies to all logs on the company’s servers.
At the same time, the company has no right to talk about the fact that the government agencies have received such a request.Simply put, we can say that there is a double compulsion: first the company is forced to give all the necessary information, and then to keep silent.
VPN should be rented in the country where the legal field in the field of information privacy is strongly developed. The country itself should not have international cooperation with more intrusive “jurisdictions”. Among other things, it is desirable that in the country where the VPN provider is based, it is also desirable that there are no precedents for the prosecution and arrest of citizens based on the history of their browsers.
Ideal and candidates for the listed requirements can be considered:
Cayman Islands, Panama, Seychelles, Switzerland, British Virgin Islands, etc.
Do the servers save your logs?
This is a very important question!
When you use the service of any VPN-provider, you trust it with all the information about yourself: what sites you visit, what requests you make, etc. (also do not forget about your real IP address) (also do not forget about your real IP address)
And now, let’s assume a situation in which the VPN-provider passes the information to third parties. What is the point of using it then? After all, it turns out that we could absolutely work the same way without VPN, but at the same time do not fill ourselves with false confidence in their security.
Before choosing a provider, you MUST familiarize yourself with the information that he collects about you: whether he saves your logs, LP address and other data. If yes - then you realize that it is not the best choice.
What information should not be collected by the VPN provider?
It should not log the following information:
Conclusion:
The above information will fully help you in choosing a good VPN service. You should also realize that VPN is not a panacea, which only by its work on your device can hide you and your actions in the network and make you completely anonymous.
Your provider sees that you are using a VPN anyway.
As you know, an insecure password can easily ruin all your future efforts to protect your data, and as a consequence, will not end well for you. In this article we would like to reveal the main points of how to make a strong password, and how such passwords should be stored, as well as what mistakes are best to avoid when creating a password.
Using strong passwords is far from being as simple an issue as it may seem at first glance. And, although most of you know the basic requirements for a strong password, you usually forget about them, preferring a strong password to a simple and easy-to-remember one.
High level of importance.
For especially important sites, cryptocurrencies and wallets. Let’s imagine that you have four such passwords. The first, second and third can serve as passwords to decrypt the flash drive and the information on it, as well as to decrypt the information on the second data storage (the third password will open access to the “double bottom”). And the fourth password to gain access to the rest of the passwords in the password manager of normal importance.
Warning:
High-value passwords should only be stored in your head and be as secure as possible!
Requirements for a strong password:
The secret part of a password
Let’s imagine a situation: the authorities got access to your password messenger or a text document with passwords, whether by force or trickery. They are happy that the case was quickly closed, copy 1 password, try to enter and … the password is wrong. They try another one and … he also does not fit, the third - and … again an error!
How is this possible?
Very simple: you need to come up with a static part of the password, which will always go either at the beginning or at the end of any of your passwords.
The static part should be simple and easy to remember for you, for example, hydra20l5. But without entering this part of the password, which is only in your head, no saved password will work. You may find it a little difficult to keep entering the secret part of the password all the time, but this difficulty is COMPENSATED by security.
Tips: I’d like to let you in on a few little secrets that will help make your password significantly more secure against threats such as bruteforce password mining using special programs: password peeking (when an attacker tries to peek at the combination you enter); forensic analysis; or simply unauthorized physical access to your device.
1. Use special characters to protect against password mining When talking about special characters, we usually mean the &^*/"^$#@)_|/ keyboard characters, but in fact there are many more special characters and some of them can only be entered using special characters (these are so-called non-printing characters).
Most password cracking programs use only standard special characters, so they will be obviously powerless against your password. Even if the program can check the characters you use, it is hardly realizable in practice: such programs are too rare, and the presence of special characters in a password makes the process of searching all possible variants too complicated.
2.Use the zero-width character It is almost invisible to the eye, but most systems are sensitive to it. When you add this character to your password, it becomes virtually unselectable. But there is a disadvantage: not all systems are sensitive to the zero-width character, so this method will not work everywhere.
Hashing is more about reliability than preventing an attack on the storage.
On the next page we will need to choose how much space the storage will take up. My recommendation on this is simple - the smaller the better. Ideally, the size of the repository should not exceed the average file size of the folder you have chosen to store. Specify the size in kilobytes, no real file has a clear 50, 60 or 81 MB size.
And I strongly discourage making storage larger than 30 mb. Files larger than this size will be checked with 99 percent probability, secondly, a 2 GB file will be like a red rag for a bull for a forensics specialist. As a consequence, an anal decryptor (aka soldering iron — translator note) will knock into your life. You’ll ask, how do I store a lot of files then. The answer is simple: use multiple storages. As an example, one vault that you know the password for by heart stores a file with passwords from other vaults that already contain your files.
Now let’s consider such a thing as PIM PIM acts in this case as a 2-factor authentication, that is, without knowing PIM it will be impossible to open the storage. And even if you know that PIM is used, but do not know it, it will increase the time of decryption of the container.
Key file I also recommend using this method when encrypting in combination with PIM, breaking the vault becomes an unrealistic task. The key file can be any file on your computer or on any storage medium. Without knowing what kind of file it is, it is impossible to open the vault if the file is edited. It will also be impossible to open the vault using it. After the password, PIM and file are selected. It is necessary to choose the type of file system in which it will be mounted. here you can leave FAT, or the system in which your container will be opened.
Finally, the process of creating the storage begins. In the course of which it is necessary to move the mouse inside the window, the more actively you do it, the better. As soon as the loading bar fills up, click “Format” and we will see a message that the storage has been successfully mounted. After that we will be offered to create a new storage, if necessary, we create it, if not, we click exit.
Now let’s open our first storage.
Once the vault is mounted, you will be able to see it on your desktop. After you have used the vault, click “Dismount” on the main page of the application and the vault will be encrypted again. If you use several storages, press the “Dismount all” button.
Hidden storage In the last article we looked at the process of creating a regular encrypted crypto vault. Now we’re going to look at how to make it so if your vault does get found, and you’re put to the test with a thermorectal cryptodecrypto. Let’s look at the second bottom. Proving that a vault has a second bottom is virtually impossible, except for a number of things.
Editing the container With the help of special programs, you can see when the container was last opened. And the last time the files it contains were edited.
Example: The container was opened today, but the files that are in the storage you gave the key to were edited six months ago. Therefore, this situation will raise suspicions that a second bottom is present and the thermorectal decryption will continue.
Solution: Open your fake vault more often and edit and open files from it, this procedure does not take so much time, but the vault does not look so suspicious and can be considered real.
It is very easy to get caught on the fact that in the storage, from which you gave info there is all sorts of slag in the form of photos, videos and music. Those who will analyze the data, and even the most obtuse cop will realize that it’s a fuck-up. And the search for the truth will continue, just like your torture.
Solution: put valuable information into this container, but not too much: logins and passwords from social networks, data on empty cryptocurrency wallets.
It is not necessary to make the size of the second bottom all 65% of the maximum size of the storage. The smaller the better. This will reduce the chances of the vault being detected. You don’t need to make the password too simple, make it complex and use PIM for plausibility. A password that is too simple will raise more suspicions than you might think. In the hidden volume besides the PIM using a key file.
Don’t give away the password to the fake vault right away. Get nervous, endure a few bumps, let those trying to gain access start spewing threats. Pretend it scares you. And hand over the key to the fake vault. If you give it up right away, that’s the same as you saying you had it.
Now that we’ve talked about the things you should pay attention to when creating a hidden volume, let’s get down to creating it.
Creating hidden storage
Done, the hidden vault is storage.
Now when you select an encrypted file, you can enter your hidden vault by entering the password, PIM and file key. Or you can open your fake vault by entering the password and PIM from it.
Section skipped due to country specifics of cryptocurrency exchange in Russia. We can only say that XRM-BTC exchange and all its derivative variations is the best way to anonymize your funds. Choose services that do not have KYC (in Russia it is easier because there is a whole industry of exchange services that are located inside marketplaces and will not ask you for verification - translator’s note).
Yes, our industry is so brazen that we can afford to buy bank cards registered to dropships and withdraw cash that way. But, knowing how much Dread advocates for security, I strongly discourage this method.
All legends should be made up by you personally, because if some of them were described here and you used them, it could be a reference point. I suggest using something simple and uninteresting to deepen the conversation. On the likes of cashier, loader, accountant, food delivery person, SMM manager, etc. It all depends on your age, skills and understanding of any of these specialties, you can just use a legend from an old job, because as a rule, in the drug trade comes people who have already been disappointed in the legal ways of enrichment. And all the experience, acquaintances, funny cases and stories will not have to make up will just pull everything out of the “piggy bank” :).
The work you are doing, in the first days and weeks can cause panic attacks, fear, exacerbate procrastination and even cause panic attacks. This is something to avoid, because an uncertain person who is constantly looking around and fidgeting attracts much more attention than people who are confidently walking somewhere. In order to overcome the uncertainty in their own strength and to find the necessary psychological mood. For this purpose we have prepared for you two simple psychological practices, the effectiveness of which has been tested. Remember - do them while you are sober and if you don’t feel like doing anything at all, if you feel self-loathing or if you are going to postpone your work for some time, then remember about these practices, because it is a very good time to do them immediately. You only need 10-15 minutes of time to do these practices without distractions.
Practice #1 - Calming This practice aims to increase the concentration of oxygen in the blood by “lower abdominal” breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.
Exhale slowly.
Repeat 10 times, each time curling your finger, keeping your attention on your breathing.
Practice #2 - Action This practice helps to overcome the “mental pain threshold”, which prevents a person from starting to do certain actions. By means of controlled reliving of the moment when you did these or those actions regardless of your own unwillingness to do them, you “overload” your nervous system with controlled stress and the defense mechanisms of the psyche, which normally protect you from dangers, and in this case are the source of stress are weakened and you can soberly and calmly get down to work. Releasing the great potential of strength and attention, previously used by the psyche for stress.
Before you start practicing, you need to remember the moment when you overcame your own unwillingness to do something and did it. What is needed is an act of willful effort on your part. The more vivid it is, the better. It can be the experience of stress, when you were afraid and nervous to do something dangerous. Or tired after a hard physical labor after resting rose further to perform actions. If you can’t remember such events at all, it will be enough to remember waking up in the morning to work/university in winter.
From the whole memory, which it is recommended to “replay” from the beginning, in as much detail as possible, you should stop at the moment of maximum tension and struggle with your own unwillingness to act. More often than not, this is the moment when the movement begins. When you reach this moment in your memory, you will have to replay this moment constantly. It can be compared to an insect stuck in amber - a moment of tension becomes an eternity. And your goal is to memorize the moment of that overcoming, not the muscle tension. Some people describe this practice as feeling frozen in time by an arrow that has just been fired. After half a minute or a little more, the psychological tension will begin to manifest itself in muscle tension caused by reflexive twitching of the limbs.
Try to hold this state for a minute or two. This is enough to start with. You can repeat this practice as many times as you like.