It's sad that nowadays just wanting to have privacy is somehow seen as doing something wrong. This is nothing you should be ashamed of simply because you have right to be secured in your articles and belongings. Great video.
Yeah, and use cash only. Unregistered SIM cards, fake IDs, multiple passports with different names🙃. Yeah bro privacy for sure. That’s why Feds are suspicious. Why would you be private if you have nothing to hide mentality.
I think what you are best at is showing the hardware side of cyber security, keep that up, I love the style you have with the glow in the dark, looks really neat.
For those not technically inclined on the hardware side, or those that don't want the hassle of tearing up a laptop, you can do the exact same thing using a THIN CLIENT like the HP T620 or similar thin clients. They don't have a camera or microphone. Obviously not as portable, but the idea is still there, and they only pull 15 watts of power at idle. :)
@@GhostStrats Just a suggestion, make a video showing a setup of a thin client, they are dirt cheap on Ebay, RAM is easily upgradable and inexpensive as they usually use SODIMM. A second suggestion... for people who aren't hackers, but ARE concerned about privacy, make a video explaining from a "noob" point of view, the differences in stealth OSs, what makes one better than another, how to use TOR safely, again, through the eyes of a new viewer who wants to be safe and anonymous, so it would need to be a step by step tutorial, it might be long or in multiple parts, but it would help a lot of people. I have 35 years in IT, I am too tired and in ill health to make videos myself, but it would be great if you ran with it. :)
You know the most loved thing about your content is my brother, is your intuitive way of explaining key information. You are helping all of us grow with you, and your hardware engineering is magnificent. Nothing needs to look good it just needs to work, and in some cases be practical. Damn I almost forgot to mention that it’s nice to snip extra wire incase you wanted to setup a remote device for ta… I mean home security. :)
@@GhostStrats I have a question though. You say nothing is stored on the device but Im guessing this doesnt include hardware unique identifiers like a CPU cause they (im guessing) are stored in the same place where the BIOS is stored? This could technically mean you could be identified still, but it would make it a LOT harder?
maybe you are missing something, the bios chip are completely vulnerable, you might have in this project the coreboot technologies in the bios chip programming. there are some another vulnerabilities in certain board modules too. thanks for the video and greetings from argetina
DNS leaks, HARDWARE MACS, WIFI TRIAGULATIONS, and ANY networks that the adapter has ALREADY connected to will be a crumb trail! He's trying hard to sound "TECHY"
I am concerned that hardware ID's, the permanent MAC or other serialized unique identifiers could still be compromised through low level hardware-layer attacks, or other lower parts of the TCP/IP stack. And just end-run Tails. It HAS happened before. And from the perspective of a single individual, even one completely comitted 100% to the pursuit, and with an extremely (unlikely, but playsible) skill level, arguably cannot "know" or contain complete end to end knowledge of security, at all layers. Obviously, there's the "best effort" and "good enough" and chasing 100% certainty really means: "Just do nothing and don't even connect online." But... if there's any known hardware and chips, or whole devices even that omit uniqe serials & ID's completely that's even better. And ideally the mfg. did it to "be lazy/cheap" rather than "secure/anonymous." Because you can inherently trust that better. As I'm thinking of those FBI honeypot ANOM phones, that they deliberately sold as open-source encrypted & secure marketed to criminals. An extreme case & hyperbole, but conveys the idea. Deliberately marketing things to subvert security (theirs) & provide anonymity, is a target for for being compromised at the root. While random "cheap & lazy" omissions of ID & surveillance tech & DRM is at least statistically random.
@6:16 DUDE, DONT APOLOGIZE OR MAKE DISCLAIMERS ABOUT PRIVACY.. WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO ENSURE OUR PRIVACY IS LOOKED AT WITH SCRUTINY LIKE WE'RE UP TO SOMETHING ILLEGAL OR CRIMINAL.. DONT MAKE DISCLAIMERS ABOUT THIS.. TELL PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR PRIVACY BACK AND BE A STRONG ADVOCATOR FOR PRIVACY RIGHTS..
You can usually disable the microphone and camera by unplugging them from the mainboard. You can also buy a cheap WiFi dongle, and use that instead of the internal card. For about $25, you have disposable OS and WiFi.
@@behaviortech1080 Tails has a built-in startup script that does MAC spoofing but I still would not use any piece of tech that has been touched before in some way or ever connected to anything. You would also wanna by the computer with cash and pay someone homeless or unknown to you to pick it up if you are extremely paranoid. You could also NEVER use it on your home network or any locations near where you live as that's one of the first locations to be investigated
A camera / microphone can be practical sometimes, what you could do instead is just instead of cutting a wire, you could for example add a switch to the ground of both of theses components, thus separating them from the computer but they can still be used as needed
@@papastuffy this went over your head. If you're making a laptop like this, you DO NOT use a mic/webcam with it. You use a mic/webcam with your "normal" laptop. There is absolutely no need for a webcam/mic for this setup. That's how people get jammed up
the negative comments are hilarious. and very wrong. especially the bad opsec one. ummmm, security is in the name. and this is securing the components of the device that are at risk. why remove a tool from your tool box before you go to do a job? it's just overkill to take it out when you can secure it from the rest of the device. would you take the battery out of a car or add some sort of physical SHUT OFF switch between the battery and the motor? hmmm...
Yes and no. But if you’re already taking precautions to stay hidden (such precautions ran off of the drive) then yes. This laptop will not make you invisible however. I emphasize. This Laptop Won’t Keep You 100% hidden
I dont know if youre aware of the Van Eck phreaking which is related to TEMPEST (Telecommunications Electronics Materials Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions), where every electronic device that is powered on can by spied upon from a distance using an antenna and special radio receivers revealing whats on the screen of the target. The technique works on pc monitors , old crt tvs, smart tvs(works better), smartphones , SHIELDED usb and hdmi cables (and pretty much any other cable that carries information digital or analogue) and even air gapped machines, and the signal can be received from tens of meters up to hundreds of meters. Scary stuff if you ask me.
So wouldn't the boot drive that you use, as a flash drive, be corrupted after so many unplugs? I mean it is a boot drive.. but its also a flash drive so mi sure it'd have safe-unplug on it. I'm just a little concerned about the whole corruptibility for the drive. Also, I was wondering if there isn't anything traceable on the laptop, wouldn't there be a bunch of traceable things on the flash drive? I mean there isn't nothing wrong with resetting the flash drive with a clean install every time but still its not entirely 100% untraceable
Only data that is retrievable possible… if storage device is removed but device is not powered down… RAM, if I remember correctly phantom like data can be retrieved from live RAM. Other forensic data would obviously be the NIC(s)… this can be worked around by using a usb WiFi or LAN NIC(?)
MAC addresses, wifi network triangulations and RAM YES all snitches on his "GHOTS PC". Not to mention DNS leaks and there are lists of ways to find this device.
@@PedroKing99 what programs would I be looking for to run the siloed container OS? And what do you mean No access to the physical host? 😂 sorry if that’s airheaded I’m not into tech that much, that’s why I thought stripping down laptops to minimize info is the way
I really like it to see your video. I did it before with instructions from other people but if I think like I’m new to this stuff, I would only need this video to do it.
@SilverTester sound waves act against the speakercone which moves the voice coil back n forth through the magnetic field of the speakers permanent magnet which causes a ac current to be induced into the voice coil which which can be translated into audio reproduction of whatever sound was strong enough to move the cone...
@@umop3plsdn you say it like its the most normal thing to do in a computer. Maybe mine is retarded, cuz the speakers never show as an option for input. In none of the dozen computers i had over the years. Maybe i should start using my monitor as a webcam.
That is an incredibly cool concept. The first thing that came to my mind was the Framework laptops to "natively" support this - just buy the laptop without internal storage and have a couple of storage expansion slots to boot from, with whatever OS you prefer. Any thoughts on that?
Thank you very much for telling me this. I’m gonna look into framework laptops. And I don’t seem like a good idea, but the whole idea is if it was to get compromised anyway if you were to leave it somewhere, you don’t want anything that has any data to store at all. The concept for this device is more or less a burner laptop. It all for educational purposes only this is an experiment that I wanted to try.
@@GhostStrats If you don't know Framework I would suggest you look into them, it's worthwhile just for the concept behind their laptop. Basically you get a configurable laptop with 4 USB-C expansion slots where you can plug in whatever you want (there are already pre-made modules from Framework but I saw some custom one made already). The idea was to have one of the storage expansion module be the bootable drive with Tails, Kali or any other OS all self-contained just like in the USB stick used in this experiment, with no other storage at all in the laptop. Without that expansion module it would basically be a burner laptop, with the additional benefit of having bigger (this is arguably not a benefit) and faster storage while also being able to also use the laptop as a "normal" laptop, as you can just install Windows (or any other OS you daily drive) in another module and use it when needed. TL,DR: you make one module a live OS installation to run just like if it was in a USB stick and another module with a properly installed OS that acts as your daily driver
What about you MAC address? It is always interrogated by websites. How do we reprogram it or block it? Where do we find a secure source of Tails Linux? Knowing about the camera and microphone I have added switches to turn them off but what about the speakers? Theoretically a speaker works like a dynamic microphone but with a different impedance. I could be quite possible for manufacturers to place a circuit within the laptop that would allow the speakers to double as microphones knowing that most secure conscious individuals would disable or remove the microphone. There would not be a way to use the speakers as microphones however if they are playing music at the same time.
There is one issue with this (with tails) where it doesnt flush your V-RAM so whatever is on your screen at the time you eject the USB can possibly be recovered in chunks, so just be aware of that. (unless this is fixed, idk if its outdated but still good to know)
It's a cool project. I'm curious how is that different than just booting up tails from usb stick. I understand the camera being cut but why the hard drive ?
This can be compromised. Just because it deletes everything off the computer in the end because of it saving to ram doesn’t mean anything when you’re putting a memory stick in it that can have malicious software injected into it by operating system vulnerabilities. On top of that it doesn’t protect your IP, Device footprint/fingerprint. Also if the FEDs get your USB welp there ya go. With a compromise memory unit that you said it basically the whole computer. Every time you plug it in to run it can exploit your location
Swap out the bt/wifi if you've previously used that machine, or if the source of the machine can be traced back to you i.e. you got it from someone you know, or can identify you.
Thought I remember reading that there is a very small window of info when you shut down your computer that ram does save a kinda last state type thing, and if you shut off while say looking at an unsavoury page that is burned in and forensics can find that
So other than the microphone, camera, and hard drive, that's all you need to remove, the rest is just untouched? Also, how do you get or make one of those usb chips or drives?
some things can be saved to either the cpu gpu and even the bios in some cases some advanced viruss can store them selves on those components wich are very tricky to fix so the might be an issue
Bought a real nice older thinkpad off eBay for $45 and it already had the hard drive stripped. I keep it with a tails usb and it runs perfect off that then when I’m done, unplug and there’s NOTHING on that computer to even boot up to.
This is great in terms of hardware, but it's not really practical when it comes to some machines. Dell laptops always had unobtrusive mode and kernel level option to disable cam/mic/wwan/other. Some ThinkPads had physical kill switches and some other manufacturers have complete privacy integrations with options. I know bios/UEFI level stuff can have vulnerabilities/backdoors, but there's always a solution for them.
Rip the camera and audio out, if you can install libreboot/coreboot on it and install qubes OS as the main os then make sure to follow opsec as you go... Its really sad we have to do this much just to not get seen by a government agency
You would have to create a 32-bits PowerPC port of Tails, and a one that can accommodate systems with less that 2GB of RAM. Possible in theory because everything is open source, but good luck with that.
Hardware back door in the CPU. IIRC, The most recent Intel CPU not backdoored in this was the Intel Atom series built around 2009-2013. Until you deal with that issue, all you're really doing is down grading a laptop and giving yourself a false sense of security.
I disagree. This is supposed to be a burner type laptop where everything that you need is in that flash drive. Almost as if it’s a thin client. Nothing should be stored anywhere. Everything will be operating off temporary memory.
@@GhostStrats "Intel Active Management Technology" is *hardware and firmware* for remote out-of-band management of select business computers,[1][2] running on the Intel Management Engine, a microprocessor subsystem *not exposed to the user, intended for monitoring*, maintenance, updating, and repairing systems.[1] Its on wikipedia. You could be monitored in real time from the hardware level without your knowledge. becasue you disable the camera and microphone they might not see you face of hear you voice, but a third party could see everything you're doing on that laptop.
Depending on how you type, like how your fingers press each key can also identify you. With the rise of AI companies can do keyboard typing forensic profiles on individuals now. Scary stuff out there…
@@victorygarden556 Raspberry Pi has "binary blobs" which is unknown proprietary driver code inside it, so you don't know whats in there, ie not secure.
But can you accuality save anything on one of these SD cards?, Like you do your idk paper work and it stays there even after turning off the laptop or unplugging the drive?
You've missed a couple of important points. Firstly, you totally can read the ram after removing the usb stick by taking out the memory sticks and cooling them and then reading them in another device. Secondly, there are various techniques to monitor a screen without being actually present nearby. Thirdly, think things might be stored that you don't want in the IME and/or UEFI and/or other possibly existing management systems. And what about buffers, like a keyboard buffer?!!
What would happen incase the ram is taken to recover the data ? How long the data lasts in it ? There are forensic software ka on recover operation only.
May wanna advise against the Stream series. Some have emmc which is soldered on and cannot be easily removed without damaging the computer to an unusable point.
what about MAC address obfuscation. is there a wifi card that will allow you to change your MAC address ever time you disconnect or reconnect to a hotspot?
That's not the part you have to worry about. It is unencrypted hardware signatures. Your motherboard has an identification which is sent in your handshake packets. Not just about MAC or IP spoofing. You have to spoof EVERYTHING.
Hi but your next video could be about doing a ghost phone or/and a phone that is untraceable smart phone or old phone thanks for it man and you the best
@@GhostStrats I was thinking about serial numbers on the BIOS that could been exposed somehow and trace de notebook in some way. Very nice video by the way, cool channel too. Cheers.
If I get what you’re saying, all you have to do is turn off persistence when it comes to network storage every time you connect it’ll forget what network you connected to if you set it up that way
also i guess you could desing maybe with a rpi pico or a arduino nano a simple flash drive that allow for storage but like just with a press of a button it just replace every bit of the drive to nonsense.
Technically it’s possible to freeze information in the ram. I read somewhere that some hacker got busted when he was unable to pull out the flash drive and the feds or whoever froze ram with liquid nitrogen and recovered the info from it later.
The cpu is the brain of the laptop, where each instruction is executed. Without it, you wouldn't be able to do anything. The gpu is usually used to draw things on the screen. On laptops, you may have a weak integrated gpu, but that is still required (Because drawing graphics with a CPU is a lot slower, and the CPU would get more load to work on). Mind you, in some CPU cases, like the AMD Threadripper, no integrated gpu is found, which means that you must install a gpu yourself, if you want to see the screen.
You can buy a raspberry pi and boot from a usb. Tails as he says in the video is the go to for these situations. You better learn A LOT prior to doing ANYTHING illegal or you'll have plenty of time day and night in the clink thinking how you got caught!
wait when you say once the computers turned of nothing saves does that count for apps? sorry if stupid question td found this really intrestin and wanna get into it haha
If you're handy enough, you can install a switch on the mic and camera +5v (+3v?) lines. Also, I'm not sure if tails fixed this yet, but even after shutdown, memory can be frozen and read using compressed air. So beware that it could hold data in RAM unpowered for a while. Law enforcement knows this and if they're after you for data, a fast shutdown might not save you.
@@TheTubejunkyGenerally if you pull out the usb drive running tails os from the machine, it triggers an immediate secure shutdown. It's meant to be like a ripchord, so as soon as you pull the usb drive it starts wiping the RAM using using sdmem so you will leave no trace. It might corrupt some files on the persistent storage but your data will be safe since the entire ram is overwritten with random data several times to prevent memory dump attacks. Well at least that what they say.
There are some very rare virus that can infect motherboards (even without a hard drive). Malware planted in the UEFI firmware image is not only difficult to identify but is also extremely persistent as it cannot be removed by reinstalling the operating system or by replacing the storage drive.
I dont know much about this stuff, but i have a question. If you have removed your camera and HDD, but whenever you browse the net wont they be able to find you IP or Mac address? like in mot knowledgeable in this so if you can explain this then thank you.
Do people ever use their laptop cameras? Are there laptops out there that don't come with a camera or microphone? I know for a fact they dont update their camera hardware every year like crazy like phone manufacturers do. They just slap on the cheapest possible option, but if customers dont care about cameras wouldnt it be even cheaper to just not add any camera??
It costs significantly LESS to have no user selectable options during the sale for any computer; if there is only one configuration, then it's super simple to maintain stock; so most manufacturers include the camera/microphone because many want the option; and it costs more to produce two models - one with and one without webcam/microphone. In bulk, the cheapest webcam/microphone probably costs like 3 to 5 cents total; it'd costs way, way more for the manufacturer to have to stock multiple configurations. My super-cheap N100 laptop comes with a webcam that is so poor of video quality; quality reminds me of cell phone video from the early 2000's.. But it ticks the mark : Included web camera.. My guess is that many folks want a web cam over not, so, even a P.O.S. webcam is good enough; Most that don't want it can simply not use it, or disable it in device manager. The webcam is good enough for work meetings, to give to your kid, or to your grandparents. No user selectable options during sale simply means lower price.. Everyone wants to pay less.. FWIW: We have bosses at work that want the webcams on during every meeting: Why ? It forces participation; it stops those attending from just muting themselves while they go take a nap, do the dishes, or other tasks if working from home; it also keeps some employees from working other tasks during the meetings; literally discourages doing other stuff than participating in the meeting...
the video is for people like who want a privacy device that actually is fully private and not has any kind of data from you every time you use reuse it Qubes os would be the best choice for normal people that want mostly the same privacy just without completely ripping the laptop apart
@@tracesmith3572 you mean they get their mac address? that's nothing. it's not something you can identify or trace. it's only relevant if you have a sample list to compare to.
The MAC address (Media Access Control address) is stored in the hardware of a network interface controller (NIC), typically in the firmware of the device. But you can manipulate and change that too. It’s not that hard. Here are some programs and tools that can help you change or spoof your MAC address: Technitium MAC Address Changer: A user-friendly tool for Windows that allows you to easily change your MAC address. MAC Address Changer: A lightweight program for Windows that provides a simple interface for MAC address modification. Linux Command Line: You can use commands like ifconfig or ip link set to change your MAC address on Linux systems. macchanger: A command-line utility specifically designed for changing MAC addresses on Linux. Spoof MAC Address (Android): An app that allows MAC address spoofing on rooted Android devices. ⚠️Always use these tools responsibly and in accordance with the law.⚠️
It's hardware MAC is on the WIFI chip installed in that laptop. You can buy and use other chipsets/USB adapters like Alpha brand but one and done use if your being a bad boy! Don't think it can't be traced because it can. one use and toss unless your already a glowie.
@@GhostStrats TailsOS has a built-in startup script that spoofs the MAC but like thetubejunky said, you can't cahnge the "burned in" address from the manufacturer and if that is found out and you used your bank card or CC to buy that computer, you just got burned
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
It's sad that nowadays just wanting to have privacy is somehow seen as doing something wrong. This is nothing you should be ashamed of simply because you have right to be secured in your articles and belongings.
Great video.
Yeah, and use cash only. Unregistered SIM cards, fake IDs, multiple passports with different names🙃. Yeah bro privacy for sure. That’s why Feds are suspicious. Why would you be private if you have nothing to hide mentality.
If you’re goin to this length you are clearly hiding something.
@@PromptshotSilence FED!
@@budderman3rd lul he’s not wrong
@@cube22111 silence FED
I think what you are best at is showing the hardware side of cyber security, keep that up, I love the style you have with the glow in the dark, looks really neat.
For those not technically inclined on the hardware side, or those that don't want the hassle of tearing up a laptop, you can do the exact same thing using a THIN CLIENT like the HP T620 or similar thin clients. They don't have a camera or microphone. Obviously not as portable, but the idea is still there, and they only pull 15 watts of power at idle. :)
Very good point!
@@GhostStrats Just a suggestion, make a video showing a setup of a thin client, they are dirt cheap on Ebay, RAM is easily upgradable and inexpensive as they usually use SODIMM.
A second suggestion... for people who aren't hackers, but ARE concerned about privacy, make a video explaining from a "noob" point of view, the differences in stealth OSs, what makes one better than another, how to use TOR safely, again, through the eyes of a new viewer who wants to be safe and anonymous, so it would need to be a step by step tutorial, it might be long or in multiple parts, but it would help a lot of people.
I have 35 years in IT, I am too tired and in ill health to make videos myself, but it would be great if you ran with it. :)
@@GhostStrats yours looks alot cooler i bet.
@@jacquesredmondYes excellent recommendation I second this 100%🤠👍
You know the most loved thing about your content is my brother, is your intuitive way of explaining key information. You are helping all of us grow with you, and your hardware engineering is magnificent. Nothing needs to look good it just needs to work, and in some cases be practical. Damn I almost forgot to mention that it’s nice to snip extra wire incase you wanted to setup a remote device for ta… I mean home security. :)
lol 😂 thank you very much for those kind words. I really appreciate comments like this thank you!!!
well well well, the 15 laptops I have laying around collecting dust are here for a reason
YES!!!
@@GhostStrats I have a question though. You say nothing is stored on the device but Im guessing this doesnt include hardware unique identifiers like a CPU cause they (im guessing) are stored in the same place where the BIOS is stored? This could technically mean you could be identified still, but it would make it a LOT harder?
maybe you are missing something, the bios chip are completely vulnerable, you might have in this project the coreboot technologies in the bios chip programming. there are some another vulnerabilities in certain board modules too. thanks for the video and greetings from argetina
Don't forget about the MAC addresses in the BT/Wifi chipset and similar footprints.
DNS leaks, HARDWARE MACS, WIFI TRIAGULATIONS, and ANY networks that the adapter has ALREADY connected to will be a crumb trail! He's trying hard to sound "TECHY"
He better enabled the MAC spoofing choice in Tails
Your Mac address can be changed.
I am concerned that hardware ID's, the permanent MAC or other serialized unique identifiers could still be compromised through low level hardware-layer attacks, or other lower parts of the TCP/IP stack. And just end-run Tails.
It HAS happened before. And from the perspective of a single individual, even one completely comitted 100% to the pursuit, and with an extremely (unlikely, but playsible) skill level, arguably cannot "know" or contain complete end to end knowledge of security, at all layers.
Obviously, there's the "best effort" and "good enough" and chasing 100% certainty really means: "Just do nothing and don't even connect online."
But... if there's any known hardware and chips, or whole devices even that omit uniqe serials & ID's completely that's even better. And ideally the mfg. did it to "be lazy/cheap" rather than "secure/anonymous." Because you can inherently trust that better.
As I'm thinking of those FBI honeypot ANOM phones, that they deliberately sold as open-source encrypted & secure marketed to criminals. An extreme case & hyperbole, but conveys the idea. Deliberately marketing things to subvert security (theirs) & provide anonymity, is a target for for being compromised at the root. While random "cheap & lazy" omissions of ID & surveillance tech & DRM is at least statistically random.
@@HellsingGhrey-ht2wgspoofed is not the same as "changed".
should put coreboot for bios replacement too theres backdoors in the bios
@6:16 DUDE, DONT APOLOGIZE OR MAKE DISCLAIMERS ABOUT PRIVACY.. WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO ENSURE OUR PRIVACY IS LOOKED AT WITH SCRUTINY LIKE WE'RE UP TO SOMETHING ILLEGAL OR CRIMINAL.. DONT MAKE DISCLAIMERS ABOUT THIS.. TELL PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR PRIVACY BACK AND BE A STRONG ADVOCATOR FOR PRIVACY RIGHTS..
100 percent agree.
Didn't get the tracker placed in the CPU as a backdoor for the NSA
mossad n unit8200
You can usually disable the microphone and camera by unplugging them from the mainboard. You can also buy a cheap WiFi dongle, and use that instead of the internal card. For about $25, you have disposable OS and WiFi.
6:18 "I do not condond **legal** activity " - ahahahhahaha
You can also remove the wifi card and buy a separate one, it looks just like a normal usb drive and costs like 15-20 euros.
That’s awesome. Next time I’m gonna have to consider this.
Okay this answers my question…the wifi card is going to give you your MAC address right? Also wouldn’t you want to spoof your MAC address?
The fact he didn't already know this means he's a noob
@@behaviortech1080 Tails has a built-in startup script that does MAC spoofing but I still would not use any piece of tech that has been touched before in some way or ever connected to anything. You would also wanna by the computer with cash and pay someone homeless or unknown to you to pick it up if you are extremely paranoid. You could also NEVER use it on your home network or any locations near where you live as that's one of the first locations to be investigated
@@behaviortech1080 Tails comes with MAC spoofing, so as long he has it enabled he should be fine.
I have my Alienware m17x Laptop from 2008 and I have tails on it. I paid $2,150 when I first bought it.
A camera / microphone can be practical sometimes, what you could do instead is just instead of cutting a wire, you could for example add a switch to the ground of both of theses components, thus separating them from the computer but they can still be used as needed
I think you missed the point.
TL;DR: if you need a webcam/mic, this setup isn't for you.
Point is you don't use your daily driver for this, EVER. If you can't figure out why, pay attention.
Bad opsec
@@papastuffy this went over your head. If you're making a laptop like this, you DO NOT use a mic/webcam with it. You use a mic/webcam with your "normal" laptop. There is absolutely no need for a webcam/mic for this setup. That's how people get jammed up
the negative comments are hilarious. and very wrong. especially the bad opsec one. ummmm, security is in the name. and this is securing the components of the device that are at risk. why remove a tool from your tool box before you go to do a job? it's just overkill to take it out when you can secure it from the rest of the device. would you take the battery out of a car or add some sort of physical SHUT OFF switch between the battery and the motor? hmmm...
hey man, you're gonna be the next network chuck, keep it up, really love your videos, can't believe you don't get more views
He will have to push sponsored content and sell coffee
Let's hope he can be better, and considerably less cringe with the friggin coffee.
Network chuck… I swear bros a sham
@@Frosty_Q-T That's the truth
@@brandonw1604 to be real that jerk says a lot of crap that would in turn actually make you noticed and stick out more when trying to clean
Yes and no. But if you’re already taking precautions to stay hidden (such precautions ran off of the drive) then yes. This laptop will not make you invisible however.
I emphasize. This Laptop Won’t Keep You 100% hidden
I dont know if youre aware of the Van Eck phreaking which is related to TEMPEST (Telecommunications Electronics Materials Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions), where every electronic device that is powered on can by spied upon from a distance using an antenna and special radio receivers revealing whats on the screen of the target. The technique works on pc monitors , old crt tvs, smart tvs(works better), smartphones , SHIELDED usb and hdmi cables (and pretty much any other cable that carries information digital or analogue) and even air gapped machines, and the signal can be received from tens of meters up to hundreds of meters. Scary stuff if you ask me.
So wouldn't the boot drive that you use, as a flash drive, be corrupted after so many unplugs? I mean it is a boot drive.. but its also a flash drive so mi sure it'd have safe-unplug on it. I'm just a little concerned about the whole corruptibility for the drive. Also, I was wondering if there isn't anything traceable on the laptop, wouldn't there be a bunch of traceable things on the flash drive? I mean there isn't nothing wrong with resetting the flash drive with a clean install every time but still its not entirely 100% untraceable
Only data that is retrievable possible… if storage device is removed but device is not powered down… RAM, if I remember correctly phantom like data can be retrieved from live RAM.
Other forensic data would obviously be the NIC(s)… this can be worked around by using a usb WiFi or LAN NIC(?)
MAC addresses, wifi network triangulations and RAM YES all snitches on his "GHOTS PC". Not to mention DNS leaks and there are lists of ways to find this device.
@@TheTubejunky yes MAC addresses from various nic. You can run a virtual OS containerized with no access to the physical host… this is also helpful .
@@PedroKing99 what programs would I be looking for to run the siloed container OS? And what do you mean No access to the physical host? 😂 sorry if that’s airheaded I’m not into tech that much, that’s why I thought stripping down laptops to minimize info is the way
Thank you once again for this educational info and once again I love my Tails
I really like it to see your video. I did it before with instructions from other people but if I think like I’m new to this stuff, I would only need this video to do it.
The Speakers are also microphones... And you may as well take out the polarizing film so nobody can read your screen without hacker glasses you make.
Excuse me, HOW are the speakers also microphones?? Care to explain?
@SilverTester sound waves act against the speakercone which moves the voice coil back n forth through the magnetic field of the speakers permanent magnet which causes a ac current to be induced into the voice coil which which can be translated into audio reproduction of whatever sound was strong enough to move the cone...
@@gayshawndayleequeef1946 that's.. way beyond next level. So there's software that can pick up these shifts and reconstitute voice records? Damn!
@@SilverTester you can actually use a speaker as a microphone yourself try it sometime
@@umop3plsdn you say it like its the most normal thing to do in a computer. Maybe mine is retarded, cuz the speakers never show as an option for input. In none of the dozen computers i had over the years. Maybe i should start using my monitor as a webcam.
That is an incredibly cool concept. The first thing that came to my mind was the Framework laptops to "natively" support this - just buy the laptop without internal storage and have a couple of storage expansion slots to boot from, with whatever OS you prefer. Any thoughts on that?
Thank you very much for telling me this. I’m gonna look into framework laptops. And I don’t seem like a good idea, but the whole idea is if it was to get compromised anyway if you were to leave it somewhere, you don’t want anything that has any data to store at all.
The concept for this device is more or less a burner laptop. It all for educational purposes only this is an experiment that I wanted to try.
@@GhostStrats If you don't know Framework I would suggest you look into them, it's worthwhile just for the concept behind their laptop.
Basically you get a configurable laptop with 4 USB-C expansion slots where you can plug in whatever you want (there are already pre-made modules from Framework but I saw some custom one made already). The idea was to have one of the storage expansion module be the bootable drive with Tails, Kali or any other OS all self-contained just like in the USB stick used in this experiment, with no other storage at all in the laptop.
Without that expansion module it would basically be a burner laptop, with the additional benefit of having bigger (this is arguably not a benefit) and faster storage while also being able to also use the laptop as a "normal" laptop, as you can just install Windows (or any other OS you daily drive) in another module and use it when needed.
TL,DR: you make one module a live OS installation to run just like if it was in a USB stick and another module with a properly installed OS that acts as your daily driver
very cool demo my friend, thank you
🙏
What about you MAC address? It is always interrogated by websites. How do we reprogram it or block it? Where do we find a secure source of Tails Linux? Knowing about the camera and microphone I have added switches to turn them off but what about the speakers? Theoretically a speaker works like a dynamic microphone but with a different impedance. I could be quite possible for manufacturers to place a circuit within the laptop that would allow the speakers to double as microphones knowing that most secure conscious individuals would disable or remove the microphone. There would not be a way to use the speakers as microphones however if they are playing music at the same time.
Tails have MAC spoofing.
@@dseednorwayn47 Sweet!
I don't need this, but I think it's pretty cool that it can be done,
I'm ready for schizophrenia
The call is coming from inside your anus.
lmo😂
There is one issue with this (with tails) where it doesnt flush your V-RAM so whatever is on your screen at the time you eject the USB can possibly be recovered in chunks, so just be aware of that. (unless this is fixed, idk if its outdated but still good to know)
It's a cool project.
I'm curious how is that different than just booting up tails from usb stick. I understand the camera being cut but why the hard drive ?
So no malicious programs can be ever installed without your knowledge
You are underrated ❤
Thank you I really do appreciate stuff like this
@GhostStrats Will wait for Big Videos 📹
This can be compromised. Just because it deletes everything off the computer in the end because of it saving to ram doesn’t mean anything when you’re putting a memory stick in it that can have malicious software injected into it by operating system vulnerabilities. On top of that it doesn’t protect your IP, Device footprint/fingerprint. Also if the FEDs get your USB welp there ya go. With a compromise memory unit that you said it basically the whole computer. Every time you plug it in to run it can exploit your location
Swap out the bt/wifi if you've previously used that machine, or if the source of the machine can be traced back to you i.e. you got it from someone you know, or can identify you.
Thought I remember reading that there is a very small window of info when you shut down your computer that ram does save a kinda last state type thing, and if you shut off while say looking at an unsavoury page that is burned in and forensics can find that
RAM stores credentials short term but no memory to view files if logged in? Or no? Sorry just thinking this out loud as well
how often do you need to update your tail os image to keep up with browser updates?
So other than the microphone, camera, and hard drive, that's all you need to remove, the rest is just untouched? Also, how do you get or make one of those usb chips or drives?
some things can be saved to either the cpu gpu and even the bios in some cases some advanced viruss can store them selves on those components wich are very tricky to fix so the might be an issue
This is so kool, i had no idea ppl could do things like this, super cool
Bought a real nice older thinkpad off eBay for $45 and it already had the hard drive stripped. I keep it with a tails usb and it runs perfect off that then when I’m done, unplug and there’s NOTHING on that computer to even boot up to.
This is great in terms of hardware, but it's not really practical when it comes to some machines. Dell laptops always had unobtrusive mode and kernel level option to disable cam/mic/wwan/other. Some ThinkPads had physical kill switches and some other manufacturers have complete privacy integrations with options. I know bios/UEFI level stuff can have vulnerabilities/backdoors, but there's always a solution for them.
Rip the camera and audio out, if you can install libreboot/coreboot on it and install qubes OS as the main os then make sure to follow opsec as you go... Its really sad we have to do this much just to not get seen by a government agency
Love this
Hello GhostStrats! I wonder if Tales is so lightweight, cannot it be running on an Android device?
What about networking and remembering passwords?
What about the data stored on the USB boot drive?
So I’m assuming it will wipe internet history too? I’m about to start IT school and I don’t know too much yet.
Good luck mate 😬
@ thanks, gulp. 😬
Tails os is onion no stored internet history to begin with
@ nice, thank you for being helpful.
Could an Apple G4 Powerbook be converted to a ghost laptop? The G4 does not have a webcam and no soldered components to the motherboard, etc.
You would have to create a 32-bits PowerPC port of Tails, and a one that can accommodate systems with less that 2GB of RAM. Possible in theory because everything is open source, but good luck with that.
speakers can also be used as microphones. clip the wires, or wire them with a removable headphone jack
Hardware back door in the CPU. IIRC, The most recent Intel CPU not backdoored in this was the Intel Atom series built around 2009-2013. Until you deal with that issue, all you're really doing is down grading a laptop and giving yourself a false sense of security.
I disagree. This is supposed to be a burner type laptop where everything that you need is in that flash drive. Almost as if it’s a thin client. Nothing should be stored anywhere. Everything will be operating off temporary memory.
@@GhostStrats
"Intel Active Management Technology"
is *hardware and firmware* for remote out-of-band management of select business computers,[1][2] running on the Intel Management Engine, a microprocessor subsystem *not exposed to the user, intended for monitoring*, maintenance, updating, and repairing systems.[1]
Its on wikipedia.
You could be monitored in real time from the hardware level without your knowledge.
becasue you disable the camera and microphone they might not see you face of hear you voice, but a third party could see everything you're doing on that laptop.
Depending on how you type, like how your fingers press each key can also identify you. With the rise of AI companies can do keyboard typing forensic profiles on individuals now. Scary stuff out there…
@@karlsnowsill208 can I do this stuff with a raspberry pi to make it easier for a non techie? I just want secure comms
@@victorygarden556 Raspberry Pi has "binary blobs" which is unknown proprietary driver code inside it, so you don't know whats in there, ie not secure.
i did the same thing 3 years ago also if you encrypt the main drive you don't have to worry about removing the the ssd or hard drive.
What about intel managment engine, you overlooked it, am i wrong?
You could still opt for a libre booted, luks encrypted thinkpad that has the Intel ME disabled
@@BobertV702 i know thats option, but he is promoting you can do this on any laptop
as i understand it your cpu is traceable through the intel management engine and the system it self can be fingerprinted
But can you accuality save anything on one of these SD cards?, Like you do your idk paper work and it stays there even after turning off the laptop or unplugging the drive?
awesome video love the channel
Thank you 🙏
You've missed a couple of important points. Firstly, you totally can read the ram after removing the usb stick by taking out the memory sticks and cooling them and then reading them in another device. Secondly, there are various techniques to monitor a screen without being actually present nearby. Thirdly, think things might be stored that you don't want in the IME and/or UEFI and/or other possibly existing management systems. And what about buffers, like a keyboard buffer?!!
did you keep pushing your glasses up off your nose after every numeral statement? i can smell the cheetos dust from this comment
@@camzen1772 wtf is a numeral statement. Just say after every sentence lmao
Bros right for it can be more secure if taken these in mind
Tails has Amnesia, read about it as you're eating your cheetos.
What would happen incase the ram is taken to recover the data ? How long the data lasts in it ? There are forensic software ka on recover operation only.
May wanna advise against the Stream series. Some have emmc which is soldered on and cannot be easily removed without damaging the computer to an unusable point.
Are there USB cards like the one shown that uses micro SD cards? Would love to have yet another layer of security in an absolute worst case scenario.
what about MAC address obfuscation. is there a wifi card that will allow you to change your MAC address ever time you disconnect or reconnect to a hotspot?
That's not the part you have to worry about. It is unencrypted hardware signatures. Your motherboard has an identification which is sent in your handshake packets. Not just about MAC or IP spoofing. You have to spoof EVERYTHING.
Would u not rip out the Wifi and bluetooth hardware too like Snowden recommends?
If they were easy to detach, maybe but if you’re using an OS like Tails you can have it so it gets network connectivity.
Bluetooth gets people unalived.
@@Tim0Tim0 How?
How about replacing WiFi cards in laptop for every use?
Just earned a follow love your content keep it going !!!
Hi but your next video could be about doing a ghost phone or/and a phone that is untraceable smart phone or old phone thanks for it man and you the best
I kinda did already check out the Meshtastic stuff
@@GhostStrats ok I will check that video out
What about BIOS reflash? Could it be done in this machine ?
It’s probably possible if you were to leave the hard drive in do the flash and then once it’s updated completely remove the hard drive
@@GhostStrats I was thinking about serial numbers on the BIOS that could been exposed somehow and trace de notebook in some way. Very nice video by the way, cool channel too. Cheers.
Do this on a laptop that supports opencore
Just a heads up he's Fed with watch the vid carefully if you know you know.
Just spreading awareness and freedom of speech
Now show how to change the HWID. I wait. I am not talking about spoofing.
Hi. What is a real world use for a laptop like this?
Just a fun project honestly it was a good learning experience and testing proof of concepts
it would be great if you talk about how to make a burner phone
Would it make sense to use the raspberry pie 2W
Okay. Can we do a video of making sure TailsOS and WiFi aren’t compromised…
If I get what you’re saying, all you have to do is turn off persistence when it comes to network storage every time you connect it’ll forget what network you connected to if you set it up that way
I just use vms which i hosted in an external hdd, i have debian based and arch linux vms... You can also do whonix....
also i guess you could desing maybe with a rpi pico or a arduino nano a simple flash drive that allow for storage but like just with a press of a button it just replace every bit of the drive to nonsense.
I can do the same thing with Kali as well as Tails?
Yes just get the ISO
Technically it’s possible to freeze information in the ram. I read somewhere that some hacker got busted when he was unable to pull out the flash drive and the feds or whoever froze ram with liquid nitrogen and recovered the info from it later.
Do you need to even have a gpu or cpu? Could it just be a motherboard with ram sticks ? Might be a stupid question.
The cpu is the brain of the laptop, where each instruction is executed. Without it, you wouldn't be able to do anything. The gpu is usually used to draw things on the screen. On laptops, you may have a weak integrated gpu, but that is still required (Because drawing graphics with a CPU is a lot slower, and the CPU would get more load to work on). Mind you, in some CPU cases, like the AMD Threadripper, no integrated gpu is found, which means that you must install a gpu yourself, if you want to see the screen.
No question is stupid and thank you Bobert for your comment.
Thank you 🙏
You can buy a raspberry pi and boot from a usb. Tails as he says in the video is the go to for these situations. You better learn A LOT prior to doing ANYTHING illegal or you'll have plenty of time day and night in the clink thinking how you got caught!
I appreciate the detailed comment really helpful! I have an old ryzen 5 5900 with a 580 sitting around ill probably throw that together @BobertV702
dont forget to remove speakers cause they also can be reversed to be used as a microphones :D
I'm enlightened!
What does the OS on the USB look like after the stick has been ripped off?
Does thé hardware can hash backdoor s? Such as in the motherboard and stuff?
mwuahaha awesome stuff brother, stay ghost - stay safe :)
Thanks man I appreciate that
wait when you say once the computers turned of nothing saves does that count for apps? sorry if stupid question td found this really intrestin and wanna get into it haha
why use a usb instead of keeping the ssd plate off and removing that?
Can this be done on a Mac Pro? (2011)
Never use your own previously owned hardware...
also macs have a bunch of things soldered on board and u will cause kernel panic if it cant load hardware.
If you're handy enough, you can install a switch on the mic and camera +5v (+3v?) lines.
Also, I'm not sure if tails fixed this yet, but even after shutdown, memory can be frozen and read using compressed air. So beware that it could hold data in RAM unpowered for a while. Law enforcement knows this and if they're after you for data, a fast shutdown might not save you.
needs a battery kill switch and then to hold the regular power button to clear, maybe even eject the cmos just in case
dont cut the camera just remove it
Or, you know, unplug it and leave it in place.
Or just put a black tape?
@@kattappa4344 tape doesn't really stop microphones.
Right like unplug it wire it up to a r pi with a rechargable battery now you have a spy cam
Can u make a mini phone size version plz
Just did the same a few month back from two old lap tops. Runs Tails smooth with 16gb ram.
RAM = SAVES DATA
so for him to say "EVERYTHING IS GONE WHEN I UNPLUG THIS USB OS" is bs
@@TheTubejunkyGenerally if you pull out the usb drive running tails os from the machine, it triggers an immediate secure shutdown. It's meant to be like a ripchord, so as soon as you pull the usb drive it starts wiping the RAM using using sdmem so you will leave no trace. It might corrupt some files on the persistent storage but your data will be safe since the entire ram is overwritten with random data several times to prevent memory dump attacks. Well at least that what they say.
There are some very rare virus that can infect motherboards (even without a hard drive). Malware planted in the UEFI firmware image is not only difficult to identify but is also extremely persistent as it cannot be removed by reinstalling the operating system or by replacing the storage drive.
I dont know much about this stuff, but i have a question. If you have removed your camera and HDD, but whenever you browse the net wont they be able to find you IP or Mac address? like in mot knowledgeable in this so if you can explain this then thank you.
tails has mac spoofing, use tor for ip. but there are other problems like motherboard
@vehice6210 what about the motherboard?
amazing video
Do people ever use their laptop cameras? Are there laptops out there that don't come with a camera or microphone? I know for a fact they dont update their camera hardware every year like crazy like phone manufacturers do. They just slap on the cheapest possible option, but if customers dont care about cameras wouldnt it be even cheaper to just not add any camera??
It costs significantly LESS to have no user selectable options during the sale for any computer; if there is only one configuration, then it's super simple to maintain stock; so most manufacturers include the camera/microphone because many want the option; and it costs more to produce two models - one with and one without webcam/microphone. In bulk, the cheapest webcam/microphone probably costs like 3 to 5 cents total; it'd costs way, way more for the manufacturer to have to stock multiple configurations. My super-cheap N100 laptop comes with a webcam that is so poor of video quality; quality reminds me of cell phone video from the early 2000's.. But it ticks the mark : Included web camera.. My guess is that many folks want a web cam over not, so, even a P.O.S. webcam is good enough; Most that don't want it can simply not use it, or disable it in device manager. The webcam is good enough for work meetings, to give to your kid, or to your grandparents. No user selectable options during sale simply means lower price.. Everyone wants to pay less..
FWIW: We have bosses at work that want the webcams on during every meeting: Why ? It forces participation; it stops those attending from just muting themselves while they go take a nap, do the dishes, or other tasks if working from home; it also keeps some employees from working other tasks during the meetings; literally discourages doing other stuff than participating in the meeting...
Just use Linux and a privacy focused browser and you should be just as fine hope this helps.
the video is for people like who want a privacy device that actually is fully private and not has any kind of data from you every time you use reuse it
Qubes os would be the best choice for normal people that want mostly the same privacy just without completely ripping the laptop apart
what about the NIC????
This is totally overkill. Just use tails. It doesn't store anything to the hard drive anyway. But hey I guess if you wanna do this go nuts.
what if i wanna plug in windows to go. or what if tails boots and ur auto enable camera is compromised with a webp attack.
Wrong. Hardware identifies itself when it communicated to other hardware. Anybody running an illicit exit node has yer ass.
@@tracesmith3572 you mean they get their mac address? that's nothing. it's not something you can identify or trace. it's only relevant if you have a sample list to compare to.
Can you explain to a newbie what tails is please 🙏
@HighVybeTribe its a pendrive installed portable linux distro
But ram can no be recovered. Does it wipe the RAM?
Bro, you've just bring back that little spark of hacking again to me.. Thanks❤
Newbie here: But the MAC address isn’t stored in the hardrive or is it?
The MAC address (Media Access Control address) is stored in the hardware of a network interface controller (NIC), typically in the firmware of the device.
But you can manipulate and change that too. It’s not that hard.
Here are some programs and tools that can help you change or spoof your MAC address:
Technitium MAC Address Changer: A user-friendly tool for Windows that allows you to easily change your MAC address.
MAC Address Changer: A lightweight program for Windows that provides a simple interface for MAC address modification.
Linux Command Line: You can use commands like ifconfig or ip link set to change your MAC address on Linux systems.
macchanger: A command-line utility specifically designed for changing MAC addresses on Linux.
Spoof MAC Address (Android): An app that allows MAC address spoofing on rooted Android devices.
⚠️Always use these tools responsibly and in accordance with the law.⚠️
It's hardware MAC is on the WIFI chip installed in that laptop. You can buy and use other chipsets/USB adapters like Alpha brand but one and done use if your being a bad boy! Don't think it can't be traced because it can. one use and toss unless your already a glowie.
@@GhostStrats YOU CANNOT change the HARDWARE MAC ADDRESS! You can SPOOF it for networks but NOT CHANGE the HARDWARE MAC. You should know this.
@@GhostStrats TailsOS has a built-in startup script that spoofs the MAC but like thetubejunky said, you can't cahnge the "burned in" address from the manufacturer and if that is found out and you used your bank card or CC to buy that computer, you just got burned
@@TheTubejunky thank you for the response
Where can you get the incognito CC size usb drive
What about the TPM?
What about buying a laptop from a pawn shop and wiping it clean?