Ebook: Privacy for Identities: The Art of Pseudonymity

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You are about to step into the mind of a teenage hacker interested in the crossroads of information security, the human right to privacy, and mass surveillance efforts. This “book” was written during many late nights of my high school senior year in my bedroom, in solidarity, with a naïve passion; only now am I releasing it, years later. This book is not professional, nor is it a properly sourced whitepaper; however, this book is one-of-a-kind, and will further discussion for one particular question that I cannot answer: where do we draw the line between the right to privacy and national security efforts? Well, now, I pass the baton to you, other researchers who share this question; I hope you find some answers that you seek to answer this question.

My intention with this writing is not to provide you with a 1-2-3 how-to guide to staying safe online; it is to train my readers into an actively conscious mindset that is a fundamental necessity for surviving in the hacker’s realm or in a state of surveillance. It is important that we are able to choose if and when our identity is revealed; Eric Hughes states in The Cypherpunk’s Manifesto, “privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world.”

If you reveal your real identity to the wrong community or person, they may take the steps necessary to harass, blackmail, and perhaps even unlawfully prosecute in some nations. The target audience consists of privacy advocates, journalists, security enthusiasts, and hackers, but there is a noticeable respect towards the cypherpunk type. People of any background may find this to be a worthwhile and informative read for learning about applying operational security, evading surveillance, and staying safe while surfing the Web. I intentionally wrote this piece to be beginner-friendly and non-technical.

Personal digital security has always been important to me. Everything here is written from my own experience and observations. This writing is authentically original; although, some things are conjectural and anecdotal to a degree, so factcheck where you feel necessary. There have been times where I needed to use the tactics that I will be teaching you about, and there were other times where I had to swear and live by these things to enjoy my Internet experience in a safe manner. The Internet is a dangerous place, especially for those with an interest in information security or anything relating to the hacking “scene.”

Again, online hacking communities can be scary, dangerous and hostile places. There are plenty of good and bad people in these communities, and as you probably already know, these people often have malicious intent, even if this is not immediately obvious. You never know who you are talking to online; people can and will lie about their identities, intentions, and actions. They could be social engineering you, and drawing information through elicitation. With this in mind, we must choose what information we share online with great caution. It may even be helpful to lie about your personal information with regularity.

I feel that hackers and many cyber-criminals are strategists in the rawest form; mastered puppeteers, deceitful by nature. You may need to learn how to blend into the “scene” without standing out, and learn to be even more secure than the ones who target you with respect to your personal OPSEC.

An observation that I have made is that many of our youth are also entering the Information Security scene, often overlooked as “script kiddies” and “cyber criminals”. However, I don’t really like to think of most youth as either of the two labels; I believe that we are reaching a new era in technology where youth are learning from curiosity, without a heavy regard for computer laws. Ethical != legal, after all. It is important that ethical youth are not prosecuted in courts, ruining their chances for a successful career at a very young age. The youth hackers of today are the Information Security professionals and leaders of tomorrow.

I want everyone to be safe while pursuing their passion without restriction, whatever that passion may be. Please continue to fight for what you believe in, stay safe, and maintain ethics while you do such. I hope that this reading provides you the foundational knowledge required to operate securely during your cyber experience, whatever your background may be.

Take note that this is not a definitive guide. This research is the result of years of my own personal experiences, opinions, debates, and understanding of the gathered knowledge and resources that I have cited. Personal bias exists within this reading whether I want to admit it or not. Important details may have been overlooked in some areas. Take everything into careful consideration, and think for yourself before acting. You are solely responsible for your own actions.

Additionally, please understand that I am not perfect; inevitably, there will be flaws in this reading. I am an independent researcher and this is an independent project that I have spent a lot of my personal time putting together. Community members have provided me with informal reviews and feedback that I have considered prior to the release of this publication. I have tried my best to take the necessary steps to present this information fairly and accurately while making the reading an enjoyable and educational experience.

With that said, I hope that you enjoy the read.