Privacy implications of the latest U.S. Patriot Act - The U.S. Patriot Act has been signed back into law by American lawmakers. What exactly should privacy-seekers worry about in this new incarnation?
How you can be found - Wonder how private investigators, or others, would go about tracking you down if they had to? Here are some of the tricks they use.
The overlooked weakness of offshore corporations, foundations & trusts - IBCs, trusts, LLCs and foundations can't protect the privacy of your finances to the degree you might think. Here's why.
Avoiding suspicious activity reports in cash transactions - If you ever perform transactions involving cash, doing any of the following could invite reporting to financial regulators.
Steganography - An introduction to the art and science of hiding data inside images, sounds and other innocuous-looking files.
The Post House - Can this UK-based company be relied on for virtual office services if it doesn't require identification? Here's one person's experience.
RFID, its implications and how to defeat - You've likely heard of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Here's what it is, where it's used today, where it's likely to be used tomorrow, what it means for privacy seekers and how to defeat it.
What's an apostille, and why is it important? - The history and future of apostilles, and how they can be obtained to legitimize documents easier than you might think.
Receiving money anonymously without an offshore bank account - It's possible to accept wire transfers, bank transfers, money orders and more in any name you choose. Here's how.
Tips on securing your privacy computer - If you're using a portable computer for private activities, follow these guidelines to ensure your true identity doesn't get inadvertently associated with it.
Wired Plastic Visa debit card - A generally good, high-balance card for receiving wire transfers and then spending them. But a few unexpected suprises re: its usefulness with PayPal, touted as a feature. Read details.
What you should expect if you become a 'subject of interest' - If you've been doing things you possibly shouldn't, here's what could go wrong and what you should do about it now.
XL Payment Systems XL Prepaid Visa debit card - How good is this card for accepting funding via e-bullion or money orders and facilitating their withdrawal as cash from ATMs? Can it really be obtained without ID? Read about pros that surprised us, and cons that weren't immediately obvious.
Tenebril GhostSurf & GhostSurf Platinum - Our recommended anonymous web browsing and track cleaning software for Windows. More benefits than drawbacks of all similar solutions we evaluated. Learn what the vendor doesn't tell you in its marketing.
Why you need to isolate your private computer from your home or other network - Networking your privacy computer with a home or work network is a sure-fire way to incriminate yourself. Here's why, and how to protect against doing it accidentally.
What metadata is, and how it could incriminate you - Your word processing, spreadsheet and other documents may have data hidden inside them that can compromise you. Here's what it is, and how to eliminate it.
Card444 Virtual Visa - As good a way to anonymously spend money online as it says it is? Read how quick it is to set up, what ID is really required and how expensive it really is to fund.
ECAID debit card & offshore account - Read the story of our multi-month adventure to secure a card, and a second card when the first didn't arrive. And then what we finally got and how useful it was.
Axis Research Outlook Express Protector - Do you use Microsoft Outlook Express? (If you don't, it really beats webmail!) Here's a great way to impede others' access to Outlook Express' databases.
Voice changing software - Avnex AV VCS - How good are software voice changers? Read our review of this leading Windows-based application and how to best use it. Includes tips for configuring with Skype for voice-over-IP calling, and helpful hints of what NOT to do.
Three good file shredding programs - Three little software widgets that actually do what they claim, and ensure that deleted files really get deleted from your hard drive.
Best practices for use of debit cards - Many people compromise themselves when trying to use debit cards to receive and then spend payments anonymously. Here's how to avoid their mistakes.
How to withdraw money from ATMs without incriminating yourself - Simply walk up, enter your card & code and take your money, right? Wrong. If using a debit or credit card and your anonymity is important to you, follow these special steps.
Accept payments via PayPal without compromising your identity - Want the convenience of PayPal but are reluctant to use your real name and bank information? Here's how to create & verify a PayPal account in any name without doing anything illegal.
Fraud defined - All about the slippery crime of fraud, how its legal definition varies from place to place and why it's hard to prove in court.
Smurfing defined - What it is, why it's done and why it, by itself, isn't illegal per se.
Money laundering defined - Money laundering detailed, and why the success rate of investigations and prosecutions for it is lower than one might think.
How credit card and bank account dependency have limited your options - How our modern banking constructs are now hard-wired to make it hard to move money quietly and anonymously. A primer.
Postal inspectors and their investigative methods - The U.S. postal service has 2,000 special agents with guns, 1,000 security officers and 4 laboratories. Here's what they do, and how they do it.
Sending items through couriers covertly - It's possible to send documents via FedEx and other courier services anonymously if you follow these guidelines.
Sending items through the mail covertly - Follow these tips to fully protect your identity when sending items through the mail. Compiled from mistakes others have made.
Three ways to receive items anonymously - Receive documents and packages in any name, anywhere, without having to falsify identification or apply fraudulently for a mailbox.
A maildrop primer - Maildrops offer a host of services and obvious benefits, but be aware of the hidden drawbacks. Includes suggestions of what to look for in a maildrop.
Why you need to be able to receive things anonymously - A primer on the critical need for an address separate from your home or work, and why you should never use camouflage identification when setting it up.
Why you need to be prepared to throw your portable in the ocean at any time - If a net is closing in around you, here's why you should actually dispose of your portable privacy computer, and the best ways to do it.
Why backups are extra important for your private activities - and how to keep them from being found - It's even more important to back up your private data than your everyday data, and to do it more often. Here's why, plus tricks for securing your backups when complete.
How free, anonymous email services can still incriminate you - Hotmail, Yahoo - or even Hushmail - aren't safe by default. Learn how to access these services without leaving virtual fingerprints.
Taking best advantage of wireless Internet and why it's a boon for privacy - How wireless networks can both help you operate anonymously on the Internet and, at the same time, implicate you if you're not careful.
Why you likely need your own portable computer - Why you likely need your own dedicated computer for private activities, and what to look for in it.
Pros and cons of using public, shared computers at Internet cafes - There are pluses and minuses you may not have thought of when it comes to using public computers for privacy-related activities.
Why you should never print sensitive documents from home or work - Documents can now be traced to the printer that printed them. Printing sensitive documents without compromising your identity is now no longer as obvious as you might think. Learn the tricks.
The most powerful tool authorities have against you on the Internet - 'Packet sniffing' and other so-called lawful intercept technologies allow monitoring of individuals' actions online more effectively than you might think. Here's how they work.
Why you should avoid using email remailers - About remailers, and why there's no such thing as any that are truly anonymous.
Why you shouldn't trust anonymous web browsing and other proxies - Software or services that obfuscate your identity when you're browsing provide lightweight privacy in the best case. In the worst case, they can be your undoing. Read why they don't offer real privacy and why we don't recommend them.
Places in Windows that your data could be lurking - There are a surprising number of nooks and crannies where incriminating data could be residing in your Windows-based PC. Here's a comprehensive list.
Why your home computer is not your friend - Your home computer is the single instrument most likely to incriminate you in activities you'd sooner keep private. Learn how.
What you need to know about camouflage identification - Fake ID is illegal in many areas. But that doesn't stop people from using it. How to avoid fake ID scams on the Internet, find banking passports, find local providers in your own backyard, and more.
More data than ever, and it lasts effectively forever - How your interaction with the world is being recorded in ways you may not have thought of, and how these records can be expected to be around for a very long time.
The fallacies of encryption - It's important to encrypt your data, but don't ever trust that any cipher is unbreakable. Here's why.
How to make phone calls securely - Learn the tricks of using payphones and Internet calling applications to remain untrackable when making voice calls.
Cell phone hazards - Your cell phone is convenient, but it's really a homing device, and its easily-accessed records give others a quick way to see who you've been calling and when. Here are recommendations on how to use mobile phones to your best advantage.
The global Echelon surveillance network - Read about the U.S.-sponsored surveillance system that monitors electronic communications around the world, and what it means for your own practical privacy.
Wrong debit card can leave funds out of reach - A couple of debit cards can help you forget about the hassles of changing currency and travelers checks when on the road. But there are things to watch out for if you don't want to be stranded penniless far from home.
A challenge to computing privacy: TPM - A new computing standard for integrated privacy features, incorporating what's been termed the trusted platform module (TPM), may soon represent a challenge to computing privacy. Here's what to expect, and what to do about it.
