Privacy remains a concerning issue
Privacy has become perhaps the single largest issue facing the internet today and many users consider it to be vital to maintain that veil between their own online activities and the various organizations who would keep watch over the wild web. According to Wired, Ben Caudill, of Rhino Security Labs, plans to introduce the latest weapon in the fight for internet anonymity at the annual Def Con conference held in Las Vegas.
The ProxyHam, which he built for 200 dollars, promises to serve as a hardware proxy that will create a protective layer of physical distance against snoopers who try track your IP address.
IP masking today has vulnerabilities
Current methods of IP masking such as proxy servers or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) work adequately to obfuscate casual detection but they may often have vulnerabilities that lead to the revelation of a user’s real IP address because, regardless of how many layers of security there are between the machine and the internet connection, there still exists a path between your computer and the internet. Think of it this way: any way out is a way in.
Caudill suggests that using a public WiFi connection is just as risky: “the problem with Wi-Fi as a protocol is that you can’t get the range you need. If the FBI kicks down the door, it may not be my door, but it’ll be so close they can hear me breathe.”
Maintain anonymity while using a public network
The ProxyHam allows you to enjoy the anonymous usage of a public network without the accompanying danger of physical proximity by transmitting the connection via a 900 MHz radio signal. Simply plug in the Raspberry Pi-powered device in an out of the way location at public library and a 900 MHz antenna into your computer’s Ethernet port and voila! You can be up to 2.5 miles away from the IP address used to access the internet.
Ben Caudill plans to sell the device at the Def Con conference as well as release the open-source design on his website and ProxyHam’s GitHub page. You or the average internet user probably won’t need this level of security, but for journalists and dissidents in sensitive locations it will become a valuable tool to preserve personal safety.
#ProxyHam
