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Anonymity, Privacy and OpSec

A practical reference for privacy engineering, anonymous communication, anti-surveillance operations and operational security. Written for authorized red team engagements, privacy research, and personal threat modeling.

CAUTION

Authorized Use Only.

The material in this category describes anonymization networks, secure communication tools, and operational security techniques. Some of these techniques are dual-use: they are legitimate for journalists, activists, researchers and authorized red teams, but may be illegal in certain jurisdictions or when applied to systems you do not own.

You are solely responsible for complying with all applicable laws. Do not use any technique here to:

  • evade lawful investigation,
  • conduct unauthorized access to any system,
  • traffic illegal material,
  • harm any person or organization.

Read SECURITY.md at the repository root before using anything in this category. All examples assume an authorized engagement or a personal threat model on systems you own or have explicit permission to test.

Scope​

This category covers:

  • Anonymous networks - Tor, I2P, Lokinet, VPN chains.
  • Secure communications - Session, SimpleX, XMPP/OMEMO, PGP, anonymous email.
  • Operating systems and hygiene - Tails, Qubes/Whonix, data destruction, metadata.
  • Dark web - hidden services, OnionShare, SecureDrop, dead drops.
  • Anonymous hosting - bulletproof hosting, off-shore VPS, CDN fronting.
  • Anonymous crypto operations and AML - Monero, Bitcoin, mixers, chain analysis.
  • OpSec and threat models - compartmentalization, attribution, case studies.
  • Attacks and detection - de-anonymization, hidden service attacks, LE takedowns.

This category does NOT cover:

  • hacking tools or exploits (see APPLICATIONS/ and INFRASTRUCTURE/),
  • OSINT techniques against individuals (out of scope, ethically fraught),
  • "how to disappear" lifestyle advice (not a technical topic).

Format​

Every file in this category follows one of two document formats:

  • Hands-on (subcategories 01-06). Installation, hardening, operational usage, common mistakes, attacks, detection, case studies, legal and ethical notes.
  • Conceptual (subcategories 07-08). Threat modeling, practical frameworks, real-world examples, risk context - no install steps.

Both formats replace the usual ## OSCP Notes section with ## Legal and Ethical Notes. OSCP does not cover anonymity or privacy topics; the legal section covers jurisdiction, authorization and the boundaries that apply to the technique.

Structure​

ANONYMITY-PRIVACY-OPSEC/
+-- README.md                                  (this file)
+-- 01 Anonymous Networks/                      Hands-on
+-- 02 Secure Communications/                   Hands-on
+-- 03 Operating Systems and Hygiene/           Hands-on
+-- 04 Dark Web/                                Hands-on
+-- 05 Anonymous Hosting/                       Hands-on
+-- 06 Anonymous Crypto Operations and AML/     Hands-on
+-- 07 OpSec and Threat Models/                 Conceptual
+-- 08 Attacks and Detection/                   Conceptual

Subcategories​

#SubcategoryFormat
01Anonymous NetworksHands-on
02Secure CommunicationsHands-on
03Operating Systems and HygieneHands-on
04Dark WebHands-on
05Anonymous HostingHands-on
06Anonymous Crypto Operations and AMLHands-on
07OpSec and Threat ModelsConceptual
08Attacks and DetectionConceptual
  • SECURITY.md (repository root) - authorized use policy.
  • METHODOLOGY.md - engagement methodology (where anonymity fits in a red team op).
  • APPLICATIONS/ - web application attacks (out of scope here).
  • INFRASTRUCTURE/ - infrastructure attacks (out of scope here).

References​

The material in this category draws on publicly available sources:

  • Tor Project documentation and specifications.
  • I2P documentation.
  • EFF Surveillance Self-Defense guides.
  • Citizen Lab research publications.
  • Academic papers on traffic analysis and de-anonymization.
  • Public court records and incident reports (case studies).

Full per-file references are listed in each file's ## References section.