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In the game of anonymity-versus-surveillance online, the discovery of the user's IP address usually means game over. But if Ben Caudill has his way, a network snoop who successfully hunts a user through layers of proxy connections to a final IP address would be met with a dead end—while the anonymous user remains safe at home more than a mile away.
At the upcoming DefCon hacker conference in Las Vegas next month, Caudill plans to unveil ProxyHam, a "hardware proxy" designed to use a radio connection to add a physical layer of obfuscation to an internet user's location. His open-source device, which he built for $200, connects to Wi-Fi and relays a user's Internet connection over a 900 megaherz radio connection to their faraway computer, with a range of between one and 2.5 miles depending on interference from the landscape and buildings. That means even if investigators fully trace the user's internet connection, they'll find only the ProxyHam box the person planted in a remote library, cafe, or other public place—and not their actual location.
Caudill, a researcher for the security consultancy Rhino Labs, compares his tool to typical tactics to hide the source of an Internet connection, like using a neighbor's Wi-Fi, or working from a coffee shop instead of home. But "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," says Caudill. "[ProxyHam] gives you all the benefits of being able to be at a Starbucks or some other remote location, but without physically being there."
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday July 03 2015, @03:17PM
Will not work because the box will contain serial numbers in different ways or just manufacturing differences. Remember how these modern printers work that has that "extra splash" of yellow dots? same thing. Then there will be the thing about ordering credit cards, video logs at delivery, cash serials and fingerprints. The box may have fingerprints perhaps from the package office that will in turn recognize you even if yours are missing. Then theres small particles or play loose skin flakes that will get anyone the correct genetic code for the user. That last one can also be used to reconstruct the physical look without a photo.
And once that link is up you will have a beacon as to your whereabouts. There has been some serious practice when those ruskies where the thing and internet was not existing. So it's pretty old school and there are even better possibilities to make use of now. Don't forget if anyone where to search your cavities and found a "900 one".
If it's going to work the relay box got to have the Mission impossible "this box will be a goner in 60 seconds!".. "hey you may want to not hold it at that time! might get hot". And it may need to be "throughly washable, preferably with strong acids" ;)
And someone better rethink pay and delivery for the hardware.
If someone wrongly makes use of the radio spectrum that those amateurs use, it will be HAM-mertime! :D