[Whonix-devel] Whonix auf RFF-Website vorstellen

[Patrick Schleizer]

500 words...!

Whonix is a desktop operating system designed for advanced security and
privacy. It realistically addresses attacks while maintaining usability.
It makes online anonymity possible via fail-safe, automatic, and
desktop-wide use of the Tor network. A heavily reconfigured Debian base
is run inside multiple virtual machines, providing a substantial layer
of protection from malware and IP leaks. Pre-installed, pre-configure
applications are ready for use, and installing additional applications
or personalizing the desktop will in no way jeopardize the user. Whonix
is the only actively developed OS designed to be run inside a VM and
paired with Tor.

Whonix aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity by helping you use
your applications anonymously. A web browser, IRC client, word
processor, and more come pre-configured with security in mind.

It is a complete operating system designed to be used inside a host
operating system. It is Free/Libre Software (Open Source) and based on
Tor, Debian GNU/Linux and security by isolation. Whonix isn't a stripped
down version of Debian. For example, anything you can do with "vanilla"
Debian GNU/Linux, you can do with Whonix.

Whonix is available for all major operating systems and offers a broad
amount of compatibility with all sorts of programs.

Whonix is based on Tor, which is a Free Software and an open network
that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network
surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential
business activities and relationships, and state security.

Whonix consists of two parts: One solely runs Tor and acts as a gateway,
which we call Whonix-Gateway. The other, which we call
Whonix-Workstation, is on a completely isolated network. Only
connections through Tor are possible. With Whonix, you can use
applications and run servers anonymously over the internet. DNS leaks
are impossible, and not even malware with root privileges can find out
the user's real IP.

Tor is often incorrectly known as an anonymous web browser. It's full
power to anonymize any network activity and circumvent censhorship is
greatly underappreciated and little used. Partly, this is because it can
be difficult to configure your applications to use it. An improper or
broken setup can silently send internet traffic in the clear, without
the user realizing it. Worse, without isolation and compartmentalization
provided by a dedicated operating system, identifying information will
be accidentally or intentionally leaked by the user or the operating
system. Thus, using Tor without a Tor-focused desktop (including
so-called "anonymizing" hardware devices) can lead to a dangerous and
false sense of security.

Stuff that the Whonix project does:

- Thinking hard about obscure attacks on anonymity such as clock
correlation deanonymization attacks and develop countermeasures.
- Add support for multiple anonymity networks to cater to different user
bases.
- Extensive documentation. Did you know, that using non-anonymous
activity in one browser and anonymous activity in another browser at the
same time might get you deanonymized? We documented that and lots of
other stuff.
- Successfully communicate issues in the Tor ecosystem and do so
whenever we find something.