Qubes OS privacy enhancement guide

[solene]

Hi,

this would be cool to gather settings to enhance Qubes OS privacy. It’s a common question but we don’t really have any guide for that.

Feel free to edit this message to add tips! I started gathering some material, I’ll make it look great and add it here.

[stardustspaceship]

I think this is likely a common question and perhaps one that is easier to break down into “what are you trying to keep private?” sections?

[ymy]

naming your dom0 user user helps if your accountname is in the top right corner in screenshots?

[renehoj]

You can right-click the menu button, select properties and change the custom title to whatever you want, the username is just the default.

[Johnboy]

Anonymizing your MAC address

Although the MAC address is not the only metadata broadcast by network hardware, changing your hardware’s default MAC Address could be an important step in protecting privacy. Qubes OS 4.1 and later already anonymize all Wi-Fi MAC addresses by default - they change during every Wifi session. So there is no need to apply any of the instructions below if you’re only interested in Wi-Fi connections. Users requiring Ethernet MAC address anonymization may want to read on. Randomize a single connec…

Feel free to add it into the first post and to delete this post (@mod).

[barto]

@renehoj

You can right-click the menu button, select properties and change the custom title to whatever you want, the username is just the default.

Can’t change in R4.1.2.

[catacombs]

anonymizing MAC address. OpSec – beware of what things that you might be doing simultaneous. Thinking if I use an email, where I expose name of email provider, to an MAC address, and also posting to a blog I want to be anonymize. I have attached the same MAC address to both.

Or have I??

So Solene, this is an OpSec Guide?

[solene]

@catacombs

anonymizing MAC address. OpSec

This is the default on Qubes OS in Network Manager (I’m currently writing a guide for work about this topic). A MAC address doesn’t go beyond the local network so it’s only important if you use train station, airport wifi etc…

@catacombs

this is an OpSec Guide?

I never really understood what OpSec involves exactly

[catacombs]

Maybe I do not understand.

Operational Security. Op-Sec

Like don’t open Template to internet?

I would say, do not use Zoom, if it is owned by Repressive government.

[Zeno]

@solene

This is the default on Qubes OS in Network Manager (I’m currently writing a guide for work about this topic). A MAC address doesn’t go beyond the local network so it’s only important if you use train station, airport wifi etc…

Tracking by MAC address has been for over a decade.

It can be done by client(apps) and backend(between the networks).

Hiding MAC along with the hostname is beneficial for privacy.