I’m aware that this subject can repel you despite being a small introduction so let’s start busting some myths:

• Encryption isn’t necessarily difficult (depending on the method you only need to be able to count).
• Encryption isn’t new (it was already used by 180 bc).
• Encryption isn’t necessarily about criminal activities, in fact it is used every single day by companies, ngos, banks, the police, the army, etc.
• Encrypting your communications doesn’t mean that you are hiding something, but that you are a privacy- aware citizen.
• Whether if it’s legal or not to encrypt depends on your legislation and the kind of encryption used, in some countries all the methods are legal, in others only the weakest ones are: get information.

Having said that let’s get real: nowadays a increasing number of Internet users use P2P software (it already represents one third of the overall Internet traffic) to obtain culture. We have reached this scenario because it happens to be easier, more optimum and more secure than if, for example, every one of us had a web server in our computers where we uploaded files to be shared, that is, the decentralization of the file broadcast systems has free ourselves since the criminalization of the P2P networks means the criminalization of all the Internet users. Nonetheless we are witnessing how governments and industry associations are pursuing a exemplary partial criminalization of the P2P networks to punish the users that are more active. Furthermore, several ISPs are limiting or penalizing your speed when using P2P software. In view of this situation we can make the most of encryption now that popular protocols like the ones used by bittorrent or emule have already implemented weak encryption methods in order to obfuscate the data that flows through your connection.

Besides, don’t forget that everything that goes into/ out your connection, phone, mobile , etc is automatically stored and processed without any need of court order in the name of the security despite they couldn’t stop the worst terrorist attacks ever. Consequently, since email if a very common mean of communication why shouldn’t we apply encryption to it. For all this and much more we have PGP and GPG. Not to mention that every time you send an email or visit a web site all that data flow thought several machines, and if some of these machines are compromised your data will be too unless it’s encrypted.
Provided that instant messaging is getting more and more popular it’s essential to say that there are plugins that encrypt what you write like Pidgin-Encryption
.
Depending on the system you are it may be interesting to use Tor or the like. It basically consists of a secure network where packets come and go and where, at least in theory, nobody knows the origin and the destination until the packets leave the secure network and go to the Internet. Three things must be added:

• Speed slows down when using these networks.
• It might be dangerous to use them if you don’t know all the information. For example, it is true that they guarantee a certain level of anonymity inside the secured network, but it is also possible to capture the information from the exit nodes that are connected to the Internet.
• Your connection is secure until you find things something this.

Despite all this disadvantage it’d say this kind of networks is ideal in places with little freedom like non- democratic countries.

And talking about places, us custom agents can confiscate your laptop, cellphone, mp3 player and other devices without any court order (I guess they argue that’s to check if you’re a terrorist). Anyway, one never knows what is going to happen with that data at the border, at the repair shop or if you loose it. That’s the reason why if you want to protect your data from strangers bear in mind the total or partial encryption of your hard disk. TrueCrypt even allows to define several partitions and mounting one or another depending on the password you type in, which can come in handy if the legislation of the place where you are going demands from you to reveal your password in case you are asked to do it.
In short: get information to protect your freedom. I’ll be waiting for you next Wednesday with the last chapter of this micro- series to talk about habits and skills.

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