Comments for Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

Comment from ron on 2011-10-04

2011-10-05T03:32:52Z

Another benefit of VMs is that they can be changed more easily than an installed machine.

Browsers have to expose a great deal of information about your system configuration. Enough detail that your system can be uniquely identified. The technique itself is called fingerprinting. So if you are concerned enough to be worried about being identified, you can modify the VM configuration to generate a new "signature".

IP's can be hidden behind services like TOR.

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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Comment from Aleister Cromwell on 2010-08-19

2010-08-19T07:43:59Z

Zero Day? No I think this is a method been around for a while. I am relatively ignorant of it, but have been trying to use virtual machines and 'embedded linux' like andlinux - to deal with it.

Windows is not really secure at a machine language level.

There are all kinds of system processes acting in the background, there is something called lsass which can use an active debugger that modifies code in running applications.

Run the latest zone alarm and watch for 'code injections'

When a program crashes you can sometimes execute code in memory like a .jmp instruction. I keep having this error in almost every firewall I use, (every version too)

I think it is a division by zero type of error forced on the app.

EXCEPTION : Unknown at (0x00000000) Address 0x00000000

Who knows what's being run at that point.

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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Comment from Aleister Cromwell on 2010-08-18

2010-08-19T05:58:11Z

It was informative. I would like you to address the question of whether or not it can help you
maintain privacy when the host machine is compromised. A keylogger for example, is the keyboard still being logged in the host machine when you type in the VM - or a trojan (that isn't in antivirus databases yet) will the screenshots be taken in the VM? Can you disable host connectivity without impairing the VM? It's an odd question, but very relevant to those who are being stalked by the skilled - compromise is relatively constant and one needs to engineer solutions to maintain privacy...

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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Comment from Art on 2009-04-09

2009-04-09T08:41:08Z

You don't need sandbox or virtual machine to protect your privacy. Just use a good privacy keeper - History Killer Pro

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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Comment from MrGroove on 2008-10-04

2008-10-04T08:20:10Z

Nice write-up. I would however argue that by using a VM it can help you from a privacy and security standpoint just being that if you keep your VM in "Disk Undo Mode". Like you said, each time you reset the box and the disk goes back to vanilla all the cookie tracking and other malware that is tracking you is gone. From a privacy standpoint, that is good. And from a security standpoint if the VM is not a member of your local domain or network (that is as long as your other machines have their firewall turned on to protect from the VM) your covered from a VM as well.

All in all, I think it's a good idea but I do agree. your not covering ALL your tracks because they still have your IP address and all the information from that SESSION as well.

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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Comment from Mike B on 2008-10-01

2008-10-02T06:35:53Z

Thanks. Your article is really helpful.

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A comment on: Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?

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