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Topic: Secure desktop wallet in student dorm (Read 854 times)

full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
E᙭OTIᑕ ♥ ᑕOIᑎS
July 02, 2017, 08:31:46 AM
#13
Thank you! With PandaSecurity enabled I have now a basic level of protection from all trivial aspects. A few more hours and I've to move in so let's hope the security can stand up to the great challenge.
legendary
Activity: 4130
Merit: 1307
July 02, 2017, 08:28:30 AM
#12
Haha, thank you! I installed VeraCrypt, it's cool so far.

Sorry, but changing OS isn't an option. Our software usage at Uni heavily builds on Windows. But I usually lock to log in when being away + have good log in password.

Also, CD/DVD drive is disabled.

I won't tell them about my crypto business and will look out for shoulder surfing, those are some nice tips, thanks!

Since I've to move in today, I don't have the time buy that protected case that you were talking about.

But I could use some software to protect my USB ports. Something that prevents malicious autorun if they happened to plug-in something funny into the USB ports or SD-card reader.
What could I use?

You could always consider dual booting and use Linux for btc and windows for other stuff. 
legendary
Activity: 2772
Merit: 2846
July 02, 2017, 07:51:34 AM
#11

But I could use some software to protect my USB ports. Something that prevents malicious autorun if they happened to plug-in something funny into the USB ports or SD-card reader.
What could I use?

You could use usbvaccine by pandasecurity. It has an option to prevent autoruns working on any devices you plug into your computer. The other option it has writes an undeletable blank autorun file to a usb drive so it can't get infected by a malicious autorun. Unfortunately if you then plug that usb drive into a linux machine it makes the file deletable in windows again.

http://www.pandasecurity.com/uk/homeusers/downloads/usbvaccine/
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 3603
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July 02, 2017, 06:02:34 AM
#10
There are some very simple things you can do to literally hide your things - in addition to normal security like password protection and encryption. I used to just rename the extensions of my most important files (very small usually and wallets are the same), to say, .bat. Archive them all into a zip, and rename the zip extension to something else.

A bit inconvenient but I got used to it. If they can't see it, they won't know what to look for.
hero member
Activity: 980
Merit: 500
July 02, 2017, 05:16:48 AM
#9
However funny it sounds, it's not that funny for me. As long as I could lock the notebook itself away in my room at home, it wasn't a problem. But now, temporarily, I've to move to a student dorm where I'll be living with three other students in a very small room. The privacy issue is obvious. The desktop wallet is in my notebook's HDD.

How may I build a secure system from any relevant online and offline threats?
  a paper wallet or a hardware wallet is nuch secure. Also use electrum and encypt your wallet with a secure wallet and add a 2fa. Another thing is I think you should avoid connecting your notebook go public wifi which may get through your privacy security.
full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
E᙭OTIᑕ ♥ ᑕOIᑎS
July 02, 2017, 05:14:02 AM
#8
Haha, thank you! I installed VeraCrypt, it's cool so far.

Sorry, but changing OS isn't an option. Our software usage at Uni heavily builds on Windows. But I usually lock to log in when being away + have good log in password.

Also, CD/DVD drive is disabled.

I won't tell them about my crypto business and will look out for shoulder surfing, those are some nice tips, thanks!

Since I've to move in today, I don't have the time buy that protected case that you were talking about.

But I could use some software to protect my USB ports. Something that prevents malicious autorun if they happened to plug-in something funny into the USB ports or SD-card reader.
What could I use?
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1036
July 02, 2017, 04:36:09 AM
#7
If you are afraid others will see your password while you type, take your notebook with you to bathroom. Wink I highly doubt anyone would barge into bathroom while you "use". Roll Eyes

Or take a clue from Edward Snowden - either paranoid enough or informed enough to only enter his decryption passwords when covered with a blanket.

Keep even your use of Bitcoin secret from anyone who you do not completely trust. They tell their friends, their friends tell their methhead cousin...
sr. member
Activity: 434
Merit: 253
July 01, 2017, 08:47:14 PM
#6
If you are afraid others will see your password while you type, take your notebook with you to bathroom. Wink I highly doubt anyone would barge into bathroom while you "use". Roll Eyes

PORN is that what Muhammed Zakir means.


- Captain obvious.
hero member
Activity: 560
Merit: 509
I prefer Zakir over Muhammed when mentioning me!
July 01, 2017, 06:44:10 PM
#5
If you are afraid others will see your password while you type, take your notebook with you to bathroom. Wink I highly doubt anyone would barge into bathroom while you "use". Roll Eyes
HCP
legendary
Activity: 2086
Merit: 4318
July 01, 2017, 07:38:54 AM
#4
However funny it sounds, it's not that funny for me. As long as I could lock the notebook itself away in my room at home, it wasn't a problem. But now, temporarily, I've to move to a student dorm where I'll be living with three other students in a very small room. The privacy issue is obvious. The desktop wallet is in my notebook's HDD.

How may I build a secure system from any relevant online and offline threats?
Privacy isn't your concern... with 4 people living in a small room, you have none. Security is your problem! Tongue

If you don't feel that you can trust your roomates:

1. Secure your OS... in this case, maybe Windows isn't your best option, perhaps Linux is a better option. In either case, a strong password is your first layer of defense.
2. Secure your wallet... at the very least a strong wallet password... or perhaps an encrypted partition to store the wallet on
3. Secure your laptop... perhaps a lockable container of some description... may not stop complete theft of the container itself, but it might deter any opportunistic types
vh
hero member
Activity: 699
Merit: 666
June 30, 2017, 06:46:36 PM
#3
For data at rest protection, look into veracrypt.   It will let you do both full disk encryption or mount a hidden volume where you can keep sensitive data.  Then password protect your wallet file for extra protection.
sr. member
Activity: 434
Merit: 253
June 30, 2017, 04:32:41 PM
#2
You have a couple of options.

1 - Hardware Wallet.

2 - Use electrum with 2FA (Google Auth)




And why are you using Windows ? Migrate to Linux (Ubuntu).
full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
E᙭OTIᑕ ♥ ᑕOIᑎS
June 30, 2017, 03:39:49 PM
#1
However funny it sounds, it's not that funny for me. As long as I could lock the notebook itself away in my room at home, it wasn't a problem. But now, temporarily, I've to move to a student dorm where I'll be living with three other students in a very small room. The privacy issue is obvious. The desktop wallet is in my notebook's HDD.

How may I build a secure system from any relevant online and offline threats?
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