When it comes to being secure on the internet, users can take many different precautions. Those users who are slightly more “paranoid” about their online privacy will have to use a different operating system, though. Tails is a very popular OS among privacy advocates, and it offers a lot of benefits. Below are some of the facts everyone should know about the Tails operating system.
5. Darknet Accessibility
As one would somewhat expect from a Linux operating system focusing on privacy and anonymity, accessing the darknet is relatively easy. Tails OS has all of the tools built in to access the Onion network, which is where the darknet resides. Thanks to the Tor browser, it becomes easier to browse that part of the internet that is not indexed by popular search engines.
4. Removing Digital Breadcrumbs
Another main reason why people use the Tails operating system is because it effectively removes any digital breadcrumbs left behind by the user. To be more specific, the OS prides itself upon leaving no trace of how users browse the Internet, which is of great value to some people. None of this information is stored on the computer at any given time, which improves user privacy.
3. No Installation Required
One of the best features about Tails OS is how it does not need to be installed on the computer itself. Tails can be used just fine as a live boot disc or an operating system booting from a USB drive. Once the user boots into Tails, they will be greeted with an encrypted and private operating system that offers a full suite of programs one could find on virtually any computer. This includes an email client, instant messaging, and a Word-like document processor. All of these tools are free and open source, of course.
2. Only Works On X86 and X86_64
Even though it would appear the Tails operating system can work on virtually any device, that is not the case, unfortunately. Right now, Tails only supports x86 and x86_64 architectures. That means any ARM-based device, such as tablets and the Raspberry Pi, do not support Tails as of right now. Any tablet with an AMD or Intel processor, however, should work fine, as long as it is compatible with the Debian operating system.
1. The NSA Thinks You Are An Extremist
It is not entirely surprising to learn governments and intelligence agencies are not too happy operating systems such as Tails even exist in the first place. Solutions like these provide privacy and anonymity, ensuring not even the government can spy on users. In this day and age of mass online surveillance, Tails is a thorn in the eye of many organizations, including the NSA.
In fact, the NSA referred to Tails as a “tool used by extremists” back in 2014. Interestingly enough, that statement brought a lot more positive attention to the operating system, as more people started taking it seriously. Considering how Edward Snowden thinks Tails is a must-have for anyone who takes online privacy seriously, that NSA statement did not surprise too many people.
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