[OPSEC/Computer] Folks gotta stop saying "use Electrum" and start saying "use the Electrum installed with Tails" - using "regular" Electrum is HORRIBLE for anonymity!

Been seeing a lot of this lately, figured I should really try to nip it in the bud.

I've seen several posts here recently where people ask, "what should I do with these BTCs!?!?!?" and cats are all, "just use Electrum, dawg" and I'm thinkin' all "WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA there, we need to fuckin' specify on that shit," because for real, if some noob just installs Electrum on their regular OS (not Tails), they're gonna have a bad time.

Electrum reveals ALL of your BTC addresses in your wallet to the Electrum server(s) it's connected to, and it doesn't even (sometimes) use a secure connection for that. That means that ANYONE who can snoop on that traffic can see exactly which BTC addresses are owned by which IP address - and that's a big ol' no fuckin' bueno.

What we need to be telling folks is to use the Electrum that's installed with Tails - please y'all, take the time to add those few extra words. Because without being properly Torified (which is a little tricky), Electrum is actually really horrible for anonymity, way worse than a lot of other Bitcoin wallets.

And remember, even using Electrum on Tails still reveals that the different BTC addresses in your wallet are owned by the same person, so make sure not to mix "dirty" and "clean" coins (or any other categories you have) in the same wallet.

Thank you and have a nice day.


Comments


[10 Points] deezyyyy:

You can configure "regular OS" version (Windows) of Electrum to use Tor proxy...


[3 Points] None:

Can you clarify a little more on what would have to happen for this to be a vulnerability?

Would LE need to be monitoring your local network traffic in order to see this?

Or is your IP stored on Electrum's servers?


[3 Points] None:

<3 sapiophile

another person that we as a community are very lucky to have the knowledge of


[2 Points] YouNeedAnAccount:

Can you give me a quick run down?

So say I want to begin immediate anonymity...

I go to my local pawnshop (they refurbish laptops and put new OS on them) buy one, cash. Do I download Tails on another computer and thumb drive it over? Do I install it offline? After its installed, should I not be using it on my personal wireless connection? It comes with electrum and everything I need right, if not... what else should I get?

When it comes to the point of buying coin. So say I buy them in person with cash. Should I deposit them to my personal wallet, send them to a tumbler and unload them on electrum? Or can I shoot them straight to electrum? Or from my wallet to electrum?

I could do all my own research on this but it seems you want to help so.... help?


[2 Points] None:

How would a VPN affect this?


[1 Points] neverforget1:

I use elctrum with tails, but I also like multibit. Can you comment on the security of that wallet?


[1 Points] daksau:

Just started getting into this so sorry if this is a dumb question. My only way of getting bitcoins is through coinbase as I live in a rural area without nearby ATM's and every time I try to use a western union service it gets denied. Now once I get these coins onto coinbase what should I do with them? send them to a tumbler then to my electrum wallet? or can I send them directly from my coinbase wallet to electrum. should I send them while accessing tails, or on my normal browser? Also, it is ok to use tails on my everyday use computer, correct or not?


[1 Points] The_Free_Marketeers:

What about electrum in whonix?


[1 Points] CanIKissYourKitty:

and can you prove the electrum on tails is any different than the normal electrum, because it appears to be the same


[0 Points] None:

[deleted]


[-1 Points] noonehear:

What if I put in Electrum wallet on win7 then transferred to BTC-e then poloniex traded for altcoins converted to BTC then back to BTC-e traded for more alt coins than back to BTC then to marketplace? WUTWUT? IN U BUTT!?


[-2 Points] noonehear:

What if I put in Electrum wallet on win7 then transferred to BTC-e then poloniex traded for altcoins converted to BTC then back to BTC-e traded for more alt coins than back to BTC then to marketplace? WUTWUT? IN U BUTT!?