Persistent Volumes on Tails?

Mods feel free to delete if wrong sub/doesn't meet rules

Hey guys, I was just wondering if using a persistent volume on Tails would be a good/bad idea. I know it will be a lot easier since I'll be able to save my passwords in password manager, along with saving my Tor settings. But is it really as big of a potential security flaw as its made out to be? Or am I a complete idiot for not using a persistent volume and having it reset everytime I use tails? Would really appreciate some input.


Comments


[5 Points] 24362312526223:

Persistent volume is where its at man! Encrypt that shit with a beast of a password (long phrase or sentence with special characters you'll remember) and do it! There's no alternative, really. Remember all ur market passwords? Seeds? etc? you'd have to store that information somewhere and better to do it on the persistance volume under a big password than on a post-it note stuck to your monitor.


[2 Points] ziz1:

It is a good idea to use the persistent volume if you protect it with a good multi-word unguessable passphrase and you make backups of it.

Windows users can use this program to make a backup image of their Tails USB with persistence:

http://www.alexpage.de/usb-image-tool/download/

If your USB drive fails or is lost, you can write the image out to a larger USB and have a bootable Tails USB with your persistence files intact and ready to go. You can write the image out to the same size drive, but it must be the exact same size. Best plan is to buy multiple USB flash drives from the same manufacturer with the same model number and test your backup plan before disaster strikes.


[2 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] radium_fire:

GOOD IDEA. Much safer than keeping track of all those things anywhere else. Use a complex password, it's as close to airtight as any regular user needs.


[1 Points] entactoBob:

A few things to consider:

1.) You don't have to persist data on TAILS, really. Bookmarks/links are just convenience and you can easily get the addresses you need from this sub, most likely.

2.) Usernames & passwords can be committed to memory fairly easily if you have a good system in place &/or a decent mnemonic device. Set a daily alarm on your phone to prompt you to mentally go over your usernames/passwords so your memory doesn't fade. For critical info though, this is unreliable (such as an acct w/ a significant enough amount of BTC).

3.) So… there is something to keeping your persistence data separate from the TAILS boot drive. You might want to keep a "master list" .TXT that you encrypt & keep saved. If you do this, I suggest accessing the file through a small Linux distro on a computer disconnected from the Internet. Open a private browser window and enter the following into the address bar:

data:text/html, <html contenteditable style="padding: 4rem; font-family: Courier;"></html>

This will give you a blank scratchpad to write on, select the text, & encrypt. The data shouldn't be stored anywhere else once the private browser session has ended.

Edit: btw, this last method really isn't any safer than TAILS necessarily – arguably less so depending on whom you ask. If you want to play it safest, use the onscreen keyboard to enter sensitive data & commit everything to memory.

Is van eck phreaking still a thing? Evidently.

TL;DR – use persistence minimally & you'll be fine.


[1 Points] u3565572:

you can have multiple encrypted USB drives and leave tails stock