Operational Security
- Identify the information you need to protect
- Analyze the threats
- Analyze your vulnerabilities
- Assess the risk
- Apply countermeasures
Understand your own risk/threat model: Who is your adversary? What needs protecting?
The OPSEC Two-Step: Know what to protect and know how to protect it.
Help, I was hacked!
- Back up all your important data
- factory reset / wipe all of your compromised devices
- if there is a possibility the hardware has been tampered with, buy new hardware.
- Change all your passwords
- most important:
- email,
- social media,
- WLAN,
- infrastructure accounts (phone company, ISP)
- use a password manager like KeePassXC on a trusted device
- trusted = factory new or freshly reset
- Do not change or enter passwords on compromised devices.
Smartphone
- Factory reset the phone.
- Change your Google or Apple ID password.
- do not restore app data from Google or Apple, you could potentially restore a backdoor.
- Reset 2FA information.
- Reset your desktop PC or laptop (maybe there's a keylogger installed as well).
You won't need to get a new phone and number.
Tools
- Umbrella – Android App with security handbook
Talks
- Zoz - Don't Fuck It Up! (DEF CON 22) – this talk offers an amusing introduction to how you can maximize your chances of enduring your freedom while not fucking it up.
Chat
- verify your contacts out-of-band (e.g. via phone call or in person)
- if you send sensitive information (contacts, passwords etc.), delete it for both sides after saving
- don't disclose sensitive information in public chatrooms