Usually, it is not necessary for buyers to use the following alternative communication methods since the internal market message system should be sufficient. However, it can become necessary to use them if for example the market the vendor uses goes down and you want to stay in touch with him. Therefore the following chapters will be dedicated to using alternative communication methods without compromising your OpSec.
Let’s briefly talk about how can we use misinformation to make it much harder for these entities to track you.
- Names – don’t use your real name anywhere on the internet and avoid websites that require one. Relying on aliases, pseudo-anonymous is better than being caught with your pants down.
- IP address – Mask your IP address by using Tor, VPN, VPS, RDP, or proxies. Depending on what you’re actually doing you might want to combine some of these. The point using what’s at your disposal to make their lives harder.
- Browser fingerprint – this one is probably the hardest to conceal if you are not a tech wizard. But, you can always use several browsers with different plugins to make it appear as if you’re several persons.
- Phone numbers – stop linking your personal phone number to services such as instant messengers, social media applications, and two-factor authentication on services. Either go ahead and purchase a VOIP number with crypto or use things such as Yubi Key for-two factor authentication.
- E-mail addresses – probably the easiest, use several e-mails under different names for different purposes. Keep things separate!
- Stylometry – is the application of the study of linguistic style. For example, I can say 10% or 10 percent or ten percent. Each of these is different and can be used to mask your true identity. Also, when I wrote this post, I could have easily gone to some translation service and done this. Translate from English to Russian, Russian to Spanish, Spanish to Finnish, and Finnish to English. This will tumble the text and make it very different(stylometry-wise) from what you originally wrote, you just have to spell-check it.
- Deception and lies – not the kind you‘re expecting. So let‘s say you‘re a Dread user and you want to mention a pet you have for making some point in a discussion. Now, it is considered bad OPSEC to say „Hey, I have a black cat!“, instead say you have a white dog. That way you can still say my pet has done X, Y, or Z. But without divulging actual intel about you. Making such subtle changes to details is crucial if you want to stay hidden.
“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”
