Category: Anonymity

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Blog Android Anonymity OpenSource Security Smartphone

2025-07-23: GrapheneOS: More Security, Less Google – How to Take Back Control of Your Smartphone

In a world where smartphones have become constant companions — and often know more about us than we’d like — a fair question arises:
How can I use my phone without constantly sharing data with Google and others?

One convincing answer: GrapheneOS.
An alternative Android operating system focused entirely on security, privacy, and user control. In this post, I’ll walk you through what GrapheneOS offers, its pros and cons, and how it can help you reclaim your digital freedom — without giving up too much functionality.

👉 Learn more on the official website: https://grapheneos.org

🧩 What Is GrapheneOS?

GrapheneOS is an independent, open-source operating system based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), designed with one clear goal: to make smartphones more secure and privacy-respecting.

Unlike standard Android builds, it comes without any pre-installed Google services, and instead adds a wide range of security improvements at the system level — all while remaining fully compatible with Android apps.

GrapheneOS is ideal for users who are tech-savvy or deeply privacy-conscious — journalists, business owners, developers, or just private individuals who want more control.

🚫 How Does GrapheneOS Help You De-Google Your Life?

✔️ No Built-in Google Services

GrapheneOS includes no Google Play Services, no Google account requirement, and no background communication with Google servers. You’re in full control of what your device does.

✔️ Optional, Sandboxed Google Play

If you need specific apps that depend on Google services, you can install them manually in an isolated sandbox. They behave like regular third-party apps and don’t have privileged access to the system.

✔️ Fine-Grained Permission Management

GrapheneOS gives you detailed control over permissions. You can restrict access to network, sensors, camera, or microphone — even based on whether the screen is locked.

✅ Advantages of GrapheneOS

  • 🔒 Top-Tier Security Architecture
    Hardened kernel, exploit mitigations, secure boot, and memory safety features like MTE.
  • 🧱 Strong App Sandboxing
    Apps run in isolated environments to reduce risk and prevent cross-app interference.
  • 🚀 Fast and Frequent Updates
    Security patches are rolled out promptly — often faster than official Android builds.
  • 🔎 Fully Open Source and Transparent
    Every line of code is auditable. No hidden processes, no surprises.
  • ⚙️ User-Centric Design
    You decide what runs on your phone. No bloatware or forced services.
  • 📦 Minimalist, Privacy-Friendly Apps
    Includes a secure browser (Vanadium), open-source PDF reader, camera app, and verification tools.

⚠️ Possible Drawbacks

  • 📱 Limited Device Support
    Currently, GrapheneOS is officially supported only on Google Pixel devices (6 and newer). Devices from other manufacturers are not compatible.
  • 🛠️ Requires Some Technical Knowledge
    Installing GrapheneOS means unlocking the bootloader and flashing the system using a computer. It’s well documented, but not beginner-level.
  • 📲 App Compatibility Can Vary
    Some apps — especially in banking or streaming — depend on Google Play Services and might not work as expected (or at all) without sandboxed support.
  • 🧠 Learning Curve for New Users
    If you’re used to heavily customized Android skins (like Samsung One UI) or iOS, it may take time to adjust to GrapheneOS’s minimalist and security-focused environment.
  • 📦 No Pre-Installed Extras
    GrapheneOS keeps things lean. Common apps like calendar, gallery, or email clients need to be installed manually from trusted sources.

📱 Supported Devices (as of July 2025)

GrapheneOS officially supports the following devices:

  • Google Pixel 9 / 9 Pro / 9 Pro XL / 9 Pro Fold / 9a
  • Google Pixel 8 / 8 Pro / 8a
  • Google Pixel 7 / 7 Pro / 7a
  • Google Pixel 6 / 6a
  • Google Pixel Fold
  • Google Pixel Tablet

If you already own one of these or plan to get one — you’re ready to go.

📝 Conclusion

GrapheneOS is a powerful operating system for anyone who takes privacy and security seriously. It combines advanced protections with compatibility for most Android apps — and it does so without tying you to Google or other third parties.

Yes, it takes a bit more effort to install and get used to. But if digital independence is important to you, the benefits clearly outweigh the challenges.

🛠️ Need Help Getting Started? I’ve Got You Covered.

As an IT service provider, I offer the following:

  • ✅ Support with installing and configuring GrapheneOS on your Pixel device
  • ✅ Consultation on app compatibility and secure usage
  • ✅ Pre-configured devices with GrapheneOS – fully set up and ready to use

If you’re considering switching to a more secure and private smartphone experience, feel free to get in touch. I’d be happy to assist — whether you already own a Pixel or want to purchase one that’s ready to use.

Real digital privacy starts with taking control of your own device.
Let’s make that happen — together.

Categories
Blog Anonymity Future OpenSource Security

2025-07-06: Freedom first – and security follows naturally: Why IT must embrace openness

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my many years working in IT, it’s this: freedom is the foundation of everything we consider secure and trustworthy. Especially in technology, I constantly see how freedom is often sacrificed for the illusion of greater security. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite: freedom is what truly enables real security in the first place.

You might be wondering what exactly I mean by that. Allow me to explain.

🔍 Freedom means control — and that means security

When I speak of freedom in the context of IT, I primarily mean the freedom to decide for yourself what happens with your data. The freedom to use software as you see fit, fully aware of what it does behind the scenes.
The opposite of this is closed systems where you simply have to trust that a vendor is doing things right — without ever being able to verify it.

✅ Open Source software gives you this freedom back. Anyone can look at the source code and audit it. There are no hidden functions, no secret backdoors.
🔒 Encryption ensures that your data remains yours alone, accessible only to those you explicitly authorize — and to no one else.

So it becomes clear: freedom isn’t a risk here; it’s your strongest safeguard. As a user or business, you retain control. And from that, true security follows automatically.

🕊️ Edward Snowden, Julian Assange — and what that means for your IT

Edward Snowden revealed to the world just how deeply governments can invade our privacy when no one is watching. He warned us that surveillance and secrecy come at the expense of our freedom — and ultimately undermine our security as well.

Julian Assange, through WikiLeaks, exposed abuses of power that would have remained hidden otherwise. He made sure misconduct came to light. Both, in their own way, demonstrated that without transparency, there can be no freedom. And without freedom, there is no genuine security.

This is not merely a political debate. It directly affects your IT systems every single day. Because the more you rely on closed platforms, the less you know about what’s happening behind the scenes. And the more you depend on mere promises, instead of verifiable facts.

💼 How I, as an IT service provider, turn freedom into a security strategy

This is why I’ve made it a point in my work as an IT service provider to rely consistently on freedom software. That means:

  • 🌐 I recommend open-source solutions, developed and reviewed by diverse communities.
  • 🔒 I implement strong encryption so your data truly belongs to you.
  • ✅ I rely on open standards that won’t lock you into a single vendor’s ecosystem.

This not only protects your privacy but also makes your systems more robust overall. Because flaws are detected and fixed more quickly. Because if needed, you can always switch providers or adapt the software without having to overhaul your entire business infrastructure.

In this way, freedom becomes the very foundation of your security — not its opponent.

✉️ My invitation to you

I invite you to take this thought with you:
Freedom first — and security will follow naturally.

Let’s work together to ensure your IT is set up so that you can act confidently and securely, not just today, but well into the future. For you as an individual, for your company, and for a digital world where we all get to keep our freedom.

If you’d like, I’d be glad to show you exactly what this could look like for your specific situation. Please feel free to reach out to me.

Categories
Finance Anonymity Bitcoin Blog Future Security

2025-06-24: Digital Euro: Progress at the Expense of Freedom & Privacy?

The European Central Bank is actively working on the introduction of the digital euro – a state-issued digital currency designed to complement the existing payment system. While this move is presented as modern and innovative, it’s important to pause and ask a fundamental question: What impact will the digital euro have on our freedom, our privacy – and our ability to choose how we pay?

💸 Cash – Tangible Freedom in Your Pocket

Cash is more than just a payment method. It represents personal freedom, built-in privacy, and one of the last ways to make purchases without leaving a digital trail. With cash, you decide when, where, and how you spend your money – without oversight or restrictions.

And yet, cash is increasingly being marginalized. Discussions about limits on cash payments, withdrawal restrictions, or even calls for its gradual phase-out are becoming more common. This is concerning, because cash serves as a safeguard against surveillance and financial overreach. 🛡️

🏦 What Is the Digital Euro – and What’s the Issue?

The digital euro would be a legal tender in digital form – issued directly by the central bank. Unlike cash, it would not be anonymous, but instead technically traceable by design. Transactions could be tracked, monitored in real time, and even influenced or restricted.

Centralized digital currencies make it technically possible to:

  • ❌ limit spending (by amount, category, or time),
  • 🔒 block or pre-approve transactions,
  • ⏳ apply expiration dates or negative interest rates.

While such features might seem practical in certain scenarios, they also open the door to significant interference in individual financial autonomy. This isn’t about criticizing institutions, but rather about preserving a healthy balance between innovation and civil liberties.

₿ Bitcoin – Digital Sovereignty Without Central Control

In contrast, Bitcoin operates on a fundamentally different principle. It is a decentralized digital monetary system, not controlled by any government or corporation. Transactions are verified by a global network, not a central authority.

Privacy by structure: With Bitcoin, you don’t need a bank account, approval, or to share personal data to send or receive payments. When used correctly, Bitcoin offers a high degree of financial privacy, much like cash – but in a digital, global form. 🌍

✅ Why Bitcoin Makes Sense
  • ⚙️ Decentralized by design: No central authority, no censorship.
  • 🌐 Globally accessible: Anyone with an internet connection can use it.
  • 🕵️ Private in practice: No personal information required.
  • 🔒 Inflation-proof: Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million.
  • 🗽 Independent: No third party can freeze or limit your assets.

Bitcoin isn’t just a digital currency – it’s a tool for freedom and financial independence in the digital age.

🧭 Conclusion: Payment Freedom – Offline and Online

Whether paying with coins at a store or sending a transaction from your phone – you should always be free to choose the payment method that suits you. The digital euro may offer certain conveniences, but it must never replace or restrict access to cash or alternatives like Bitcoin.

💵 Cash must remain a free, anonymous means of payment. And Bitcoin offers its digital counterpart – independent, global, and privacy-respecting.

🤝 Want to learn more about Bitcoin – as an individual or for your business?

As an IT service provider and expert, I support private clients and businesses in understanding, using, and integrating Bitcoin safely and effectively.

📩 Feel free to contact me – for a future of digital freedom and self-determination.

Categories
Blog Anonymity Messenger Security Server

2025-06-15: Use WhatsApp securely with a Proxy

In an age where data privacy is increasingly important, it’s essential to be aware of your digital footprint. Messaging apps like WhatsApp, operated by Meta (formerly Facebook), collect a wide range of metadata — even though message content is end-to-end encrypted.

Fortunately, there’s a solution for anyone who wants to continue using WhatsApp without exposing their connection details: my free WhatsApp Proxy Service! 🌐🔐

What Does My WhatsApp Proxy Do?

My WhatsApp proxy service acts as an intermediary between your device and WhatsApp’s servers. Instead of connecting directly to Meta’s servers, your data traffic is routed through my proxy. This means:

  • ✉️ Hidden IP Address: WhatsApp (i.e., Meta) no longer sees your real IP address, preventing them from determining your location or internet provider.
  • 🌍 No Geo-Tracking: The detour via proxy makes it nearly impossible to track your location.
  • 🔒 Encrypted Communication: All data is transmitted using SSL encryption.
  • ⛔️ Minimal Metadata: Information about your device, region, or connection time is significantly reduced.
  • 💡 Free and Anonymous: The service is completely free and requires no registration.
How to Set Up the WhatsApp Proxy 📱
  1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots in the top right corner (⋮).
  2. Navigate to Settings > Storage and Data > Proxy.
  3. Enable Use Proxy.
  4. Tap on Set up Proxy and enter the following details:
    • Proxy Host: whatsapp.cmdsrv.de or alternatively 128.140.60.104
    • Chat Port: 7001
    • Media Port: 7007
  5. Confirm by tapping the check mark ✅.
  6. It should now display “Connected”.

And that’s it — you’re securely connected via my proxy! 🔐

Why Using a WhatsApp Proxy Makes Sense ❓

Meta makes its money through ads and analytics — not just by what you write, but by tracking when, where, how, and with whom you communicate. Even without accessing your message content, Meta knows when you’re online, who you’re chatting with, and from where.

Conclusion ✅

My WhatsApp Proxy Service offers a simple, effective tool to enhance your digital privacy. No registration, no fees — just real benefits:

⭐ More privacy, less surveillance.

Try it out yourself and feel free to share this information with others who value digital self-determination. 🤝

I am an IT specialist focused on networks and server services. I am happy to assist with technical questions or custom requirements. Feel free to get in touch — inquiries are always welcome.

Categories
Blog Anonymity Bitcoin Future Messenger OpenSource Security

2025-05-26: Open Source Software: Digital Freedom

Open source software is no longer a niche topic – it forms the backbone of our digital world. Many people are unaware of this, but the majority of computers around the globe already rely on open source technologies. In particular, the internet runs heavily on open source: most web servers operate using the Linux operating system, and countless services and applications – from web browsers to content management systems – are built on open source foundations.

🔍 What Does Open Source Mean?

Open source means that a software’s source code is publicly accessible, modifiable, and free to use. This transparency not only fosters trust but also enables global, collaborative development. Control does not rest with a single company or state – it lies with the community. This prevents users from being locked into expensive subscription models or becoming dependent on individual vendors – a scenario that’s increasingly common with proprietary software.

This issue is strikingly portrayed in the latest season of the series Black Mirror (Season 7, Episode 1): A woman receives a medical chip implant after having a brain tumor removed. The twist? The chip is permanently connected to the provider’s cloud – all data and functionality are processed externally, with nothing stored locally. Without an active subscription, the chip stops working. The software operates on a tiered licensing model with steadily rising costs. Eventually, the woman’s family can no longer afford the increasingly expensive subscription levels – leading to catastrophic consequences.

This dystopian scenario highlights how dangerous it can be when essential technologies are fully controlled by a central provider. It creates a total dependency – both technically and financially. Open source offers a radical alternative: transparent, decentralized, user-controlled, and free.

🧩 Freedom Through Technology

Open source is an expression of digital self-determination. Those who use free software decide for themselves what runs on their devices, what data is shared, and which functions are enabled. This independence is more than just a technical detail – it’s a political statement in an age of digital surveillance, data exploitation, and monopolization.

A particularly powerful example of open source as a vehicle for independence is Bitcoin. Here too, the entire source code is publicly available, every transaction is verifiable, and the system itself is not centrally controlled. The idea of freedom, transparency, and decentralization is central – and would not be possible without open source.

🔐 Security Through Encryption

In an age of widespread digital surveillance, protecting private communication is essential. Open source plays a crucial role here: only with publicly accessible source code can users verify whether a tool is truly secure. Encryption tools such as PGP for email or decentralized messengers like Matrix (with clients like Element) are vital for maintaining privacy and shielding digital conversations from prying eyes.

🤝 A Call to Support Open Source

The benefits of open source are overwhelming: transparency, security, independence, and innovation. But none of this happens automatically. The development and maintenance of free software is often done voluntarily or underfunded. That’s why it’s essential that we not only use open source but actively support it – by contributing to development, reporting bugs, or donating to projects that benefit us all.

Here is a short list of the most famous open source programs:

1. LibreOffice
Free and powerful office suite – alternative to Microsoft Office
🔗 https://www.libreoffice.org/

2. GIMP
Free image editor – comparable to Adobe Photoshop
🔗 https://www.gimp.org/

3. Mozilla Firefox
Secure and fast open-source web browser
🔗 https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/

4. Thunderbird
Email client with calendar and chat support
🔗 https://www.thunderbird.net/

5. VLC Media Player
Versatile media player that supports nearly all formats
🔗 https://www.videolan.org/vlc/

6. Audacity
Audio recording and editing software
🔗 https://www.audacityteam.org/

7. Krita
Professional painting and illustration tool for artists
🔗 https://krita.org/

8. Inkscape
Vector graphics editor – similar to Adobe Illustrator
🔗 https://inkscape.org/

9. KeePassXC
Secure and cross-platform password manager
🔗 https://keepassxc.org/

10. Shotcut
Free, open-source video editor with wide format support
🔗 https://shotcut.org/

✅ Conclusion

In the digital age, open source is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. There is hardly a more powerful tool for freedom, self-determination, and privacy protection. Those who want a free society must also support free software. It’s up to all of us to promote open source – for a digital world that liberates, not controls.

Categories
Anonymity Blog Security

2025-05-17: Anonymous. Secure. Free: TOR Network

Why you should not only use the network, but also support it:

The internet should be a place of freedom — a space where you can inform yourself, communicate, and express your opinion without being constantly watched or controlled. Unfortunately, the reality looks quite different: surveillance, data collection, censorship. That’s where TOR comes in — the “The Onion Router” network. And no, it’s not just for hackers or whistleblowers. TOR is for anyone who wants to protect their privacy online.

🔐 TOR Is Not a Hiding Place for Criminals — It’s a Shield for Citizens

TOR often has a bad reputation because it’s associated with the so-called “dark web.” But that image is misleading. TOR was not created for illegal purposes — it was developed as a tool for ordinary citizens who want to keep their online activity private.

Whether you want to browse anonymously, avoid being tracked by advertisers, or bypass censorship in authoritarian regimes — TOR gives you the ability to move through the internet securely and without being watched.

🕵️‍♂️ Snowden, Assange, and the Reality of Mass Surveillance

You may remember Edward Snowden, who revealed in 2013 how extensively the NSA and other intelligence agencies are monitoring people around the world. Or Julian Assange, who, through WikiLeaks, published confidential documents exposing war crimes and corruption.

Both men used secure, anonymous communication methods — including TOR — to protect their sources and themselves. Without such tools, many of these truths would have remained hidden. TOR is not just a piece of software — it’s a symbol of transparency, accountability, and freedom of information.

⚙️ How You Can Support TOR — By Running a Relay

TOR relies on its users to stay strong. Especially important are Middle Relays — the servers that forward encrypted traffic through the network. The more of these relays exist, the faster, more stable, and more secure the entire system becomes.

The good news: Running a relay is technically simple, inexpensive, and has a big impact — for you and for millions of users around the globe.

I have provided a corresponding tutorial for your own Linux server here for free:

https://it-service-commander.de/en/tutorials-2/docker/install-tor-server-in-a-docker-container-on-your-vps/

🧭 Digital Freedom Is Not a Given

Data retention laws, chat control, constant tracking — these are not just buzzwords. They represent real threats to civil liberties. Both governments and corporations are collecting data at a scale that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.

Privacy is not a luxury — it is a fundamental digital right. And now, more than ever, it needs to be defended.

✅ Conclusion

TOR is not a criminal hiding place, but a protective tool for free speech, journalism, and digital self-determination.

If you use TOR, you protect your own data.
If you actively support TOR, for example by running a relay, you help make the internet a freer and safer place — for everyone.

Real freedom begins with digital responsibility — and that’s in your hands.

More Information: https://www.torproject.org/