🧅 Tails: What it is, how it works, and why it's one of the safest systems for online anonymity

🥷 What is Tails

Tails is a “live” operating system, based on Debian, that boots from a USB stick or DVD without installing it on your computer. The goal is simple yet powerful:

To allow users to use any computer without leaving any traces and with a very high level of anonymity.

It is used by:

investigative journalists
human rights activists
security researchers
people who work in high-risk environments
users who want maximum privacy

🔧 How Tails Works

1. All traffic passes through Tor 🧅

Every Internet connection made by Tails is automatically routed through the Tor network, which:

hides your IP address,
makes it harder to trace the origin of your traffic,
separates your digital identity and online activity.

If an app attempts to connect outside of Tor, Tails blocks the request.

2. No Trace on Your Computer (Amnesia)

When you shut down Tails, the system "forgets" everything:

history
temporary files
passwords
hardware identifiers

Your computer returns to exactly the same state as before, as if Tails had never existed.

3. Optional Persistent Storage

If desired, you can enable "encrypted persistence" on the USB stick for:

passwords,
configurations,
important files,
PGP or SSH keys.

This area is protected by a strong password and remains encrypted even if the stick is lost or stolen.

4. Secure Preinstalled Applications

Tails includes privacy-friendly tools, such as:

Tor Browser
VeraCrypt
KeePassXC
OnionShare
Thunderbird with TorBirdy

Everything is optimized to minimize the possibility of errors.

❓Why Tails is considered very secure

Anonymity-by-design: No app can bypass Tor.
Immutable environment: oEvery boot is "clean."
Strong encryption: If you enable persistence, it is protected by LUKS (strong encryption).
Reduction of the attack surface: Essential and vetted software.
Open source: The code is verifiable by the community, nothing is hidden.

It's not absolute protection, but it's one of the most effective tools for drastically reducing tracking.

🧑‍💻 How to install Tails on a USB stick (simplified guide)

Note: Tails provides very detailed instructions on its website. Here's a clear, general-purpose explanation.

Requirements

1 USB stick at least 8 GB
A computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
The Tails ISO image from the official website (tails.net)

Main Steps

1. Download Tails

From the official website https://tails.net, verify that the download is authentic using the site's "automatic verification" mechanism.

2. Use the official Tails installer

Tails provides a program called Tails Installer to create the bootable USB. The installer works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

3. Create the bootable USB stick

Once the installer opens:

Select the downloaded ISO image,
Choose the destination USB stick,
Start the process.

The contents of the USB stick will be overwritten.

4. Boot your computer from Tails

To boot:

Insert the USB stick,
Restart your computer,
Open the boot menu (F12, F2, ESC, or another key combination, depending on your PC),
Select the USB stick.

Tails will boot in a few seconds.

5. (Optional) Enable Encrypted Persistence

From the main menu, you can create "Persistent Storage" to securely store data.

Pros and Cons of Tails

✅ Advantages

Excellent anonymity: Everything goes through Tor, leaving no trace on the system.
Ideal for high-risk environments: Journalists, researchers, activists.
Built-in security: Rigorously selected and configured software.
Open source and verifiable: Complete code transparency.
Works on any computer: No installation required.

⚠️ Disadvantages

Not suitable for "classic" everyday use: You can't easily install additional software (and it's not even recommended if you don't want to risk losing your anonymity).
Tor can be slow: Anonymity comes at the cost of speed.
Does not protect against user errors: Such as clicking suspicious attachments or logging into personal profiles (which would eliminate anonymity).
Requires minimal technical knowledge: Especially for booting from USB and managing persistence.

Conclusions

Tails is one of the most secure operating systems in the world for anonymity and non-traceability. It's not designed to replace an everyday operating system, but for those moments when privacy is crucial.

Perfect for those who:

need to communicate confidentially,
want to avoid tracking,
need to work on sensitive documents,
or want a completely disposable environment.

🎁 Interesting Fact

Edward Snowden – the NSA computer scientist who in 2013 released classified documents revealing government mass surveillance programs – used Tails during his investigations. Here are some details on how Snowden used Tails:

1. Use via USB / Live OS

According to Wired, Snowden used Tails from a USB stick: the system allowed him to boot a “clean” OS on computers that weren't his and leave no traces on the hard drive. The article highlights how Tails was particularly useful for avoiding forensic analysis: “virtually immune to malicious software, and prevents someone from performing effective forensics”.

2. Tools Used Together

In addition to Tor (included in Tails), Snowden also used PGP to encrypt emails, according to the same source Wired. Tails included several encryption and secure communication tools, useful for a whistleblower.

3. Snowden's Collaborators

Laura Poitras (director of the ddocumentaryCitizenfour) stated that she used Tails “only to communicate with Snowden,” on computers that did not belong to either her or him, to minimize risks. (Wired)

According to theWikipedia page, Glenn Greenwald and other journalists involved in the Snowden case also mention Tails as a key part of their security setup.

4. Tails Versions and Updates

Tails version 1.0 was mentioned onEngadget as “Snowden’s OS”: the fact that Tails was already in use when it was still in beta reinforces the idea that it was an integral part of his technical defenses.

In a subsequent release (1.3), Tails fixed several security vulnerabilities, and it is explicitly mentioned that Snowden had chosen it to “hide from the NSA”. (Betanews)

5. Limits and residual risk

Even though Tails offers a high degree of anonymity, it is not invulnerable: according to an article inWired Italia, some vulnerabilities have been identified that could allow certain users to be de-anonymized. This means that, even for very careful users like Snowden, Tails is a powerful tool, but not a 100% impenetrable "fortified house."

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