The Hacks of Mr. Robot: How to Send Ultra-Secure Emails « Null Byte :: WonderHowTo

Welcome back, my nascent hackers!Although my favorite TV show,Mr. Robot, had completed its first season already, I have not completed demonstratingthe hacks that Elliot used in the show. (By the way, I can't wait for season 2!)In several episodes, Elliot was seen sending secure emails. As a seasoned and savvy hacker, he would never use Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo to send confidential messages. Instead, Elliot chose the most secure email system available to non-military and non-spy people like you and me:ProtonMail.In a world where Google and the NSA inspect every email, a truly secure email service would be a godsend. Several email systems have touted themselves as secure, but we eventually learned that they were flawed or that their servers could be grabbed and inspected or otherwise compromised.About ProtonMailProtonMail was developed in 2013, at least in part due to the revelations that Edward Snowden provided regarding the NSA's world-wide surveillance (WWS) program. It was developed by researchers from CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. If you are not familiar with CERN, it's the world's largest subatomic research facility that many credit withthe development of the World Wide Web, among other things.Being based in Switzerland gives ProtonMail several advantages.First, the EU has far more stringent privacy standards than the U.S, and although Switzerland is not a member of the EU, Europe has much greater respect for individual privacy than what is practiced in the U.S., presently.Second, Switzerland has probably the most stringent privacy standards in all of Europe. Long a haven for neutrality and secret bank accounts, Switzerland has developed sophisticated laws to protect individuals' privacy. In addition, Switzerland is outside of the U.S. and EU legal jurisdiction. This makes it an almost perfect physical location for a private email server.ProtonMail was designed to give the email user complete anonymity. To accomplish this anonymity, it provides the following.End-to-end encryption(emails are decrypted in your browser).Does not require a phone number or another email to open an account (that account might be used to track your identity).You can set your email to expire after a number of days—even hours.It keeps no logs.Even the administrators at ProtonMail can't read your email.It is located in a neutral nation that is known for its respect for privacy.ProtonMail has become very popular because of these unique security features. Presently, there are over 250,000 users worldwide and growing rapidly. Due to this rapid growth, you may have to wait awhile to get an account. You need to first request an account and, when they have the capacity, they will email you back telling you that you are eligible to open an account. Presently, this takes 2-3 weeks, but it does vary.Originallyfunded by crowdsourcing, ProtonMail recentlyreceived venture capitalto expand. We can only hope that this will help them keep up with demand for their valuable service.Step 1: Apply for a ProtonMail AccountThe first step, of course, is to request for an account. Go toprotonmail.chand submit a request for an account.Step 2: Create an AccountOnce you receive the email notifying you that you can now open an account, click on the link they sent you. This will take you to a "Create Your Account" screen, such as below.It looks a lot like any other webmail account form, with one exception: it requires two passwords. One is to log into your account and the other is to decrypt your email. For maximum security, make certain that these two are different.Step 3: Log InOnce you have created an account, you can log in like any other webmail account.Now that you have successfully logged in with your username and password, ProtonMail will prompt you for your second password which is used to decrypt your email.When you enter it, it begins working on decrypting your email as seen below.When all of your email is decrypted, it will open a familiar email interface.Step 4: Security SettingsIf you click on "Settings" in the top bar and then "Security," it brings you to the screen below. Notice that you can export your PublicKey for use in PGP-compatible services. Presently, it is only compatible with OpenPGP. Also notice in the lower half of the screen the "Authentication Logs." By default, they are "Disabled" and I recommend you keep them so for the highest level of security.Step 5: Email ExpirationOne of the features of ProtonMail that I really like is the email expiration feature. When you compose an email, you can choose how long it will exist on the server before "expiring."To do so, simply click on the "clock" icon in the bottom of the compose email window and it will open a slider where you can choose how long the email will exist. In this case, I set the expiration to 13 hours. After you hit "Set," the clock will begin ticking, and when the time has expired, the email will expire and no longer be available to ANYONE.In addition to keeping your emails safe from prying eyes, if you want to make certain your chat sessions are secure,check out my article on OTR. (OTR, orOff the Record, is an IRC client.)Keep coming back, my nascent hackers, as we continue to explore the techniques and technologies of the world's most valuable skill set—hacking!Want to start making money as a white hat hacker?Jump-start your hacking career with our2020 Premium Ethical Hacking Certification Training Bundlefrom the newNull Byte Shopand get over 60 hours of training from cybersecurity professionals.Buy Now (90% off) >Other worthwhile deals to check out:97% off The Ultimate 2021 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle99% off The 2021 All-in-One Data Scientist Mega Bundle98% off The 2021 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle62% off MindMaster Mind Mapping Software: Perpetual LicenseRelatedNews:ProntonMail under DDoS AttackNews:Use ProtonMail More Securely Through the Tor NetworkNews:A Game of Real HackingProtonMail 101:How to Send End-to-End Encrypted Emails to Non-ProtonMail RecipientsNews:Samy's MagSpoof Hacking Device Was Just Featured on Mr. RobotHow To:Tutanota for Android, iOS, & Web Keeps Your Emails Private with End-to-End EncryptionThe Hacks of Mr. Robot:How to Send a Spoofed SMS Text MessageHow To:Use Gmail's New Confidential Mode to Send Private, Self-Destructing Emails from Your PhoneThe Hacks of Mr. Robot:How to Hide Data in Audio FilesHow To:The Easy Way to Use PGP for Encrypting Emails on Windows, Mac & LinuxThe Hacks of Mr. Robot:How to Spy on Anyone's Smartphone ActivityHow To:Schedule Emails in Spark So You Don't Forget to Send Them LaterThe Hacks of Mr. Robot:How to Hack BluetoothProtonMail 101:How to Send Self-Destructing EmailsAndroid Security 101:How to Secure Your Communications & MessagesHow To:Your Email Attachments Are Not Secure if You're Using Apple's Mail App in iOS 7Goodnight Byte:HackThisSite Walkthrough, Part 4 - Legal Hacker TrainingHow To:Things to Do on WonderHowTo (02/08 - 02/14)Writing E-mail:The 6 Cs of Not Looking Like a Total ManiacGoodnight Byte:HackThisSite Walkthrough, Part 3 - Legal Hacker TrainingHow To:Things to Do on WonderHowTo (02/01 - 02/07)News:Learning (and Teaching) The Use of BCC in EmailsMr. Robot:Hacking Sequence ExplainedHow To:Permanently Erase Data So That It Cannot be RecoveredHow To:Make a Gmail Notifier in PythonHow To:Create a Swarm of Robot Minions with These Popsicle Stick Arduino HexapodsNews:Basic Email EtiquetteNews:EmailMastering Security, Part 1:How to Manage and Create Strong PasswordsHacking in the Media:Our Craft's Portrayal as Black MagicHow To:Things to Do on WonderHowTo (01/25 - 01/31)How To:Fix Your Notification Settings in Google+ Pages