OPSEC Fundamentals
Operational security for darknet research: compartments, devices, vaults, and reuse mistakes.
OPSEC is the habit of keeping real-world identity away from online activity. Tool choice matters less than reuse mistakes: same username, same password, same shipping persona, same clearnet email.
Compartments
- Separate personas never share usernames or writing style
- Market accounts do not share passwords with email or forums
- Notes with addresses stay encrypted — see PGP and KeePassXC
Devices
A dedicated machine or live OS reduces leftover artifacts. Tails and Whonix exist for that reason. Casual clearnet browsing on the same profile you use for onions collapses the compartment.
Payments
Transparent ledgers link deposits across services. Prefer Monero when privacy of settlement matters — Monero guide.
Hard rules
- No real name, workplace, or home photos in any related account
- No “quick login” from a phone that also holds social apps under your real identity
- No trust for links arriving in private messages