Tor and Thunderbird: Outgoing Email Unsafe?

[Ringo Kamens]

Also, you can download some smtp relay scanners and scan but scanning
is illegal in many jurisdictions. You can buy lists at underground
websites. Have you considered sending mail through tor on a Mixmaster
Remailer? This would really up your anonymity level. Also, if you are
able to get a smtp email through tor, find out the exit node and
specify it in your proxy settings. That way, mail will always get sent
through that proxy. That might hamper your anonymity a bit, but you
can always rotate it.
Ringo Kamens

On 1/2/07, Job <Job2 at home.nl> wrote:
> Thanks Mike,
>
> Ill go check that out!
> Great it works with outlook too.
> I have both outlook and thunderbird installed but i must say i prefer
> outlook in the end cause of its speed... thunderbird is rather slow on
> my crappy computer... it does have nice extras outlook express doesn't
> have like spam and unwanted mail filters though.
>
> Id also like to contribute to Tor by having my computer available for
> it. ill have to look into that later though...got it get a hang of it
> myself first ;)
>
>
>
> Michael Holstein schreef:
> > Here's another idea ... gmail allows SMTP via SSL (smtps on tcp/465).
> >
> > You've got to authenticate for in/out (meaning google account) but you
> > can get one of those anonymously. They do POP via SSL as well (pop3s
> > on tcp/995). Combine the two and you've got a functional client.
> >
> > This should help you out .. (applies to Outlook, but Thunderbird would
> > use same settings in different places) :
> >
> >
> http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13278&query=smtp&topic=&type=f&ctx=search
> >
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > ~Mike.
> >
> > Job wrote:
> >> Tanks Mike for your fast and helpful replies
> >>
> >> I am not that worried about traces of activities left on my computer.
> >> I just want to be sure receivers of email wont be able t see my IP
> >> and stuff.
> >> So if i use a web based email and use firefox with Tor to access it
> >> with my normal settings(the settings that I always use when i use the
> >> Internet) so not a totally separate profile.The receiver still wont
> >> be able to trace me right? I understand that for complete security I
> >> should make a new browser profile so the cookies wont mix. but as
> >> cookies are on my own computer they have nothing to do with any info
> >> the receiver of email might be able to get from the header or
> >> whatever of the email i sent, am i correct?
> >>
> >> Some web based email services,like mail.com if i am not mistaken,
> >> give you the option to download a little prog that warns you when a
> >> new emailis in.
> >> Does this affect my anonymity? I suppose it does as the server from
> >> mail.com will connect to my comp to tell me there is a new message.
> >> On the other hand, if I use tor enabled firefox wouldn't that
> >> connection also be anonymous?
> >>
> >> last question: Why cant I access the account without Tor?(safety wise
> >> i mean). As long as i dont send any emails to anyone isnt it safe? I
> >> understand my ISP and mail.com will be able to trace me but not
> >> receivers of emails as I am not sending any at that moment.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Michael Holstein schreef:
> >>>> ps: am i correct that if i use a webbased email account(for example
> >>>> gmail) without pop3 and I use (Torified)Firefox to acces it I CAN
> >>>> send emails out without the receiver being able to see my personal
> >>>> IP etc?
> >>>> I dont mind of they se my email address ofcourse as they need that
> >>>> to reply to me, just dont want them to be able to view my info.
> >>>
> >>> Yes. TOR and (yahoo|hotmail|gmail|$whatever) is an anonymous way to
> >>> go about it. Just make sure you use a totally separate browser
> >>> profile (eg: start firefox with -ProfileManager) as to not
> >>> cross-contaminate cookies, etc. and do everything regarding that
> >>> email account -- including signup -- using TOR, and never access it
> >>> outside of TOR, nor access anything else with that browser profile.
> >>>
> >>> ~Mike.
> >>>
> >>
> >
>