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Raided For Running a Tor Exit Node

An anonymous reader writes "A Tor Exit node owner is being prosecuted in Austria. As part of the prosecution, all of his electronics have been held by the authorities, including over 20 computers, his cell phone and hard disks. 'During interview with police later on Wednesday, Weber said there was a "more friendly environment" once investigators understood the Polish server that transmitted the illegal images was used by Tor participants rather than by Weber himself. But he said he still faces the possibility of serious criminal penalties and the possibility of a precedent that Tor operators can be held liable if he's convicted.' This brings up the question: What backup plan, if any, should the average nerd have for something like this?"

10 of 325 comments (clear)

  1. Store your data someplace else by bobstreo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cloud storage, and make the exit node a leech off your neighbors wifi.

    1. Re:Store your data someplace else by Zemran · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sounds good to me :-)

      --
      I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
    2. Re:Store your data someplace else by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Load balanced across the 40 unconfigured routers all named "linksys" I can see from here will work nicely.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. The backup plan. by NettiWelho · · Score: 5, Funny

    "What backup plan, if any, should the average nerd have for something like this?"

    Select a new exit node, duh.

  3. thermite by WillgasM · · Score: 4, Funny

    You mean to tell me you guys don't have your cases rigged with thermite?

  4. I actually have 2 plans by slashmydots · · Score: 4, Funny

    What backup plan, if any, should the average nerd have for something like this?

    1. Don't run an exit node
    2. if 1 fails, fly to Belize and live blog my evasion of the local police

  5. do like McAfee... by schlachter · · Score: 3, Funny

    bury yourself in your yard with a cardboard box above your head for air when the police come to question you because you know you're innocent!
    http://betabeat.com/2012/11/murder-suspect-and-bath-salts-enthusiast-john-mcafee-claims-hes-innocent/

    --
    My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
  6. Re:ISPs as well? by hduff · · Score: 3, Funny

    ISP will work with law enforcement to identify the person who sent the packet. That is why they are not prosecuted. The Tor exit node operator can not do that. The tech is designed to prevent it.

    Well then, the Tor exit node operator can cooperate fully.

    --
    "I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
  7. Re:Shipping analogy by Z00L00K · · Score: 3, Funny

    You may write whatever you like on the content label. But you will take a risk that it's taken literally.

    Like the person that sent his photos in a mail protected by a 1/2 inch aluminum plate and then wrote on the content label "bend this if you can" - it arrived to the recipient neatly bent to 90 degrees...

    --
    If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  8. Re:Backup Plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can see this. The investigators turn up to take his servers, only to be met with a massive impenetrable container made of steel and lead. It humms menacingly at them with intermittent whirrs and bleeps, no obvious way to even begin dismantling the plating of this computational hulk. They quickly locate the power supply in the form of a firehose-sized cable leading directly into the floor and from there to the power main, multiple secondary cables extending from the same hermetically sealed orifice. They ask the power company to cut the power, which immediately makes this horror of technology fall silent. While they begin to ponder how to move this monstrosity it suddenly begins to make clunking sounds that quickly escalate in both speed and volume. A heavy "chunk-chunk-chunk-chunk" begin to dominate the soundscape, while the outer plating begins to vibrate almost imperceptibly. The power company calls them to inform them of a massive spike in their grid as the outlet seem to be receiving power equivalent to that of a minor power plant. Meanwhile the servers have begin to relocate digitally, jumping IPs and updating them on various shady sites.

    Three hours later the nukes begin to fall.