Ubuntu Privacy Remix (UPR) is not intended for permanent installation on hard disk. The goal of Ubuntu Privacy Remix is to provide an isolated, working environment where private data can be dealt with safely. The system installed on the computer running UPR remains untouched.

The risk of theft of such private data arises not only from "conventional" criminals, trojans. rootkits, keyloggers etc. In many countries, measures are taken or being prepared aiming at spying and monitoring its citizens. Ubuntu Privacy Remix is a tool to protect your data against unsolicited access.

But I am already encrypting my data...
Good encryption is of course one of the most important measures to protect your data. Ubuntu Privacy Remix contains the well-known cryptographis software TrueCrypt and GnuPG. But the security of encryption relies not only on the security of the used software.

Trojans, Rootkits, Keyloggers can lower or even circumvent the security of cryptographic software.

For example software like Microsoft Office or Google Desktop, which create an unencrypted copy on hard disk when opening files from an encrypted TrueCrypt-Volume.

Or a trojan that waits for you to open a TrueCrypt-Container, mailing your sensitive files to someone else at the next opportuinity.

Or malicious software that logs your keystrokes, including the passphrase for your secret GPG-Key, and mailing it along with the key to some unknown attacker. Heor she could then read all your past and future Mails he/she gets his hands on.

Security is a system

These few examples show that security means the security of the whole working environment, and that security can never be provided by one program alone. Editing, de- and encryption of sensitive data should therefore be done with a system that

* never has or had contact to untrustworthy networks like the internet
* cannot leave data unencrypted on the hard drive, not even unnoticed or by accident
* offers no opportunity to spyware to permanently install onto the system

Ubuntu Privacy Remix is based on Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron).

Here are some key features of "Ubuntu Privacy Remix":

· Read-only operating system
· Truecrypt
· No network
· No hard disks
· Extended TC-Volumes
· Licenses
· Security problems which UPR cannot solve

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· TrueCrypt has been updated to version 6.3a. Version 7.0 obviously has introduced changes to the container format, at least containers created with it cannot be opened with an earlier version. Unfortunately, we found no documentation about these changes, so we will use 6.3a until we have done a full review of Truecrypt 7 on our own.
· We have written our own frontend to GnuPG, which replaces seahorse. With it, you can use GPG features like key groups or restoring original filenames. Use it like the seahorse plugins from the context menu (Encrypt, Sign). Settings can be made from "Applications - Security - GnuPG Settings". It is also possible to show all recipient keys of an encrypted file. This frontend is optimized for dealing with large keyrings (>300 keys), key lists can be searched and filtered. For password caching, the "normal" gpg-agent is used, which has fewer bugs than seahorse. For key management, seahorse is still used.
· The scripts for extended TrueCrypt volumes have been improved. The backup feature during close now can backup other open containers as well. Printer configuration is now saved.
· New applications: VYM Mindmapper, GIMP, xterm (for enabling TrueCrypts "repair filesystem" feature)
· Simple creation and use of LUKS-encrypted volumes