Whonix: An Anonymous Operating System for Privacy and Security
Whonix is an operating system focused on anonymity, privacy, and security. It is based on the Tor anonymity network and Debian GNU/Linux, providing security by isolation.
Whonix consists of two parts: the Whonix-Gateway, which runs Tor and acts as a gateway, and the Whonix-Workstation, which is on a completely isolated network. Only connections through Tor are possible. Whonix is produced independently of The Tor Project and offers protection against DNS leaks and malware with root privileges.
Whonix runs like an app inside your operating system - keeping you safe and anonymous. Whonix is available for: Windows, Linux, macOS, Qubes, KVM, one USB, and ISO.
Time attacks on Whonix users are defeated by Boot Clock Randomization and secure network time synchronization through sdwdate (Secure Distributed Web Date).
Whonix handles all your activity in a virtual machine and forces all Internet traffic through the Tor network to provide the strongest protection of your IP address.
Features
- Maximum privacy and anonymity on the Internet
- More reliability and security than any other tool on the market!
- ¹ via Optional Configuration
- Live CD mode
- Watertight Privacy Architecture
- Swap FIle Creator
- Free Software, Libre Software, Open Source
- TorChat ¹
- Tor enforcement
- Tunnel VPN through Tor
- Tunnel UDP over Tor ¹
- Tunnel SSH through Tor
- Tunnel Retroshare through Tor
- Tunnel Proxy through Tor
- Tunnel JonDonym through Tor
- Tunnel i2p through Tor
- Tunnel Freenet through Tor
- Transparent Proxy
- Whonix is produced independently from the Tor (r) anonymity software and carries no guarantee from The Tor Project about quality, suitability or anything else.
- VPN/Tunnel Support
- Virtual Machine Images
- Stream isolation to prevent identity correlation through circuit sharing
- Send Anonymous E-mails without registration
- Security by Isolation
- Secure And Distributed Time Synchronization Mechanism
- Protocol-Leak-Protection and Fingerprinting-Protection
- Protects your privacy.
- Private obfuscated bridges supported.
- Prevents anyone from learning your physical location.
- Prevents anyone from learning your IP.
- Mixmaster over Tor
- Location/IP hidden servers
- Javascript anonymously
- Java anonymously
- Isolating Proxy
- Hide installed software from ISP
- Hide the fact you are using Whonix
- Hide the fact that you are using Tor ¹
- Full IP/DNS protocol leak protection.
- Encrypted DNS ¹
- DNSSEC over Tor ¹
- Circumvent Censorship.
- Chat anonymously.
- Can torify Windows.
- Can torify any operating system
- Can torify almost any application.
- Based on Virtual Box.
- Based on the Tor anonymity network.
- Based on Debian GNU/Linux.
- Add a proxy behind Tor (Tor -> proxy)
- Anonymous E-Mail with Mozilla Thunderbird and TorBirdy
- Anonymous Publishing
- Anonymous IRC
- Browse The Web Anonymously
- Adobe Flash anonymously
Security Features
Application
Whonix has several pre-installed and pre-configured applications with safe defaults, making them ready for use. The most popular applications compatible with the Whonix design include:
- Tor Browser for Internet browsing.
- Web server administration using Apache, Ngnix, IRC servers, and more via onion services.
- PGP-encrypted E-Mail with Thunderbird.
- Instant messengers like HexChat (IRC) and Gajim.
- The media player VLC.
- The Xfce Terminal.
- The Electrum Bitcoin wallet.
- Clients for Bitcoin.
- Clients for Monero.
- Secure data transfer to and from a server with scp.
- Unobserved administration of servers via SSH.
- A variety of other software programs.
License
GNU General Public License version 3.0 (GPLv3)