We will be starting to bring you some tutorials for people interested in getting better at their own security practices while showcasing Blacksites technology solutions.

Cryptocurrency is gaining a userbase across the planet as people start to see broad use cases for this new smart contract technology and it gains regulatory ease. Many online exchanges now offer debit cards that allow you to choose your coin of choice wallet to use at purchase. Some even integrate AI to make the best purchase for you using real-time exchange rate data.

However, when cryptocurrency came out it was sold as the new banking, a decentralized thing in which you were in control of your money. This in many cases is true but it can be somewhat tricky to do. We will show you how to set up a digital wallet that is very secure. For this, we will be using an Apricorn Hardware Encrypted USB drive.

The first step you will want to do is pick your operating system of choice. We love Distro Watch, where we can research all the free Linux operating systems out there before downloading our choice. Always look for one that allows you to encrypt the installation. For this tutorial, we will be using Parrot Security Linux. Parrot is a Debian-based version of Linux focused on information security. It comes pre-installed with many fun and useful security tools.

The Second Step is simply to download Balena Etcher here. This software will allow you to put the Parrot Security Linux on your USB drive and make it bootable. The majority of the computers out there give you the ability to boot from a USB drive usually done by hitting one of your “F” Keys on boot. The key you need to hit is dependent on your computer manufacturer. If you are interested in other installation options for Parrot you can view them here.

The third Step is to boot up your new USB Drive to Parrot Security Linux. Once you get to the Parrot Security GRUB boot screen choose encrypted persistence and create your encryption password. This will encrypt the installation giving you a second layer of encryption on top of your Apricorn Hardware Encrypted USB drive. This live USB drive is extremely secure, durable, and portable. Once Parrot has fully booted you are ready to go. You can connect to the internet and run updates to get the most recent version of your tools.

Parrot Security has some great tools for privacy that make it easy to browse the web securely and privately.

Step four is easy you just need to set up your Wallet. Parrot Security comes pre-installed with Electrum Bitcoin Wallet and opensource bitcoin wallet. You can also find plenty of other open-source wallets for your cryptocurrency of choice at this link. Make sure you do your due diligence in researching each wallet to make sure it is safe and that the link you are downloading it from is safe. Once you have your wallet ready to go you should now be able to receive your tokens. Make sure your computer is on, power settings are set for your computer to not go to sleep and get your tokens on your new portable computer.

If you got it this far you are now in control of your digital money. You are your own bank with multiple layers of encryption protecting that money. Once you shut down the computer and remove the USB key we suggest storing it in an SLNT sleeve for safekeeping in a safe. And when on the go just take your sleeve with you. The USB drives do not have any wireless radios in them but the SLNT sleeves do protect against EMF attacks that could potentially damage the drive.

If you have any questions about Blacksite please reach out to us.