Tails v6.4 Debuts Random Seed on USB to Bolster Cryptography
The Tails project has announced the release of version 6.4 of its privacy-focused portable operating system. A key highlight of this update is the introduction of a random seed stored on the USB stick to enhance the strength of all cryptographic operations within Tails.
About Tails
Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a Linux distribution designed to preserve user privacy and circumvent censorship. It routes all internet traffic through the Tor network and leaves no trace on the host computer by running from a USB drive or DVD. Tails is widely used by journalists, activists, and anyone seeking online anonymity.
The Random Seed Feature
In the project's announcement, the Tails team explained the importance of the new random seed feature: "Having a secure random number generator is critical to some of the cryptography used in Tails, for example, in the Persistent Storage, Tor, or HTTPS. This random seed is stored outside of the Persistent Storage so that all users can benefit from stronger cryptography."
Robust cryptography relies heavily on high-quality random number generation. By storing a dedicated random seed on the USB stick itself, Tails 6.4 aims to provide a more secure source of randomness, thereby fortifying the encryption and security protocols used throughout the operating system.
Other Changes in Tails 6.4
Beyond the random seed enhancement, Tails 6.4 includes several other updates and fixes:
Switch to using HTTPS instead of onion addresses for Debian and Tails APT repositories for improved reliability.
Update Tor Browser to 13.0.16 and Tor client to 0.4.8.12.
Update Thunderbird email client to 115.12.0.
Resolve multiple issues related to unlocking the Persistent Storage feature.
Fix mobile broadband connectivity problems on certain hardware.
Re-enable the PDF reader in Thunderbird after disabling it in 6.3 for security reasons.
Improve error messaging in Tails Cloner and remove redundant dialogs.
Fix the Tor Browser homepage loading issue with the New Identity feature.
The Tails team encourages users to check the full changelog for a comprehensive list of changes.
