Tails (operating system)
Tails or The Amnesic Incognito Live System is a security focused Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at preserving privacy and anonymity. All its outgoing connections are forced to go through Tor, and direct (non-anonymous) connections are blocked. The system is designed to be booted as a live DVD or live USB, and will leave no trace (Digital Footprint) on the machine unless explicitly told to do so. The Tor Project has provided most of the financial support for its development
Tails was first released on June 23, 2009. It is the next iteration of development on Incognito, a Gentoo-based Linux distribution. Most of the financial support for its development has been provided by the Tor Project. Tails has also received funding from the Debian Project, Mozilla, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, and Barton Gellman have each said that Tails was an important tool they used in their work with Edward Snowden.
On July 3rd 2014, Das Erste reported that the NSA's XKeyscore surveillance system contains definitions that match persons who search for Tails using a search engine or visit the Tails website. A comment in XKeyscore's source code calls Tails "a comsec mechanism advocated by extremists on extremist forums"
