For those of you coming onto the forums for the first time finding good and reliable information can seem rather daunting, there is of course a wealth of information on here but it takes time to research and read through lots of threads but there is no real substitute for investing the time and effort when it comes to your liberty and online security. There are some excellent threads, some stickied at the top of each sub forum that should be compulsive reading, there is also an excellent FAQ created by vendor Delta11 that I have copied and pasted below for your reading pleasure. Please remember this is mostly relevant to the US but a lot of the info and advise is transferable, it will certainly help you get started! Here is the link to the original thread: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=84754.msg625968#msg625968 First check these threads out before asking your question: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=42090.0 http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=54167.0 ----------------------- FAQ (I actually didn't know this when I joined so just in case) What does "LE" and "LEO" stand for? LE = Law Enforcement LEO = Law Enforcement Officer How do I get BTC? -Bitinstant would be your best bet/ -Moneypak > BTC is another good option but only from a reputable vendor such as Sugar Mama (I can also vouch for btcpak.com) -Trading Service such as Mt.Gox - remember it's not illegal to purchase BTC, it's what you do with it that's illegal that's why we have to launder the coins. How to use PGP: Here's a PGP tutorial that's easy to follow: http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=131.0 Also, join the PGP club, be a cool kid! http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=30938 You can also use a portable PGP and put it into your encrypted drive: (thanks to WinterMoon) http://gpg4usb.cpunk.de/download.html Do you really have to encrypt your address every time? Ask yourself, do you really have to lock your house every time? Why risk it when it's so easy to encrypt your address, don't be lazy, make LE work harder. What if SR goes down? (thanks to gypsy) Back-up addresses, posted by DPR: If for some reason the official Silk Road onion URL were to be compromised and I was unable to communicate with you through the forum, one of the following 3 URLs will be used to relaunch the site and/or communicate through: silkroadiplkjo7t.onion bpbpoqbqdodbqbqb.onion pddqoboqqqqqbqdq.onion  What address do I use? Use your home address with your official name, not only does this give you plausible deniability but it also doesn't raise any flags. For example, I had a customer and the package was addressed to Brad Pitt, who knows maybe really was Brad Pitt or some guy named Brad Pitt, but the point is don't use bogus names, it will raise flags. Should I get a P.O. Box: You should only get a P.O. Box under special circumstances such as: -Your roommates (parents, etc) going through your mail -Your packages being stolen, we all know those lazy postal workers just drop the box at the front door if you're lucky you'll get a slip but most people shit bricks when they get a notice. -Most people think getting a P.O. Box using fake credentials is safe but in fact it's a death trap, if you get caught it's an automatic felony on top of whatever you're getting arrested for. Should I Finalize Early (FE): Probably the most controversial issue at the moment. Ultimately it's up to you whether you want to FE or not, normally I would not FE if the vendor insists. I myself have a FE policy for international customers and have had no complaints, it can be tricky but just remember once you finalize SR won't be able to help you. That's why should build relationships with vendors you like to avoid scamming and always check the forums of any scam reports. Is it true that checking your tracking number via TOR raises a red flag? It's not certain whether it's true or not but that isn't the point, I don't even hand out tracking numbers to my customers and I urge other vendors to do so as well. Buyers get anxious, nervous, and scared. They'll check their package status every 30 minutes which isn't going to make the package go faster, best way to solve this is to simply not give them the tracking number unless a problem should arise. What's a good security setup to access SR: A lot of people and I'm just making this number up but I'm going to say 60% of SR users are on SR while doing something else (fb, chatting, etc). If you're serious about your security then I suggest you follow the following steps: -Backup important information to an external hard drive -Reformat all drives containing traces of any illegal activity, I can confirm that ccleaner can get the job done easily and quickly or if you're paranoid you can use something like DBan. -Once your computer is back online with zero traces of evidence install truecrypt and encrypt a usb drive with a hidden partition. -On the visible partition you want to put something embarrassing (pictures of your ex, gay porn, tranny porn, etc) and put a simple password like the one you use for facebook. -On the invisible partition put a complex password with all important files you want hidden away such as TOR, portable pgp, portable ccleaner, etc. Make sure all text documents are encrypted, you never be too sure. -Always remember to put away your usb stick and only pull out when you need to access those files. Should I encrypt my entire hard drive using truecrypt? In my opinion, no, you shouldn't because this will only make you seem more suspicious and will cause for a more through investigation. Keep everything simple, all passwords simple, except for the hidden partition on your usb sitck (some people go up to 26 characters) My package was intercepted, should I be worried? No, if the authorities didn't even send you a love letter then just let it go. Will my address be flagged after a package being intercepted? This is still up for debate we have reports of address not being flagged and some are, I think if you're a high valued target you'll be flagged but if you order personal amounts I wouldn't worry about. Is it always better to order domestic? In terms of shipping time, yes. But it's not always the case, international vendors have very excellent quality products at cheap prices that you can't seem to find domestic (US). I would say it depends on what you're ordering, the main con is the wait time but patience is a virtue. How can I wash my coins? You can do so at BTC Fog: Remember the more people that use this service the more anonymous we become so I encourage everyone to use this service. http://fogcore5n3ov3tui.onion Where can I upload images? No, not at imgur, remember we're in onionland: http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion My pictures in my listings don't come out correctly: I resize the photo to 400x300 and then simply upload a high res photo using the service above and posting the link in the description. Is it okay for me to leave my money in SR? That depends on how much you trust SR. I would never leave my money in one location and there are plenty of alternatives: http://brainwallet.org/ BTC Client with the wallet hidden away encrypted How long until international orders arrive? Honestly it can go from 5 business days to 16, just hang in there hopefully it gets through. Should I become a vendor? That's a question a lot of you are thinking about and let me tell you my side of the story, it's hard work, nerve wrecking, anxiety everywhere, etc. If you want to become a small time vendor then by all means but the deeper you go in the more it sucks out of you. Extra optional security tips from me: -Get yourself an Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW and download Backtrack 5 (I don't want to spoonfeed you guys too much so just google how to crack WEP) -Now once you're into a network make sure to spoof your mac address (again google) -Then simply proceed to do all the illegal activities on SR your heart desires. -I also recommend the program Eraser, it permanently deletes files with ease. -And of course the program Stripper, which simply scrubs the metadata which can help LE track you down http://www.steelbytes.com/?mid=30 -Create a tormail account and start writing down vendor emails just in case SR ever goes down we can still communicate securely with one another. How paranoid should I be? Paranoia is good but when you let it consume you it'll impair your judgment so you have to learn how to control it before you start wrapping yourself in foil. If you're casual buyer and follow my advice above you'll be okay. If you're a vendor you might want to take extra precautions, I won't go into details for obvious reasons but I'm sure most of you have figured it out. Just always remember that anyone can send you a letter containing drugs for whatever reason, keep quiet until your lawyer is present. How do I cashout? no spoonfeeding How do I build rep so I can start buying from the top guys? Well ignore all the nonsense of buying cheap ebooks to make your stats go up, us vendors can see through that scheme and will only make you look worse. Simply start small and work your way up, get a feel for the system, see how it works and so forth. How to make your BTC client portable? https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=944.msg11535 How can I track my package anonymously? It's easy, open TOR as usual and then simply head over to packagemapping.com and then track your package. The ip address of packagemapping will be logged for checking the package so even if they release your ip it will be a random one from TOR. Also, checking your package every 10 minutes isn't going to make it go faster, I normally don't check the tracking number unless it's been over five business days. What is the SR delivery success rate? 96.484375% Quote   http://dkn255hz262ypmii.onion/index.php?topic=11731.0 Does writing "return to sender" on the package really work? No. In fact it's a waste of time and a risk to even do this and leave the package in your mailbox. What is a "love letter?" A love letter is letter sent to you by customs stating that they confiscated a package sent to you that contained something illegal, it's simply a warning and nothing to worry about. Should I ever sign for my package? Sometimes. Some vendors actually require a signature and some don't. Also if you're not home to receive the package they'll leave you a notice to pick up the package and sign for it, nothing to be alarmed about just usual protocol. When should I not sign for my package? I would advise not to sign international packages or packages that contain large quantities. What is a controlled delivery? A controlled delivery is a method used by LE to catch someone red handed. Basically they intercept your package, open it up to make sure it does in fact have illegal substances, reseal it as if it was never opened and then simply wait for you to open it up. When does a controlled delivery occur? Rarely, I don't mean to make you guys more paranoid but if you're buying personal amounts you have nothing to worry about because remember it takes resources for LE to do a controlled delivery and you'll have to be worth those resources so they usually only occur when someone is buying large amount (lbs, kilos, etc) and consistently. Which vendor should I pick? Do your research, go through their vendor page, their recent feedback, search their name on the forum, etc. Sometimes higher prices doesn't always mean higher quality and vice versa. I suggest you build relationships with vendors so they know who you are and are more comfortable when dealing with you and who knows maybe they'll throw in some free goodies for being a loyal customer ---------------------- That's all I can think off the top of my head if anyone has anymore questions or would like to chime in some ideas please do so, thanks