Kicksecure - Secure by Default Operating System

Kicksecure ™

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A secure by default operating system with the latest security research in place.

Rock Solid Security

Kicksecure is a secure by default OS always based on the latest security research.

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Learn What Is Kicksecure?

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Hardware On Computer

Hardware On USB

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VM MacOS

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Pre-installed applications are reviewed and configured for security

Thunderbird KeePassXC HexChat VLC Terminal Electrum Bitcoin Monero

Fully Featured with Advanced Security Components Copy or share this direct link! Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Homepage?oldid=86872#security Click below ↴ = Copy to Clipboard Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! [[Homepage#security|security]]
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Protection from Targeted Malicious Updates

Kicksecure update servers know neither the identity nor IP address of the user because all upgrades are downloaded over Tor.

Kernel Self Protection Settings

Kicksecure uses strong Kernel Hardening Settings as recommended by the Kernel Self Protection Project (KSPP).

Time Attack Protection

Kicksecure defeats time attacks on its users through Boot Clock Randomization and secure network time synchronization using sdwdate.

No Open Ports by Default

Kicksecure provides a much lower attack surface since there are no open server ports by default unlike in some other Linux distributions.

CPU Information Leak Protection (TCP ISN)

Without TCP ISN randomization, sensitive information about a system's CPU activity can be leaked through outgoing traffic, leaving it vulnerable to side-channel attacks. tirdad prevents that.

Available for many virtualizers

With support for multiple virtualization options, trying out Kicksecure is easy. VMs also help contain and prevent the spread of malware.

Learn More

15 more amazing features →

Brute Force Defense

Kicksecure protects Linux user accounts against brute force attacks by using pam faillock.

Entropy Enhancements

Strong entropy is required for computer security to ensure the unpredictability and randomness of cryptographic keys and other security-related processes. Kicksecure makes encryption more secure thanks to preinstalled random number generators.

Live Mode

Booting into Live Mode is as simple as choosing Live Mode in the boot menu. After the session, all data will be gone.

Based on Linux

Linux is highly reliable, secure, free and open source. That's why Kicksecure is based on Linux.

Onion Website Option

Our website offers an alternative onion version. This offers a higher connection security between the user and the server.

Risk Minimization

AppArmor profiles restrict the capabilities of commonly used, high-risk applications.

Strong Linux User Account Separation

Linux User Account Separation is not always a given on Linux systems. In Kicksecure it is.

Extensive Documentation

The more you know, the safer you can be: Extensive Kicksecure Documentation

Virus Protection

Kicksecure provides additional security hardening measures and user education for better protection from virus attacks.

Console Lockdown

Legacy login methods can be a security risk. Console Lockdown disables them for improved security hardening.

Vibrant Community

Our vibrant community features Forums, Contributors and RSS.

Based on Debian

Kicksecure is based on Debian, one of the most reliable Linux distributions.

Digitally signed releases

Downloads are signed so genuine Kicksecure releases can be verified.

Warrant Canary

A canary confirms that no warrants have ever been served on the Kicksecure project.

Swap File Creator

Running low on RAM isn't a security problem with swap-file-creator. It will create an encrypted swap file.

SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener

SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener enhances system security by strengthening the isolation of Linux user accounts and more.

Freedom Values Copy or share this direct link! Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Homepage?oldid=86872#values Click below ↴ = Copy to Clipboard Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! [[Homepage#values|values]]
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12 Years of Success

For over 12 years as the creators of Whonix we have successfully protected our users from everyday trackers and even from high level attacks. And we're just getting started!

Open Source

We respect user rights to review, scrutinize, modify, and redistribute Kicksecure. This improves security and privacy for everyone.

Freedom Software

Kicksecure is Freedom Software and contains software developed by the Free Software Foundation and the GNU Project.

Research and Implementation Project

Kicksecure is an actively maintained research project making constant improvements; no shortcomings are ever hidden from users.

Fully Auditable

Kicksecure is independently verifiable by security experts and software developers around the world. This improves security and privacy for everyone.

Complete respect for privacy and user freedom

Kicksecure respects data privacy principles. We don’t make advertising deals or collect sensitive personal data.

Upcoming Security Enhancements Copy or share this direct link! Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Homepage?oldid=86872#upcoming Click below ↴ = Copy to Clipboard Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! [[Homepage#upcoming|upcoming]]
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sandbox-app-launcher is an application launcher that can start each application inside its own restrictive sandbox. Each application runs as its own user, in a bubblewrap sandbox and confined by AppArmor.

Learn More

8 more Enhancements →

apparmor.d - Full system Mandatory Access Control (MAC) policy - "AppArmor for everything"

Untrusted Root User

Deactivate malware after reboot from non-root compromise

Hardened Linux Kernel

Post-quantum cryptography resistant signing of releases

Mount Options Hardening

Multiple boot modes for better security (user, live, secureadmin and superadmin)

Join the team! Copy or share this direct link! Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Homepage?oldid=86872#contribute Click below ↴ = Copy to Clipboard Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! [[Homepage#contribute|contribute]]
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Your help is very welcome! As a patron, as a multiplier or even as a contributor!

Kicksecure update servers know neither the identity nor IP address of the user because all upgrades are downloaded over Tor by default.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-protectedupdates

Kicksecure uses strong Kernel Hardening Settings as recommended by the Kernel Self Protection Project (KSPP).

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-kernel

Time attacks on Kicksecure users are defeated by Boot Clock Randomization and secure network time synchronization through sdwdate (Secure Distributed Web Date).

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-time

Kicksecure provides a much lower attack surface since there are no open server ports by default unlike other Linux distributions. All unsolicited incoming connections are rejected.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-ports

Without TCP ISN randomization, sensitive information about a system's CPU activity can be leaked through outgoing traffic, leaving it vulnerable to side-channel attacks. TCP ISN randomization prevents that.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-tirdad

You can easily try Kicksecure by using various virtualizers , which enables security compartmentalization by running a Kicksecure VM on top of a Kicksecure host to isolate malware and testing inside the VM.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-virtualizercompatible

Kicksecure protects Linux user accounts against brute force attacks by using pam faillock.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-brute

Strong entropy is required for computer security to ensure the unpredictability and randomness of cryptographic keys and other security-related processes. Kicksecure makes encryption more secure thanks to preinstalled random number generators.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-entropy

Booting a VM into Live Mode is as simple as choosing Live Mode in the boot menu. After the session, all data will be gone.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-livemode

Linux is highly reliable and secure. Its open source and freedom paradigm sets it apart from other OS. That's why Kicksecure is based on Linux.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-linuxbased

Our website offers an alternative onion version which offers a higher connection security between the user and the server. This is because connections over onions are providing an alternative end-to-end encryption which is independent from flawed TLS certificate authorities and the mainstream Domain Name System (DNS).

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-onionwebsite

Our Firewall is configured specifically for securely using the Internet.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-firewall

AppArmor profiles restrict the capabilities of commonly used, high-risk applications such as Tor Browser.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-apparmor

Learn more about our Linux User Account Separation .

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-account

The more you know, the safer you can be: Extensive Kicksecure Documentation

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-docs

Kicksecure provides additional security hardening measures and user education to provide better protection from viruses / malware.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-virus

Console Lockdown disables legacy login methods and thereby improves security hardening.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-console

Our vibrant community features Forums, Contributors and RSS

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-community

In oversimplified terms, Kicksecure is just a collection of configuration files and scripts. Kicksecure is not a stripped down version of Debian; anything possible in "vanilla" Debian GNU/Linux can be replicated in Whonix. About Whonix

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-debian

Downloads are signed so genuine Whonix releases can be verified.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-signed

A canary confirms that no warrants have ever been served on the Kicksecure project.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-canary

Running low on RAM isn't a security problem. swap-file-creator will create an encrypted swap file.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-swap

Kicksecure is created by the developers of Whonix, the great privacy tool with over 12 years of success. We have successfully protected our users from everyday trackers and even from high level attacks . Kicksecure is the rock solid foundation that Whonix is based on.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-success

All the Kicksecure source code is licensed under OSI Approved Licenses. We respect user rights to review, scrutinize, modify, and redistribute Kicksecure. This improves security and privacy for everyone.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-opensource

Kicksecure is Freedom Software and contains software developed by the Free Software Foundation and the GNU Project.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-freedom

Research and Implementation Project: Kicksecure makes modest claims and is wary of overconfidence. Kicksecure is an actively maintained research project making constant improvements; no shortcomings are ever hidden from users.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-research

Kicksecure is independently verifiable by security experts and software developers around the world; you don’t have to trust developer claims. This improves security and privacy for everyone.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-auditable

Kicksecure respects data privacy principles. We don’t make advertising deals or collect sensitive personal data. There are no artificial restrictions imposed on possible system configurations .

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-respect

The purpose of SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener is to enhance system security. It does this by strengthening the isolation of Linux user accounts, implementing stricter file permission settings, and decreasing potential security vulnerabilities by turning off SUID-enabled binaries.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/w/index.php#explain-sui-disabler

Kicksecure A secure by default operating system with the latest security research in place. Copy or share this direct link! Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Homepage?oldid=86872 Click below ↴ = Copy to Clipboard Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! [[Homepage|Kicksecure - Secure by Default Operating System]]
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Supported by Power Up Privacy

Kicksecure is proudly supported until 2025 by Power Up Privacy, a privacy advocacy group that seeks to supercharge privacy projects with resources so they can complete their mission of making our world a better place. (Strictly subject to our sponsorship policy.)

At Kicksecure we value freedom and trust, supporting Open Source and Freedom Software

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We believe security software like Kicksecure needs to remain Open Source and independent. Would you help sustain and grow the project? Learn more about our 12 year success story and maybe DONATE!