Tails
also: The Amnesic Incognito Live System
Tails is a security-focused Linux distribution designed to preserve user privacy and anonymity by routing all internet traffic through Tor and leaving no digital footprint on the host system.
Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a portable operating system that boots from USB or DVD and leaves no traces on your computer. Every connection is routed through the Tor anonymity network, masking your IP address and location from websites and network observers.
Unlike traditional Linux installations, Tails runs entirely in RAM and automatically discards all data when shut down. This "amnesic" design means your browsing history, documents, and user activity vanish completely after each session unless you explicitly save them to encrypted storage.
Common use cases include secure journalism, activism in restrictive countries, and protecting against surveillance. For example, a journalist might boot Tails on a public computer to research sensitive topics and communicate with sources anonymously, knowing no evidence of their activity remains on that machine.
Tails includes pre-configured privacy tools like OnionShare for secure file transfers, Thunderbird with encrypted email, and hardened Firefox settings—all configured to work safely out of the box.