Windows 10 app to completely hide/switch apps depending on user log in/screensaver?

[simon43]

I'm fairly IT-literate and I'm looking for a piece of software to do the following:

 

I am running Windows 10 on my laptop, with all the standard apps.  In a few months from now I will return to live and teach in Myanmar.  Last time that I worked there, it was no issue to have any kind of app or content on my laptop.  This time, with the military junta in charge, it is a different ball game!

 

I'm not talking about porn content.  I'm thinking about content that might be construed as opposed to the junta.  This could be something as simple as the educational English language posters that I design on my laptop (the junta doesn't like journalists, doctors and teachers.... er ... and most other civilians as well!). Because of my educational charity work, I am in regular communication with the Ministry of Education of the government in exile, which has been specified as a terrorist organisation by the military junta!  I publish nothing in direct opposition to the junta, but they seem rather touchy about most things.

 

Now for sure I can use software to hide/unhide specific folders.  But since I use a multitude of folders every day, it will be rather tiresome to have to unlock all the folders each day.

 

I wonder if there is an app which will only display specified folders according to what the user log-in details are, or even according to what password is used on a screen-saver.

 

Eg - Screensaver password 1 unlocks all folders on the computer.  Screensaver password 2 only displays some specified, innocent folders/apps

 

Or perhaps run puppy linux  on a dedicated laptop (I have 2 laptops), from an encrypted USB stick and store all risky files on that USB stick - pull out the stick if there is a knock on the door...

 

I appreciate suggestions.

 

 

[Swiss1960]

Why not just put all the critical folders and files into a cloud storage that does not replicate to your computer and that you can protect with a strong password? 

[simon43]

5 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

Why not just put all the critical folders and files into a cloud storage that does not replicate to your computer and that you can protect with a strong password? 

Because the internet connectivity is very unreliable in Myanmar - it is often disconnected by the military.

[Swiss1960]

If you can put all the critical data into a second user on your windows 10, check out this link: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-hide-specific-user-accounts-sign-screen-windows-10

Not a very "sophisticated" solution, but separating the "innocent" teacher account and hide the "critical" other account might be a solution?

[Swiss1960]

and if you google "how to hide a user on my laptop", you will find many more links, but I can't browse them all. 

THAT SAID: Even if you manage to hide / protect all the critical data, as long as it is on your computer, any decent forensic expert (and most juntas have loads of them) will find this data and you would be in trouble.

[RayWright]

USB drives might be your simplest way. If you can insert 2 USB drives at once, you could have General and Secret data USB drives. I would suggest making the Secret USB drive a removable MicroSD card version, that way you're only hiding a MicroSD thumb nail sized device as opposed to a complete USB drive. Double sided tape, BluTak or similar adhesives could be used to hide / conceal the drive. Apparently, worst case scenario, MicroSD cards will "survive" a couple of hours if submerged in gastric acid!

As Swiss1960 points out any proficient IT person would suss you're using 2 USB drives for data storage, so keep a copy of your General data drive as a visable MicroSD card backup laying about.

Lastly make sure to tidy-up your Recently Used files list. Assuming Office Apps, click on Home which will display last used / saved files, hi-lite the "Secret" file, Right mouse click and select Remove.

 

[simon43]

^^^ That's a good suggestion.  I can run Truecrypt on my secret files USB and remove the USB when there is a knock at the door.  Truescrypt can run with 2 passwords, so entering 1 password will display innocent data and password 2 will access the secret files.

[userabcd]

Truecrypt was discontinued about 8 years ago.

 

You could try Veracrypt, more up to date.

 

In windows would they not see that you had a usb drive attached to the pc and when it was removed. They could then possibly use enhanced interrogation methods to get the info from you.

[gamb00ler]

Perhaps a job for steganography.

[KannikaP]

4 hours ago, RayWright said:

that way you're only hiding a MicroSD thumb nail sized device as opposed to a complete USB drive

I have a Lexar 64GB USB stick the size of a mouse or mini-wireless dongle.

[KannikaP]

13 hours ago, simon43 said:

But since I use a multitude of folders every day, it will be rather tiresome to have to unlock all the folders each day.

Put that multitude of folders into one specific folder and hide/lock that. Should take about 10 seconds to unlock it.

[KhunHeineken]

Simon, I commend your work in this area, in a country where the people are oppressed, but your freedom is at stake, and you will not survive gaol time there.  So, if you are going to do this, you can't be Cheap Charlie about it.

 

You really need to have these files in the cloud, and not stored in any device inside country.  I know you said you can not rely on the internet there, but so be it, if that is the way it has to be.

 

You may think having a password offers you some protection, but the Junta will just gaol you until you give up your password, and when you do, you will be sentenced to gaol anyway. 

 

If you do not want to pay for any cloud storage, perhaps you can set up a small NAS somewhere as a server, or have a friend set up a partition on theirs.  You really need the files stored outside of the country. 

 

Another idea is to make a random email address and store the files in there, then use "Tails" on a USB drive to access that email address.  Of course, you will also need to use a VPN or TOR, and be sure to use a "secure erase" program after every download, so nothing deleted can be recovered from the drive in your device.  I believe a minimum of 7 write overs is enough. 

 

These are some basic things, and hardly 007 stuff, but the other issue you have is, witnesses.  Your students are witnesses to your documents, and whilst I am sure they dislike the Junta as much as anyone, and appreciate your work, the Junta with coerce them for a statement, and for sure they will give it up. 

 

Myanmar is run by some sadistic an immoral people, and if you are going to go up against them, at least try not to let hem have any physical evidence against you. 

[simon43]

18 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Simon, I commend your work in this area, in a country where the people are oppressed, but your freedom is at stake, and you will not survive gaol time there.  So, if you are going to do this, you can't be Cheap Charlie about it.

 

You really need to have these files in the cloud, and not stored in any device inside country.  I know you said you can not rely on the internet there, but so be it, if that is the way it has to be.

 

You may think having a password offers you some protection, but the Junta will just gaol you until you give up your password, and when you do, you will be sentenced to gaol anyway. 

 

If you do not want to pay for any cloud storage, perhaps you can set up a small NAS somewhere as a server, or have a friend set up a partition on theirs.  You really need the files stored outside of the country. 

 

Another idea is to make a random email address and store the files in there, then use "Tails" on a USB drive to access that email address.  Of course, you will also need to use a VPN or TOR, and be sure to use a "secure erase" program after every download, so nothing deleted can be recovered from the drive in your device.  I believe a minimum of 7 write overs is enough. 

 

These are some basic things, and hardly 007 stuff, but the other issue you have is, witnesses.  Your students are witnesses to your documents, and whilst I am sure they dislike the Junta as much as anyone, and appreciate your work, the Junta with coerce them for a statement, and for sure they will give it up. 

 

Myanmar is run by some sadistic an immoral people, and if you are going to go up against them, at least try not to let hem have any physical evidence against you. 

Thanks for your comments.  I should emphasise that none of the documents that I produce are in the slightest  anti-junta or pro-democracy.  They are 'standard' education documents.  But the junta doesn't currently like teachers or anyone who tries to do the job that the teachers who fled into the jungle used to do!

 

Now the military already have me on their 'databases' because of my frequent visits to their offices in Naypyitaw since 2012 concerning my Burmese ham radio licence (as someone living in Myanmar, they allowed me to operate my radio transmitter, the first permission allowed since 1962! So there is some level of trust in me by them). They also quizzed me in a face-to-face meeting about my satellite knowledge (I used to be a space/satellite engineer), and invited me to help them to design a satellite for them, which I politely declined ????

 

Using tails on a spare laptop booted with a Puppy Linux USB is one solution.

 

TBH, if the military want to make problems for me, they don't need any evidence to do so! (Similar to the police raids on my house when I lived in Laos a few years ago - if they want to make problems, then they can just do so...).

[KhunHeineken]

On 3/23/2023 at 7:33 AM, simon43 said:

Thanks for your comments.  I should emphasise that none of the documents that I produce are in the slightest  anti-junta or pro-democracy.  They are 'standard' education documents.  But the junta doesn't currently like teachers or anyone who tries to do the job that the teachers who fled into the jungle used to do!

Are you trying to conceal the fact you are teaching, or conceal the content of your teachings? 

[simon43]

6 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Are you trying to conceal the fact you are teaching, or conceal the content of your teachings? 

I do 2 types of teaching:  Paid teaching at international or private schools, which is a public fact, and charitable endeavours  to help with the education of those who are unable to attend government school because either their teachers have fled into rural regions to train as soldiers to fight the junta, or because the students are too scared to physically attend school.  So I do not teach them 'in-class' (I used to do this in safer times).  Rather, I have created an Android app which provides many educational resources to be downloaded and studied offline.  So it is this app and any content that I prepare on my laptop that I wish to hide, as well as hiding my admin access to the website which is hosted right under the nose of the military in Yangon (makes for faster access within Myanmar or when the international internet connection is cut off).  All files are backed up on a server outside Myanmar.  So I use Tor and a VPN etc to hide my admin access when uploading new files etc.

[KhunHeineken]

On 3/25/2023 at 2:06 PM, simon43 said:

I do 2 types of teaching:  Paid teaching at international or private schools, which is a public fact, and charitable endeavours  to help with the education of those who are unable to attend government school because either their teachers have fled into rural regions to train as soldiers to fight the junta, or because the students are too scared to physically attend school.  So I do not teach them 'in-class' (I used to do this in safer times).  Rather, I have created an Android app which provides many educational resources to be downloaded and studied offline.  So it is this app and any content that I prepare on my laptop that I wish to hide, as well as hiding my admin access to the website which is hosted right under the nose of the military in Yangon (makes for faster access within Myanmar or when the international internet connection is cut off).  All files are backed up on a server outside Myanmar.  So I use Tor and a VPN etc to hide my admin access when uploading new files etc.

Interesting.

 

Are you at all concerned that they know what you are doing, but are leaving you in play, whilst they monitor those who access your material, gaining their location?

 

In effect, you could be the one leading the junta to targets.

 

TOR's not as good as it used to be.  Intelligence agencies even set up their own TOR nodes now. I have no doubt the junta have this capability. 

 

There's a reason why the Taliban prevailed in Afghanistan.  No electronics.