Tails is a [[!inline pages="inc/stable_amd64_iso_size" raw="yes" sort="age"]] download and takes ½ hour to install. Tails can be installed on any USB stick of 8 GB minimum. Tails works on most computers less than 10 years old. You can start again on the other operating system after you shut down Tails.

The Tor network has more than 6 000 relays. Organizations running Tor relays include universities like the MIT, activist groups like Riseup, nonprofits like Derechos Digitales, Internet hosting companies like Private Internet Access, and so on. The huge diversity of people and organizations running Tor relays makes it more secure and more sustainable.

If you live in a part of the world where buying refurbished laptops is uncommon, look on eBay and Amazon. Amazon offers a 90-day [Amazon Renewed Guarantee](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G4ZAA22U35N373NX).

Consider buying a new laptop from vendors who guarantee the compatibility with Linux and Tails like [ThinkPenguin](https://www.thinkpenguin.com/).

Installing from an infected computer

Running Tails on a computer with a compromised BIOS, firmware, or hardware

Tails protects you from viruses and malware on your usual operating system. This is because Tails runs independently from other operating systems.

But your Tails might be corrupted if you install from a compromised operating system. To reduce that risk:

Use your Tails USB stick only to run Tails. Do not use your Tails USB stick to transfer files to or from another operating system.

If you worry that your Tails might be corrupted, do a [[manual upgrade|upgrade]] from a trusted operating system.

No operating system can protect against BIOS and firmware attacks

[[!meta title="Protecting your identity when using Tails"]]

Observe your traffic. That is why <i>Tor Browser</i> and Tails include tools to encrypt the connection between the exit node and the destination server, whenever possible.

Pretend to be the destination server, a technique known as <i>machine-in-the-middle</i> attack (MitM). That is why you should pay even more attention to the security warnings in <i>Tor Browser</i>. If you get such a warning, use the [[New Identity|doc/anonymous_internet/Tor_Browser#new-identity]] feature of <i>Tor Browser</i> to change exit node.

The *Tor Connection* assistant appears to help you connect to the Tor network.

Our team is doing its best to help you connect to Tor using the most discreet types of Tor bridges. That is why, when you decide to hide that you are connecting to Tor:

When starting Tails, in the **Persistent Storage** section of the [[Welcome Screen|first_steps/welcome_screen]], enter your passphrase and click **Unlock Encryption**.

<p>Your Persistent Storage will be preserved by both automatic and
manual upgrades.</p>

With this USB image, you can either:

To learn how to create a Persistent Storage, read our [[documentation on the Persistent Storage|persistent_storage]].