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Privacy

Built to hold less of you.

Privacy here is mostly about collecting less in the first place. This page explains the design choices and where their limits are.

Access key instead of an account

You sign in with a random access key in the form ANV-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. It is generated when you order and shown once. Only a hash is stored. That means we cannot send you a password reset, and it also means a database leak would not reveal working keys. Store the key in a password manager and do not share it.

Contact details are optional

You can complete an order without an email address. If you add one, it is used only to reach you about that order.

RAM-only instances

On RAM-only plans the whole system runs from memory with no local disk. When the instance stops, the data is gone. That is useful for sensitive workloads and for removing the question of what remains on a disk. It also means you must keep your own configuration and data somewhere else and rebuild on boot.

Encrypted storage

On disk-backed plans you can add an off-node encrypted state vault, or encrypt your own volumes with LUKS and unlock them remotely. The guide on LUKS remote unlock shows the steps.

Threat model: what this does and does not protect against

  • It reduces the data collected about you and left behind on hardware.
  • It does not make a VPS invisible to the host. The host controls the hypervisor and the network.
  • It does not hide traffic from your own network observers. Use Tor or a VPN if that matters.
  • It does not make illegal activity legal. See the acceptable use policy.

The layers, from outside in

  1. Purchase: no identity documents, optional contact, access key instead of an account.
  2. Payment: a coin and network of your choosing. Some are more private than others.
  3. Hosting: a virtual server on shared hardware that we operate and can in principle inspect.
  4. Storage: RAM-only plans leave no disk state; persistent plans can use full-disk encryption.
  5. Your software: everything you run, and the traffic it creates, is under your control.

Practical next steps

FAQ

Common questions

Can you recover my access key?

No. Only a hash is stored. If you lose the key and have no other way to prove the order (a transaction id, for example), the order cannot be recovered. Save the key when it is shown.

Is a VPS from AnonVPS anonymous?

No service can promise that. The architecture reduces the data collected at purchase and what is left on hardware. Your traffic, your software and your habits still matter.

Why is there an access key instead of a password?

A key is generated for you, shown once and stored only as a hash. It avoids reused passwords and means we hold no secret that unlocks your account.

What if I lose my access key?

It cannot be recovered, because only a hash is stored. Keep it in a password manager or offline.

Keep reading

Related pages

No-logs policy

A plain list of the data AnonVPS keeps about orders and visitors, how long, and what the company can and cannot see on your server.

Read more →

Encrypt a VPS with LUKS and unlock it remotely over SSH

Step-by-step: full-disk encryption on a Debian or Ubuntu VPS with LUKS and dropbear in the initramfs for remote unlock.

Read more →

VPS hardening checklist: secure a new Linux server in 15 minutes

A practical checklist for a new Linux VPS: SSH keys, a non-root user, firewall, automatic updates and backups, with the commands.

Read more →

Jurisdictions

Compare the ten AnonVPS hosting jurisdictions: legal regime, Fourteen Eyes membership, connectivity and price factor, with guidance on how to choose.

Read more →

Order with an access key.

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