Network Obfuscation

A subject configures either their web browser or operating system to route HTTP and HTTPS traffic through a manually defined outbound proxy server. This action enables them to redirect web activity through an external node, effectively masking the true destination of network traffic and undermining key layers of enterprise monitoring and control.

By placing a proxy between their endpoint and the internet, the subject can obscure final destinations, bypass domain-based filtering, evade SSL inspection, and suppress logging artifacts that would otherwise be available to investigative teams. This behavior, when unsanctioned, is a hallmark of anti-forensic preparation—often signaling an intent to conceal exfiltration, contact unmonitored services, or test visibility boundaries.

While proxies are sometimes used for legitimate troubleshooting, research, or sandboxing purposes, their use outside approved configurations or infrastructure should be treated as an investigatory lead.

Technical Method

Both browsers and operating systems offer mechanisms to define proxy behavior. These configurations typically involve:

• Declaring a proxy server IP address or hostname (e.g., 198.51.100.7)
• Assigning a port (e.g., 8080, 3128)
• Specifying bypass rules for local or internal traffic (e.g., localhost, *.corp)

Once defined, the behavior is as follows:

• Outbound Traffic Routing: All HTTP and HTTPS traffic is redirected through the proxy server, often using tunneling methods (e.g., HTTP CONNECT).
• DNS Resolution Shift: The proxy, not the local device, resolves domain names—bypassing internal DNS logging and threat intelligence correlation.
• Destination Obfuscation: To enterprise firewalls, CASBs, and Secure Web Gateways, the endpoint appears to connect only to the proxy—not to actual external services.
• Encrypted Traffic Concealment: If the proxy does not participate in the organization’s SSL inspection chain, encrypted traffic remains opaque and unlogged.
• System-Level Impact: When configured at the OS level, the proxy may affect all applications—not just browsers—expanding the anti-forensic footprint to tools such as command-line utilities, development environments, or exfiltration scripts.

Proxy settings may be configured through user interfaces, system preferences, environment variables, or policy files—none of which necessarily require administrative privileges unless endpoint controls are in place.

This technique is especially potent in organizations with reliance on DNS logs, web filtering, or SSL interception as primary visibility mechanisms. It fractures investigative fidelity and should be escalated when observed in unauthorized contexts.

The subject intentionally disconnects from monitored corporate networks (such as managed Ethernet, enterprise Wi-Fi, or secure VPN tunnels) and reconnects using alternative, unmonitored connectivity options. This may include switching to a guest Wi-Fi network, tethering through a personal mobile hotspot, or leveraging an unmanaged residential or public access point.

By exiting the boundaries of controlled infrastructure, the subject avoids endpoint-level inspection, network logging, and identity-based access enforcement. This maneuver is particularly effective in environments where endpoint telemetry is only collected while connected to corporate networks or VPN channels. In such cases, activity conducted over unmonitored networks leaves no observable trace in central logging systems, severely degrading investigative visibility.

This behavior is commonly paired with additional anti-forensics techniques (such as unauthorized VPN use, encrypted transfer protocols, or private browsing) to further frustrate detection. The deliberate choice to operate from unmonitored networks signals a clear intent to conceal operational activity and evade forensic scrutiny.

The subject deliberately uses Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology in a manner that circumvents organizational oversight, masking the nature, destination, or content of network activity. This includes installing unapproved VPN clients, as well as reconfiguring sanctioned VPN software to route traffic through unauthorized exit nodes, personal infrastructure, or third-party services not governed by corporate policy.

By diverting traffic away from monitored pathways, the subject obstructs standard telemetry collection - evading logging of session destinations, data transfers, or identity-bound usage. This behavior frustrates forensic reconstruction, hinders real-time monitoring, and degrades the reliability of investigative artifacts. Unauthorized VPN usage is an intentional anti-forensics measure aimed at concealing potentially harmful activity behind layers of encrypted and unsanctioned transit.

The subject installs and activates browser-based VPN or proxy extensions (such as Hola VPN, Browsec, or ZenMate) to anonymize specific web activity while avoiding host-level detection or access restrictions. These lightweight tools require no administrative privileges and often evade traditional endpoint controls, allowing subjects to selectively obscure browsing sessions, bypass content filtering, or access external services undetected.

Unlike full-system VPN clients, browser-based VPNs operate at the application layer, making them more difficult to inventory, log, or control using conventional network or endpoint defenses. Their use complicates investigative visibility into user intent, session content, and destination domains, particularly when paired with HTTPS encryption or private browsing modes. This technique represents a form of network anti-forensics intended to obscure subject behavior with minimal system footprint or oversight.