Remaining anonymous online is a tough task these days. The Tor network and VPNs are popular choices among journalists, activists, whistleblowers and criminals but even these solutions aren't entirely bulletproof.

For those wishing to add an extra layer of anonymity to their online life, a new device created by security researcher Benjamin Caudill could be just what the doctor ordered.

It's called the ProxyHam. It's more or less a hardware proxy that allows the ultra paranoid to connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot from a distance of up to 2.5 miles away.

ProxyHam consists of two separate devices. The first is a box housing a Raspberry Pi, a trio of 900MHz antennas and a Wi-Fi card which remains at the source of the public Wi-Fi. On the opposite end is another 900MHz antenna used to receive the signal.

Caudill said he considers ProxyHam to be the last or worse case scenario, the absolute fallback plan if everything else fails. It's best used in conjunction with other measures like Tor or a VPN.

ProxyHam will be showcased at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas next month. Caudill said he plans to sell the device at cost for $200. Optionally, interested parties can build their own as Caudill will release the source code, blueprints and hardware list needed to construct it.

Future revisions will include additional features like a self-destruct mode and a system to record audio of the last few seconds before the device destructs. Caudill also wants to make the device smaller so it'd be easier to hide.

Image courtesy Benjamin Caudill