A Crash Course on Protecting Yourself Online

privacy has never been more important

Browsing:

• stop using chrome, and swap to Firefox - on desktop and mobile (use firefox focus on mobile)

• use https://duckduckgo.com instead of Google as your default search engine [https://appletoolbox.com/change-default-search-engine-iphone-browser/]

• when doing research or activism use: https://www.torproject.org

• NEVER visit your blog or login to your social/email/work/personal accounts while browsing with tor

Recommended Firefox extensions:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywhere/

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container/

consider running:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/

  • this will break 95% of sites bc the modern web uses javascript, but javascript is also how most modern trackers work

• blocking 1st part cookies: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/third-party-cookies-firefox-tracking-protection?redirectslug=disable-third-party-cookies&redirectlocale=en-US

  • always block 3rd party cookies, blocking 1st party cookies will also break sites

Email: 

• stop using google suite (Gmail especially) if possible, especially for anything health/political related ( use https://proton.me/mail )

• have unique https://proton.me/mail emails for health, political, and personal - never ever email across those accounts, or share contacts across accounts, forward messages, etc 

• use a service like https://relay.firefox.com to conceal your actual email address:

Secure Messaging Tools

• https://signal.org

• https://getconfide.com

• stop using SMS/iMessage - Whatsapp is ok for 1-to-1, but it’s not safe for group chats

• do not use telegram, slack, discord, or direct messages on social platforms for any sensitive conversations

• never click on links from SMS [https://www.bejarano.io/sms-phishing/]

Account Security:

• use 2FA - ideally a physical key https://www.yubico.com/products/

• use a password safe like https://1password.com/

• use complex passwords that do not repeat

DNS

if you are familiar with Docker/Linux I highly recommend using:

• https://pi-hole.net

• https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts

Alternative:

• https://1.1.1.1 is a decent fallback option, but doesn’t have any blocking, and is operated by Cloudflare

• use a VPN service that has an ad-blocking add-on: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/ad-blocking-vpn

Gmail/Youtube/Google History

• run security checkup: https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup

• delete and turn off all your history for your google account (web/app, location & youtube): https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity

Health/Fitness/Data Trackers

• disable and delete as fast as possible, Fitbit and Apple watches already track your period/sleeping/health habits which could be leveraged against you

• buy reproductive healthcare products with cash locally, stop buying pads/tampons/condoms, etc on amazon 

Phone Privacy

delete TikTok, please: https://news.yahoo.com/tiktok-employees-china-secret-access-135758775.html

• Android:

  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/29/android-privacy-settings/

  • https://www.wired.com/story/android-12-privacy-settings-updates/

• iPhone:

  • https://nordvpn.com/blog/iphone-location-history/

  • https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-built-in-security-and-privacy-protections-iph6e7d349d1/ios

  • https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/iphone-privacy-tips/

Protecting your identity/accounts

• create a unique user on your computer for protected browsing, always browse connected to a VPN + Tor, and never log in to any of your personal accounts (social, Slack, Spotify, etc). 

• check your passwords and email addresses on https://haveibeenpwned.com/

• try to keep your online identities as compartmentalized as possible 

VPN:

• look at using a VPN service that doesn’t log data

  • https://www.privateinternetaccess.com (what I use)

  • https://nordvpn.com/

  • https://protonvpn.com/

macOS

• use FileVault to encrypt your hard drive: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204837

• turn on the built-in firewall: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/block-connections-to-your-mac-with-a-firewall-mh34041

• consider using these security tools: https://objective-see.org/

• INSTALL YOUR SECURITY UPDATES 

additional resources

• https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/

• https://digitaldefensefund.org/

• https://ssd.eff.org/module-categories/basics

• https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/security-and-privacy-tips-people-seeking-abortion