One of the most common questions I get from people who are beginning to realize the need for privacy is: "Where do I start?"
To better answer this question on your own, it can help to create a simple threat model by considering what data you want to protect, who you want to protect it from, and what pains you're willing to go through to protect it. . .
Seth For Privacy is a privacy educator who hosts the "Opt Out" podcast. He also contributes to the Monero project, an open source privacy-preserving cryptocurrency. This article is part of CoinDesk's Privacy Week series.
While this question is not one I can answer for you, here is how I would proceed if I were starting from scratch on my privacy journey today.
Remember that not all threats are created equal and not all people have the same priorities, so be sure to take the following (especially the order!) with a grain of salt and try to assess the best path for you.
1. Find a community that respects privacy
It's not a technical solution, but it is by far the most important step you can take. Having a group of people around you to support you, give you solid feedback, and exchange ideas is an essential aspect of a successful privacy journey.
A community of like-minded, privacy-conscious peers can help overcome the psychological burdens (nihilism, loneliness, despair) that can accompany falling down the privacy "rabbit hole."
Before proceeding, this should be your first priority, regardless of your threat model and personal needs.
Technore's Discord server, "Opt Out" podcast and "TheNewOil" blog have been invaluable resources. They also all have "rooms" on the Matrix social platform (here, here, and here, respectively), which is a tool you should be familiar with. The Bitcoin Freedom and Tech Matrix room is also worth a special shot, and its scope is broader than the intricacies of Bitcoin.
2. Use a browser that preserves privacy
This step may seem daunting if you're used to the conveniences of Google Chrome, for example, but in the data economy, convenience comes with privacy trade-offs.
Fortunately, there are great browser alternatives out there. As we spend more and more of our lives online, a browser that is more privacy-preserving by default or that can "tune" (configure) a browser you are already using can be a huge advantage in reducing the amount of data. that third parties collect about you. Some browsers of choice:
- Firefox is one of the most popular browsers. The "Firefox Hardening Guide Plus" will walk you through the process of tuning your browser. It is very simple and only needs to be done once per computer.
- Brave Browser has big flaws, but it takes some weird approaches (like cryptocurrency ads everywhere and built-in cryptocurrency wallets that are not useful for most people). The Anonymousplanet.org guide shows you how to make it a little more private and secure.
- Chromium without Google takes the best of the Chrome browser and removes Google, making it a very good-looking and very fast browser. It can be a bit difficult to get and stay up to date on some operating systems, and installing and updating extensions is a bit of a hassle, but it's a great option for those who are hardcore but still love Chrome's web engine.
See also: The handshake is loaded with an uncensored Internet browser
There are also a number of extensions that provide privacy with the convenience of a download.
- uBlock Origin is available for all the browsers mentioned above. It goes far beyond just blocking ads and handles a wide range of ad blockers, trackers, and scripts in a way that is rarely detrimental to the browsing experience. It is an absolute must to install, no matter what browser you choose.
- LocalCDN helps improve privacy by replacing potentially dangerous website elements with secure, locally controlled sites, reducing network calls and the risk of websites delivering compromised assets. It is similar to Decentraleyes.
- The password manager extension you download will depend on the password manager you choose in the next step, but I recommend installing one, if available, to simplify autofilling and managing passwords while browsing.
3. Use a password manager
While this step isn't technically related to privacy, properly protecting your passwords will lead to much better privacy by reducing the number of data leaks and attacks you experience as a result of credential theft or leaks. Password managers make it much easier to manage usernames and passwords across all the sites and apps you use without having to reuse those credentials.
Migrating to a password manager is also a great opportunity to think twice about which accounts you really need and close the ones you don't.
- Bitwarden is what my wife and I use. It works great, is open source, cross-platform, and can be self-hosted if you want.
- KeepassXC is a highly respected FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) password manager. It doesn't sync natively across devices, but it works well and has a solid track record.
4. Use an email service that preserves privacy
The process of changing email provider is a long and quite complex process, so it is preferable to do it after updating your browser. Having a password manager handy will help you migrate emails and passwords.
Privacy-preserving email providers often use native forms of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) whenever possible and prevent your email from being read. They are essential to reduce the data available on your communication, your purchases, your job search, etc. to invasive companies like Google and Microsoft.
- ProtonMail is probably the best-known name in the privacy-preserving email space, and for good reason. It has many strong features out of the box, a usable free tier, and great cross-platform clients to go along with a long history of user privacy support.
- CTemplar: I personally prefer and use CTemplar because I like its price, approach to privacy, mobile app (on F-Droid), and acceptance of Monero directly for payments.
- Although I haven't used Tutanota, many people I trust do. They also offer deep discounts for FOSS and non-profits, so it's worth checking out if you're a part of one.
See Also: Monero: The Privacy Coin Explained
5. Use a search engine that preserves privacy
This step may seem quite boring at first because none of the privacy-preserving search engines are as fast or comprehensive as simply using Google, but the data you provide to a search engine says a lot about you and removing it is a key step. to make it. reducing your digital footprint.
Each of the alternatives has key advantages and disadvantages and it really comes down to personal choice. I recommend that you try them each for a day or more by default and see which solution works best for you.
- DuckDuckGo uses Bing results behind the scenes and is one of the best and fastest user experiences in the space. They are the easiest to change, that's for sure.
- I host a public instance of Whoogle and really appreciate the ability to get Google search results without revealing my IP address and the added overhead of Google searches. It's quite easy to host yourself, if you wish.
- Searx is probably the most demanding option, while still offering a solid experience and search results. You can find public instances here.
6. Switch you and your friends/family to a more private messaging service/app
Getting the people you chat with the most to switch messaging platforms is hard. However, to get the most out of them, you'll need to do everything you can to get them to jump ship with you. This is made even more difficult because there are so many options, an experience of decision paralysis often compounded by "messaging wars."
Fortunately, I managed to get all my friends and family to switch to Signal, but I know that's not always possible.
Introducing a default private messaging app and E2EE into your workflow helps prevent self-censorship, surveillance, and state censorship on private chats, and is an essential tool for long-term liberty and liberty.
Signal has the brand recognition it does for a reason: it's extremely easy to use, easy to onboard new people, and has a similar core feature set to most other default messaging apps. It's not perfect. But it's an amazing tool and has been a boon to the privacy and free speech movements.
Please note that Signal requires a phone number to use. This comes with the significant ability to handle SMS natively in Signal, making it an extremely capable iMessage replacement and a much easier sell in the US where SMS is still very popular for some reason. While linking a phone number can be detrimental to pseudonymization or anonymity, it does not harm or reduce the encrypted privacy provided by Signal.
See Also: Signal Messaging App Launches MobileCoin
Threema takes the WhatsApp model and guides the app to preserve user privacy, including end-to-end encrypted chats, voicemails, and other features by default. It also removes the Signal phone number requirement, which is a big plus for pseudonymization.
I tend to use Signal with people I know personally and Threema to chat with people I don't know.
7. Use a more privacy-friendly form of money
While cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are generally considered private or anonymous, this is a misnomer. Most cryptocurrencies are not privacy-preserving by default and at best simply allow for flimsy pseudonymization. With that in mind, here are some recommendations for using cryptocurrencies while staying private.
- Use Monero. Monero is a privacy-preserving cryptocurrency that protects information about senders, recipients, and amounts by default. If you're interested, these two videos (here and here) got me started, while "Monero Outreach" provides a feature-by-feature breakdown.
- Use the Samourai wallet for Bitcoin. In my opinion, Samourai Wallet is by far the best way to use Bitcoin, and makes it quite easy and accessible to use...