IT security advice
Posted: Fri May 26, 2023 10:06 am
Below are some ideas gathered by me. Feel free to add to and ask to change things as I am just learning about this myself.
1. avoid apps that keep and share your private data: Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, any apps that use Google account, and any Apple ID apps, Twitter, etc.
2. if you must use one of the above apps connect from a VPN and use a new free email account and use it for one app only.
3. If you use smartphone, use either a regular phone that had been "de-googled", or use a secure smartphone (you can purchase a "de-googled" or secure phone online), avoid iPhone and and Apple devices - they are privacy leaks on the hardware level, you can't "de-google" them at all.
4. Assume that all email services can be intercepted - never write anything important. The problem with email is that when you have a single account for everything you let them collect information about you that allows to identify and profile you, so using VPN would not work in this case. The other problem is that email protocol is unencrypted by design and sends in plain text and can be intercepted easily. That is why you need to create a separate email account from a new IP (use VPN for that) so that your identity can not be matched. To improve email security you can use GPG encryption (https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ ... n-messages) or use email service that strips the IP data from your email (see email service https://brax.me/prod/host.php?f=_store& ... 0&version=).
5. Install a VPN (see below for more information)
6. For video conferences use Jitsi https://meet.jit.si/ instead of Zoom.
7. For online chats and social network we can explore Element https://element.io/ or https://brax.me/
8. Use secure browser (I use Brave browser) and use its Tor Browsing option for more sensitive browsing
9. Use search engine that respects privacy: I use DuckDuckGo.
10 If you can, on your computer install Linux (https://ubuntu.com or https://linuxmint.com/ - the latter looks like Windows so easier to learn). Linux can be installed as a second operating system right on top of your existing Windows or MacOS.
Here's some practical solutions following the advice of IT security expert https://www.youtube.com/@robbraxmantech.
PHONES:
When it comes to phones there are some options: landline phone is still available in some places, mobile button phones, "degoogled" smartphones, and smartphones designed with privacy in mind.
You can use BraX2 Privacy Phone available on https://brax.me
And https://digitalprivacy.shop/de-googled-mobile-phones
In Europe check out:
https://iode.tech/en/ offers new and refurbished phones.
Murena smartphones: https://murena.com/smartphones/
You can also build your own DIY smartphone using for example Raspberry Pi (https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/) for parts: https://www.instructables.com/Build-You ... martphone/
Plus use a faraday pouch for when you don't want your location and movement to be tracked. Faraday net blocks a range of signals, and also protects sensitive electronics from EMP blast, and protects you from dangerous cellphone radiation.
VPN:
There are different types of VPN available. From simplest to the best.
Browser extension VPN is the simplest to install but some sites might give you extra captchas because you'd be connecting from an IP that spammers and crooks use. Plus browser VPN only protects browser traffic and nothing else.
Operating System VPN is the VPN like ProtonVPN that is installed into your Operating System and protects all Internet traffic that is used by your computer.
Hardware VPN or VPN installed on your router or modem.
For extra security Rob Brax provides a cloud-based VPN with TOR browsing: https://bytzvpn.com/
1. avoid apps that keep and share your private data: Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, any apps that use Google account, and any Apple ID apps, Twitter, etc.
2. if you must use one of the above apps connect from a VPN and use a new free email account and use it for one app only.
3. If you use smartphone, use either a regular phone that had been "de-googled", or use a secure smartphone (you can purchase a "de-googled" or secure phone online), avoid iPhone and and Apple devices - they are privacy leaks on the hardware level, you can't "de-google" them at all.
4. Assume that all email services can be intercepted - never write anything important. The problem with email is that when you have a single account for everything you let them collect information about you that allows to identify and profile you, so using VPN would not work in this case. The other problem is that email protocol is unencrypted by design and sends in plain text and can be intercepted easily. That is why you need to create a separate email account from a new IP (use VPN for that) so that your identity can not be matched. To improve email security you can use GPG encryption (https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ ... n-messages) or use email service that strips the IP data from your email (see email service https://brax.me/prod/host.php?f=_store& ... 0&version=).
5. Install a VPN (see below for more information)
6. For video conferences use Jitsi https://meet.jit.si/ instead of Zoom.
7. For online chats and social network we can explore Element https://element.io/ or https://brax.me/
8. Use secure browser (I use Brave browser) and use its Tor Browsing option for more sensitive browsing
9. Use search engine that respects privacy: I use DuckDuckGo.
10 If you can, on your computer install Linux (https://ubuntu.com or https://linuxmint.com/ - the latter looks like Windows so easier to learn). Linux can be installed as a second operating system right on top of your existing Windows or MacOS.
Here's some practical solutions following the advice of IT security expert https://www.youtube.com/@robbraxmantech.
PHONES:
When it comes to phones there are some options: landline phone is still available in some places, mobile button phones, "degoogled" smartphones, and smartphones designed with privacy in mind.
You can use BraX2 Privacy Phone available on https://brax.me
And https://digitalprivacy.shop/de-googled-mobile-phones
In Europe check out:
https://iode.tech/en/ offers new and refurbished phones.
Murena smartphones: https://murena.com/smartphones/
You can also build your own DIY smartphone using for example Raspberry Pi (https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/) for parts: https://www.instructables.com/Build-You ... martphone/
Plus use a faraday pouch for when you don't want your location and movement to be tracked. Faraday net blocks a range of signals, and also protects sensitive electronics from EMP blast, and protects you from dangerous cellphone radiation.
VPN:
There are different types of VPN available. From simplest to the best.
Browser extension VPN is the simplest to install but some sites might give you extra captchas because you'd be connecting from an IP that spammers and crooks use. Plus browser VPN only protects browser traffic and nothing else.
Operating System VPN is the VPN like ProtonVPN that is installed into your Operating System and protects all Internet traffic that is used by your computer.
Hardware VPN or VPN installed on your router or modem.
For extra security Rob Brax provides a cloud-based VPN with TOR browsing: https://bytzvpn.com/