Resources

Our Privacy and Digital Security Guides

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DNS

The Domain Name Service translates domain names that humans understand to IP Addresses which your computer understands. Your ISP and Google uses this service to track and monetize your internet activity. Use a Privacy DNS on your devices and add it to your home router to pass this protection to every device on your network.

  • Cloudflare DNS / one.one.one.one (free) – Use on every device, plus add it to you home router. Use Families to block malware and optionally adult content. Use 1.1.1.2 to block malware and 1.1.1.3 to block malware and adult content.
  • Quad9 (free) – Another free privacy DNS
  • NextDNS (free/paid) – Can customize what gets filtered and adds many useful features.

Network

Your home router and network is like a locked gate and fence around your property. This is the first line of defense. An unpatched Windows 7 PC exposed to the raw internet will be hacked in five minutes.

Password Managers

  • Bitwarden – (Free/Paid) Best in class. For Individuals, Families, and Businesses.
  • Proton Pass – (Free/Paid) Very polished and integrated with other Proton services. Good for beginners.
  • KeyPassXC – (Free) Offline and self-managed

Privacy Phones

  • Plexus – Check how apps run on a De-googled phone

Social Media

Televisions

Do not connect your TV to the internet. Don’t buy android TV Boxes (many come with malware). Use an AppleTV device or build a Linux Media Center to reduce or remove spying.

Web Browsers

  • Brave – Brave is Google Chrome minus Google (read Chromium), plus Privacy. Most users
  • Firefox – The best non-Chromium browser. Add Firefox Multi-Account Containers and Ublock Origin to increase privacy and security.
  • Others – Your mileage may vary. Recommend adding Ublock Origin or Ublock Origin Lite to help your privacy and security in case you are required to use Edge

Tip: Remove all extensions except Ublock Origin, Bitwarden, and Firefox Multi-Account Containers to reduce web browser fingerprinting that can uniquely identify you. Some extensions spy on you and monetize your data (see about the Honey Browser Extension scandal)

Tip: Test your web browser for fingerprinting. Don’t use specialty web browsers as they will more uniquely fingerprint you. (Gray Man)

VPN

  • ProtonVPN (free/paid) – Best known
  • Mulvad VPN (paid) – Reported as good
  • Roll your own using Unifi routers, or on a hosted VPS. (some cost)

VPNs have been sensationalized by all the paid advertisements. In reality VPNs are only one part of your privacy “defense-in-depth”. Do not use a free VPN service as they most likely monetize your internet browsing.

Best use cases of VPN:

  • You use Public WiFi with no password – This is unencrypted WiFi, so a VPN helps here. Be aware that some of these are setup by hackers to capture your traffic, so best practice is to use your mobile device hotspot for safety.
  • Remote into your office or home – The business pays for your VPN access and has their own VPN software. You can setup Wireguard to connect your mobile device back home. Easiest is to have one of our Privacy Routers or a Unifi Cloud Gateway, so you can access self-hosted services like your JellyFin media server.