What's In My Privacy Toolbox? (Update 4)
Here's my updated Privacy Toolbox to help you push back and begin to regain your autonomy! Curious where to start in your privacy journey? This list may help.
Guiding Principles
- Privacy Forward Alternatives: Solutions that preserve privacy by blocking trackers, data mining, and/or using end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption.
- Daily Use: I only recommend solutions that I personally use every day on all my devices.
- Support: If I'm not paying for it, I'm donating to its cause. I'm neither a spokesman nor in any affiliate programs.
- Usability: It should be as easy to use as any mainstream software it's replacing, encouraging adoption by all. Even my in-laws.
- Cross-Platform: It must run across Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android where applicable.
Keep in mind that...
The best privacy and security results rely on multiple tools working together. Now to my ever-evolving toolbox (with From->To where applicable):
Browser: Google Chrome/Safari ➔ Brave Browser (blocks ads & trackers)
- Search: Google Search ➔ Brave Search and Startpage
- Desktop Browser Extensions: 1Password, PrivacyBadger, uBlock Origin
Password Manager: LastPass ➔ 1Password
2FA Authenticator: Authy ➔ Enteio Auth
Hardware 2FA: Yubico YubiKey (Be sure to have two!)
Messenger: Google Voice (SMS) ➔ Signal Messenger and Molly (A secure Signal fork)
Proton Family Plan that includes the following (free tier available to test each service out):
- VPN: Google One ➔ ProtonVPN
- Email: Gmail ➔ ProtonMail
- Alias Email Addresses: Proton Pass with SimpleLogin
- Calendar: Google Calendar ➔ Proton Calendar
- Cloud Storage: Google Drive/OneDrive/DropBox ➔ Proton Drive
Backup Email: Tuta (free tier available, primary & backup email should be on secure & private services)
Notes: Google Keep ➔ Notesnook
Photo Storage: Google Photos ➔ Enteio Photos
Virtual Payments: Privacy.com (merchant locked debit cards with limits by amount/transactions/time)
Virtual Phone Numbers: Cloaked
Personal Data Removal: Optery
For my devices:
- Desktop OS: MacOS/MS Windows ➔ Ubuntu Linux
- Smartphone OS: Google Android ➔ GrapheneOS
- Privacy Keyboard: Google GBoard ➔ Futo Keyboard
- Office Suite: MS Office 365 ➔ LibreOffice
Smart Home Automation
- Amazon Echo ➔ Home Assistant
- Voice Controller: Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition
- AI: Ollama
Since privacy is a journey and not a destination, this list has and will continue to evolve with time.
Remember, we may not have anything to hide but everything to protect.
