INTERNET PRIVACY & SECURITY
LASTPASS
PASSWORD MANAGER
May 27, 2018
FREE
Simplify your life.
LastPass remembers all your passwords, so you don't have to.
The best way to manage passwords.
Just remember your master password and LastPass remembers the rest.
LastPass is a password management service that stores encrypted passwords in private accounts. LastPass is standard with a web interface, but also includes plugins for many web browsers and apps for many smartphones.
A user's content in LastPass, including passwords and secure notes, is protected by one master password. The content is synchronized to any device the user uses. Information is encrypted with AES-256 bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256, salted hashes, and the ability to increase Password Iterations value. Encryption and decryption takes place at the device level.
LastPass has a form filler that automates password entering and form filling, and it supports password generation, site sharing and site logging, and two-factor authentication. LastPass supports two-factor authentication via various methods including the LastPass Authenticator app for mobile phones as well as others. LastPass is available as an extension to many web browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. It also has apps available for smartphones running the Android, iOS, or Windows Phone operating systems. The apps have offline functionality.
GOOGLE AUTHENTICATOR
TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
May 27, 2018
FREE
Google Authenticator provides a six- to eight-digit one-time password which users must provide in addition to their username and password to log into their account. Google Authenticator is another layer of protection on your account. The Authenticator can also generate codes for third-party applications, such as crypto exchanges, password managers, and file hosting services.
This is mandatory (highly recommended) for all crypto exchanges & accounts! I repeat, this is mandatory for all crypto exchanges & accounts!
Be sure to write down your secret key with pen & paper.
PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS (VPN)
BROWSE ONLINE SECURELY
May 27, 2018
$3 per month
When you connect to the internet, you probably assume that your activities aren't being observed. But that's an unsafe assumption, and it's especially dubious when you connect to the web from the coffee shop, the airport, or even at work. When you use a VPN, on the other hand, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel to a server controlled by the VPN provider. From there, it heads out to the world wide internet.
Nothing can penetrate a VPN's encrypted tunnel, so no one snooping on your local network (be it at home or at the office) can see what you're up to. It also prevents your ISP from monitoring your activities, which is especially good since Congress gave ISPs the green light to collect and sell anonymized user data. Because your data is emanating from the VPN server, and not your home router, your IP address—and therefore your geographic location—is hidden.
In short, you need a VPN because the internet has not been built with privacy or security in mind. Especially not this version of the internet that we live in.
Private Internet Access servers operate VPN gateways in 44 regions across 29 countries.
High-speed anonymous VPN Service from Private Internet Access. Protect yourself with our secure VPN tunnel. Packages starting at $2.91/mo.
Other VPN services: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn
ENCRYPTED MESSENGER
May 27, 2018
Free
Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, it’s super-fast, simple and free. You can use Telegram on all your devices at the same time — your messages sync seamlessly across any number of your phones, tablets or computers.
With Telegram, you can send messages, photos, videos and files of any type (doc, zip, mp3, etc), as well as create groups for up to 100,000 people or channels for broadcasting to unlimited audiences. You can write to your phone contacts and find people by their usernames. As a result, Telegram is like SMS and email combined — and can take care of all your personal or business messaging needs. In addition to this, we support end-to-end encrypted voice calls.
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER FROM VIRUSES & MALWEAR
May 27, 2018
VARIOUS
Antivirus software is critical for every PC. Without it, you risk losing your personal information, your files, and even the cash from your bank account. PC Magazine tested more than 40 utilities to help you pick the right one for your computers.
The Best Antivirus Protection of 2018
You should probably have anti-virus software installed and running on your computer at all times. Do your own research. Don't download anything free, or you could download a virus. Actually pay for it.
DATA BACKUP
BUY AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE
May 27, 2018
Buy an external hard drive and backup your computer weekly.
What is a Computer Backup?
The simplest definition of a computer backup is an exact copy. In the case of computer files, we are referring to copies of the original files that you have on your laptop, desktop, or external drive. Creating a backup of original content means having that data saved in two places, but it’s also important to make sure that those two places aren’t on the same type of device. For example, if you have 3 copies of a working document on your computer, if your computer crashes, you will still lose all three. This makes the backup method and medium, an important thing to consider for your backup strategy!
Why You Should Backup Your Files
In today’s fast-paced world, backing up your files is of the utmost importance. Typically music, movies, films, data files, projects, and photos are all stored in one place – your computer. Laptops and desktops have decreased in cost, and the amount of storage inside them has increased greatly over the last few years. Unfortunately having all of your data in only one place is dangerous.
Computer loss, theft, natural disaster, and accidental deletion, are just some of the ways that you can lose the data you’ve spent so long creating and accumulating. The only way to prepare for the unexpected is to have a good backup strategy in place. There are many different ways to backup your computers, and using multiple forms of backup will minimize the risk of ever losing your valuable files.
PEN & PAPER
KEEP IT SAFE
May 27, 2018
FREE
Write your passwords down on pen & paper. Get yourself a notebook & keep it safe. Anything digital can be hacked.
Keep your notebook in a location where it is at least out of site. If you use a computer in a shared area, you might want to look at storing your code book in a locked desk drawer, filing cabinet, or safe.
What sort of information should you write in it? I would recommend something along the following lines:
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name of web site
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username
-
date you signed up for the service
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answer(s) to password reset questions
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date of last password change (and/or date of next password change)
For additional security, do not store the actual answers to your password reset questions, but rather mnemonics or clues that will tip you, but not an attacker, to the answers.
Keep in mind, though, that the physical security of any written-down information in your notebook—whether it be the passwords themselves or just the responses password reset challenges—is paramount: Writing down that information is the equivalent to putting your passport, driver’s license, social security card, check book, credit cards and debit cards (and their PINs) all together in one convenient bundle.
If you do not have a place that is physically secure enough to store a password reset notebook in, than you should not be using a notebook for this purposes. Keep in mind that an accident or disaster could result in the notebook being destroyed or unavailable, and plan accordingly. Another thing to keep in mind is that as a tangible, physical object, your password reset notebook is subject to loss. Making a copy of it with a photocopier and storing that offsite in a secure location like a safe deposit box is far less risky than scanning it and storing the copy on your PC where an attacker can access it.
Just like Telegram, but it's not.
May 27, 2018
FREE
Simple. Secure. Reliable messaging.
With WhatsApp, you'll get fast, simple, secure messaging and calling for free, available on phones all over the world. WhatsApp uses your phone's Internet connection to send messages so you can avoid SMS fees.
GROUP CHAT
Groups to keep in touch
Keep in touch with the groups of people that matter the most, like your family or coworkers. With group chats, you can share messages, photos, and videos with up to 256 people at once. You can also name your group, mute or customize notifications, and more.
END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
Security by Default
Some of your most personal moments are shared on WhatsApp, which is why we built end-to-end encryption into the latest versions of our app. When end-to-end encrypted, your messages and calls are secured so only you and the person you're communicating with can read or listen to them, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp.
DOCUMENTS
Document Sharing Made Easy
Send PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, slideshows and more, without the hassle of email or file sharing apps. You can send documents up to 100 MB, so it's easy to get what you need over to who you want.
OPERA WEB BROWSER
FREE VPN
May 27, 2018
FREE
Opera is a free web browser like Google Chrome or Firefox, but it comes built in VPN. This is the free option for those that don't want to pay for a VPN.
Opera is a web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Features of the Opera web browser include a free VPN, private browsing, tabbed browsing, download manager, mouse gestures and browser extensions.
BRAVE WEB BROWSER
SOLID WEB BROWSER
June 29, 2019
FREE
Brave is a free and open-source web browser. The browser blocks ads and website trackers. The company has proposed adopting a pay-to-surf business model in a future version of the browser. Enjoy private, secure and fast browsing with Brave.
Brave features BAT token (Basic Attention Token) which can be used to support your favorite sites with micropayments.
TOR WEB BROWSER
EXPLORE THE DARK WEB
May 28, 2018
FREE
The deep/dark web, invisible web, or hidden web are parts of the World Wide Web whose contents are not indexed by standard web search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo) for any reason.
The content of the deep web is hidden behind HTTP forms, and includes many very common uses such as web mail, online banking, and services that users must pay for, and which is protected by a paywall, such as video on demand, some online magazines and newspapers, and many more.
Content of the deep web can be located and accessed by a direct URL or IP address, and may require password or other security access past the public website page.
What is Tor?
Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security.
The Tor network is a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows people to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Tor's users employ this network by connecting through a series of virtual tunnels rather than making a direct connection, thus allowing both organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy. Along the same line, Tor is an effective censorship circumvention tool, allowing its users to reach otherwise blocked destinations or content. Tor can also be used as a building block for software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features.
Why Anonymity Matters
Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location.