Internet Security

2025: Most of the risk is very overstated. The risk of you being hit by a car is more likely than getting a hit on you from a stranger.

There are billions of people in the world, which mean there are billions of potential bad actors. However, it also means there are millions of bigger targets and generally people are good. The risk is smaller than your paranoia.

Harms /: Risk

  1. doxing
  2. stalking
  3. blackmail
  4. impersonate
  5. swat me
  6. rob me
  7. hurt me
  8. hurt family / friends

How to protect yourself:

  1. Password Manager — I use Apple Passwords, 1Password, Bitwarden as a form of redundancy for myself. I generate unique passwords each time. I also push this as the baseline for all my close ones.
  2. Emails — I generate a new email for each service with iCloud and forward items to ProtonMail. I block trackers, image loaders, and I unsubscribe as part of my routine.
  3. Phone — I use a burner phone number in almost all cases. No business has ever needed to call me anyways. I avoid giving out my number to anyone but friends.
  4. Address — I unfortunately don’t have the funds for a Virtual Mailbox yet, but the idea of this is great as I can travel and still see mail scanned to me digitally. I don’t get mail often.
  5. Credit Cards — one thing I haven’t done is generate virtual card numbers.
  6. 2FA — I use Passkeys wherever possible, then Yubikeys wherever possible, then OTP Codes, then 2FA, then SMS-based 2FA.
  7. I have adblockers across all my devices. If you are technical, you can also install DNS-wide adblocking on your home wifi.
  8. Security Questions — I avoid this. But if required, the answers to them are random and undiscoverable via my life. i.e. you cannot just google my Mom’s Maiden name
  9. I use a VPN at all times. Another VPN for accessing region-locked content. Europe adds stricter data collection standards, but this adds a lot more security checks and CAPTCHAs unfortunately.
  10. I communicate on iMessage and Signal in appropriate cases. Unrealistic to expect most to go on Signal.
  11. I clear my name and information from public records.
    1. this is unfortunately an endless and tedious process with myself + family members. Data brokers are evil
  12. Avoid gadgets — I use very few devices that are connected to the internet besides my computer and phone. I do not use smartwatches or smartfridges or anything. Opt for analog as it will likely last longer and be less addictive too.
  13. I do not use my real name for things that don’t need it. I delete accounts regularly that I do not use as they may be hacked eventually (Have I been Pwned?).
  14. I private most of my personal social media. I maintain a clear distance personal accounts to avoid PII or close ones in my life from being linked to me.
    1. This is the trickiest one. There is unreal upside to using your full name online. Part of why I am so paranoid with all the above points too.