79.1 Basic Security

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Some basic steps to ensure privacy and security include:

  • Passwords: Never reuse any password. Use a password manager to generate random passwords and to track your passwords. KeePassXC is a good option. It maintains a single encrypted store for your passwords which you can access using a single complex master password which you must keep secret. This does introduce a single point of failure, in that the master password is the single key to access all of your passwords. It is still probably the best option available.
  • Multi Factor Authentication: Turn on two factor authentication wherever it is supported. Avoid SMS as the second factor but if that is all that is offered, then it is better than nothing. A good choice is an app on your personal smart device built for the purpose.
  • Software Updates: Keep both your operating system and the software you use up to date with the latest versions. Occasionally, but thankfully rarely, things do break when software we rely on is updated, but the often short lived inconvenience is worth the protection that is offered through regular updates. Many applications will automatically update, and that is generally a good thing.

Specific applications that help regain your privacy include:

Application Link
Browser Brave
Cloud NextCloud
Mail Proton Mail
Messaging Signal
Passwords KeePassXC
Search DuckDuckGo

Further Reading



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