Privacy Best Practices

Why This Matters

Privacy isn't about having something to hide—it's about maintaining control over your personal information and protecting yourself from real threats. It's about power—the power to control who knows what about you, and when.

Real-World Scenarios Where Privacy Protects You

Personal Safety:

A stalker uses location data from your social media to track you
An abusive ex monitors your location via a shared Google account
Your home address is found on a people-search site by someone with ill intent

Financial Security:

A data breach exposes your reused passwords, draining your bank account
Identity thieves piece together your personal information from multiple breaches
Your credit card is skimmed and used for fraud

Economic Harm:

Your browsing history is sold to insurance companies who raise your rates
Airlines show you higher prices based on your search history
Advertisers manipulate you into purchases using psychological profiles

Autonomy & Freedom:

Your reading habits are tracked and influence what information you see
You self-censor knowing you're being watched (the chilling effect)
Your social circle is mapped and analyzed without your knowledge

💰 What This Costs

Privacy doesn't have to break the bank. Here's what you can expect to spend:

Recommended ($36-100/year)

1Password ($36), VPN ($60)

Time: ~3 hours setup

Nice to Have ($100-200/year)

+ ProtonMail ($48), DeleteMe ($129)

Time: ~2 hours setup

Advanced ($200-400/year)

+ DeleteMe ($129), YubiKey ($50), encrypted storage ($60-100)

Time: ~8 hours setup

How to Get Started

Privacy isn't all-or-nothing. Start with the essentials, then add more protection as needed.

🎯 Essential Actions (Do These First)

These 5 actions protect you from 95% of common threats. Total time: ~2 hours.

Password Manager: Install 1Password. Update your most important passwords.
Enable 2FA: Turn on two-factor authentication for email, banking, and social media. Gmail | Yahoo | Outlook
Block Trackers: Install uBlock Origin browser extension.
Secure Messaging: Download Signal for private conversations.
Check for Breaches: Sign up for alerts at Have I Been Pwned.

✅ Complete these and you're more secure than 95% of people.

🔒 Level Up (High Impact)

Worth doing if you care about privacy. Each takes 15-30 minutes.

VPN for Travel/Public WiFi: Mullvad or ProtonVPN (~$5-10/month)
Remove Your Data from Brokers: DeleteMe or Optery scrubs your info from people-search sites ($99-129/year)
Virtual Credit Cards: Privacy.com lets you create disposable card numbers for online purchases (Free)
Phone Privacy Audit: Review and restrict app permissions on your phone (Free)

Advanced Options (For Power Users)

These are for journalists, activists, security professionals, or privacy enthusiasts. Most people don't need these.

Hardware Security Keys: YubiKey for unphishable 2FA ($25-50)
Encrypted Email: ProtonMail or Tutanota (mostly useful if recipients also use it)
Email Aliases: SimpleLogin to use unique emails for every service ($30/year)
Tor Browser: For anonymous browsing (slow, technical)
Custom Android: GrapheneOS or CalyxOS (requires technical expertise)
DNS Filtering: NextDNS or Quad9 for network-level blocking

💡 If you're a high-risk individual facing serious threats, consult a professional security advisor.

Essential Privacy Tools

These three tools provide the biggest security improvement for the least effort. Start here.

1. Use a Password Manager (Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Why it matters: Password reuse is how most accounts get compromised. When LinkedIn gets breached, hackers try those passwords on your email, banking, Amazon, and every other account. A password manager generates unique, strong passwords for every site.

Password Manager Comparison Table

Feature	1Password	Bitwarden	Proton Pass
Price	$36/yr	Free / $10/yr	Free / $48/yr
User Experience	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best For	⭐ Most people	Budget-conscious	Proton ecosystem
2FA Built-In	✅ Included	Premium only	✅ Included
Family Sharing	$60/yr (5 people)	$40/yr (6 people)	Included

Verdict: 1Password is the gold standard—the built-in 2FA, family sharing, and polished experience make it the top choice for most people.

Setup time: 30 minutes

How to start:

Sign up for a password manager
Install the browser extension and mobile app
Update your email password first (most critical)
Update banking next
Gradually update other accounts over the next two weeks

2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Why it matters: Even if someone steals your password, they can't access your account without the second factor. This single action prevents 99.9% of automated attacks.

2FA Methods (Best to Worst)

Hardware keys: YubiKey ($25-50) — unphishable, gold standard
Authenticator apps: 2FAS (open source), Authy (easy backups), Aegis (Android)
SMS codes: Better than nothing, but vulnerable to SIM swapping
Email codes: Weak. Only use if nothing else is available

Priority order for 2FA:

Email: Gmail | Yahoo | Outlook | Apple
Password manager
Banking
Social media
Cloud storage

3. Install uBlock Origin (Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Why it matters: Most tracking happens through ads and invisible trackers on websites. uBlock Origin blocks them all. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave.

Quick Setup (2 minutes)

Go to ublockorigin.com
Click "Get" for your browser
Install the extension
That's it. It works automatically.

💡 Your browser choice doesn't matter as much as having uBlock Origin installed. Chrome with uBlock is better than Firefox without it.

Practical Privacy Tools

The tools most people actually use and benefit from.

VPNs (For Travel & Public WiFi)

Use a VPN when you're on public WiFi, traveling internationally, or accessing your bank from a coffee shop. It encrypts your traffic and hides your IP address.

Top 3 VPN Picks

Mullvad - Best for privacy purists

No email required, proven no-logs policy in court

€5/mo

ProtonVPN - Best free option

Swiss privacy laws, free tier available

Free-$10/mo

IVPN - Great balance

Strong privacy, good performance

$6/mo

Avoid: Free VPNs (except ProtonVPN), NordVPN, ExpressVPN (misleading marketing)

More Tools (Optional but Useful)

Secure Messaging

Signal is the gold standard for private messaging. It's free, easy to use, and end-to-end encrypted. Use it instead of SMS for sensitive conversations.

❌ Avoid WhatsApp (owned by Meta) and Telegram (not encrypted by default)

Private Email (Advanced)

Encrypted email like ProtonMail or Tutanota is mostly useful if the person you're emailing also uses it. For most people, just using Gmail with 2FA is fine.

💡 Better alternative: Use email aliases (SimpleLogin) to hide your real email address from websites.

Mobile Privacy Setup

Your phone tracks more than you think. Spend 15 minutes tightening these settings.

iOS Privacy Setup Checklist

□ Tracking: Disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track" (Settings → Privacy & Security)
□ Location Services: Set most apps to "While Using" or "Never"
□ Location Services → System Services: Disable most (especially "Significant Locations")
□ App Privacy Report: Enable it to see what apps are doing
□ Apple Advertising: Turn off Personalized Ads
□ Safari: Enable "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" and "Hide IP Address"

Android Privacy Setup Checklist

□ Privacy Dashboard: Review regularly (Settings → Privacy)
□ Permission Manager: Revoke unnecessary permissions
□ Ad ID: Reset or delete advertising ID
□ Network & Internet: Set Private DNS to dns.quad9.net
□ Advanced (for tech-savvy): Consider GrapheneOS (most private Android OS)

Financial Privacy

Virtual Credit Cards

Use virtual credit cards to create unique card numbers for every merchant. Set spending limits, pause, or close cards at any time, preventing overcharging and limiting damage from data breaches.

Remove Your Info from Data Brokers

Your personal info is being sold by hundreds of data broker websites. These services automatically remove your data and monitor for reappearance.

Cryptocurrency Privacy

Bitcoin is not anonymous; it is pseudonymous and traceable. For real privacy, use privacy coins like Monero (XMR). Always use a VPN when transacting.

🚨 Emergency Guide

I've Been Compromised (Hacked, Doxxed, etc.) - Act quickly.

Immediate Actions (First Hour)

Isolate: Disconnect the compromised device from the internet
Lock Down Email: From a clean device, change your primary email password immediately. Enable 2FA if you haven't already. Check for forwarding rules or suspicious linked devices and remove them.
Change Passwords: Change the password for the compromised account, then any other critical accounts (banking, social media)
Doxxing: If your personal info was published, take screenshots for evidence, report it to the platform, and file a police report if threats are involved

Next 24 Hours

□ Security Sweep: Run an antivirus/anti-malware scan on all devices
□ Check for Breaches: Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com
□ Monitor Finances: Review bank and credit card statements. Consider a credit freeze.
□ Alert Contacts: Warn friends and family, as they may be targeted next

Long-Term Recovery

Figure out how the breach happened (phishing, malware, password reuse?) and address the root cause. For identity theft, file a report with the FTC (identitytheft.gov in the US).

Quick Checklist

Print this out or bookmark it. Review quarterly.

One-Time Setup (2-3 hours total)

□ Install a password manager
□ Create a strong master password and store it safely offline
□ Update email and banking passwords
□ Enable 2FA on email and banking (Gmail | Yahoo | Outlook)
□ Install uBlock Origin ad/tracker blocker
□ Review and limit mobile app permissions
□ Pause activity tracking in your Google Account

Monthly Tasks (15 minutes)

□ Check haveibeenpwned.com for new breaches involving your email
□ Update 3-5 passwords for less critical services
□ Review credit card and bank statements for unusual activity

Quarterly Tasks (1 hour)

□ Do a full privacy settings review on your main social media accounts
□ Review all app permissions on your phone
□ Delete 2-3 unused online accounts using JustDeleteMe.me
□ Check your credit report

Annual Tasks (2-3 hours)

□ Conduct a full security audit of all important accounts
□ Review and update 2FA backup codes
□ Delete 10+ unused accounts
□ Review your digital estate plan (what happens to your accounts when you die)

📄 Print This: Privacy Quick-Reference Card

Cut this out and keep it by your desk.

✅ PRIVACY QUICK WINS

□ Password manager installed

□ Email has 2FA

□ Banking has 2FA

□ Using Firefox or Brave

□ uBlock Origin installed

□ Phone app permissions reviewed

□ Social media set to private

□ Credit frozen at 3 bureaus

MONTHLY:

□ Check haveibeenpwned.com

□ Update 3-5 passwords

EMERGENCY: jason.guide/privacy#emergency

Common Myths

Let's clear up some misconceptions.

Myth #1: "I have nothing to hide."

Reality: You have everything to protect. Privacy isn't about hiding bad things; it's about controlling your personal information. You close the bathroom door—not because you're doing something wrong, but because you value privacy.

Myth #2: "Incognito mode makes me private."

Reality: Incognito mode only deletes history on your local device. Your ISP, your employer, and the websites you visit can still see everything you do.

Myth #3: "VPNs make me anonymous."

Reality: VPNs hide your IP and encrypt your connection, but they do not make you anonymous. Websites can still track you with cookies and browser fingerprinting. Your VPN provider can see your traffic.

Myth #4: "It's too late, my data is already out there."

Reality: It's never too late to stop more data from leaking. Every step you take makes you a harder target and reduces your future risk.

Myth #5: "Privacy is too complicated/expensive."

Reality: Effective privacy protection costs less than you think. 1Password is $36/year, and essentials like uBlock Origin, Signal, and 2FA are free. The core principles are simple: use unique passwords, enable 2FA, and reduce your data footprint.

⚡ TLDR Speed Run (5 Minutes to Better Privacy)