Privacy, Security, and Digital Self-Defense
Develop a comprehensive digital privacy and security practice for adult life — protecting yourself and others online.
Privacy is not achieved by adjusting a setting once — it is an ongoing practice of making deliberate choices about what information you share, with whom, and under what conditions.
Digital Self-Defense Toolkit
- Password manager: Use a password manager (Bitwarden, 1Password) to generate and store unique passwords
- Two-factor authentication: Enable 2FA on all important accounts
- Encrypted messaging: Use Signal for sensitive communications
- VPN: Use a reputable VPN on public networks
- Browser privacy: Use Firefox with uBlock Origin, or Brave browser
- Email: Consider ProtonMail for sensitive communications
- Device encryption: Enable full-disk encryption on all devices
- Software updates: Keep all software updated — most attacks exploit known vulnerabilities
Developing Your Threat Model
Effective privacy and security practice starts with a threat model: What information am I protecting? From whom? What are the consequences if it is compromised? What level of effort is proportionate? A journalist protecting sources has a different threat model than a student protecting personal information.
A journalist protecting a confidential source faces threats from government surveillance, corporate espionage, and targeted hacking. Their threat model requires end-to-end encrypted communications, secure file transfer, and operational security practices that most people do not need.
You do not need to implement every privacy tool at once. Start with the highest-impact basics: a password manager, 2FA on important accounts, and keeping software updated. These three practices prevent the vast majority of common attacks.
Ready to test your knowledge?
3 questions · Grade 12 level