There are many layers to any discusion about digital security, for the average user managing keys and setting up encryption is too much hassle. If that is the case then you can find plenty of services willing to take out some of that hassle for you.
If you want a free and anonymous email provider we recommend – ProtonMail, by using this service your email will automatically be encrypted. This will probably provide enough security for most people. If you would like to be even more secure than that look below for more in depth steps you can take to keep yourself secure online.
Many of these suggestions are excellent daily practices for ANYONE doing ANYTHING online, such as using unique passwords with the help of a password manager.
For increased security online you should secure more than just your email communications. Here are some suggestions for ways to secure your internet connection and browser as well:
- Internet connection (VPN),
- Browser (TOR), and
- Email (ProtonMail)
Finally consider reading these security suggestions from Riseup – the radical Ⓐutonomous tech collective who have been securing communications for explicitly radical projects and collectives since 1999.
Pressed for time? Too busy resisting oppression or building a better world? Great! We suggest you start your security journey with these easy steps that everyone can take to make their digital life a lot less vulnerable.
- Embrace message hygiene: The vast majority of attacks arrive in your inbox. Learn how to practice appropriate caution when using email and messaging applications.
- Use a password manager: By using a password manager you can protect yourself from a large number of possible threats.
- Enable device encryption: Device encryption is easy to turn on, built into your operating system, and protects data stored on your device.
- Become a better browser: By changing your default web browser settings and installing a few extensions, you can dramatically improve the security (and pleasantness) of your web browsing experience.
- Run software safely: Keeping your software up to date is a simple thing to do and makes your system much less vulnerable.
Why security matters
The increasing importance of information and communication has brought with it another phenomenon: the rise of a surveillance society. You can think of surveillance as an attempt by the powerful to maintain their dominance by asserting control over communication.
Nation states have responded to new communications technology by pursuing an infrastructure that facilitates mass surveillance and can easily be re-purposed for total social control. Many governments also contract with unethical private corporations to track activists and break into their devices.
Corporations have discovered that the gathering and analysis of massive amounts of personal data is necessary if they want to remain competitive in an information-rich world. In particular, nearly all advertising is shifting toward surveillance-based tracking of our personal behavior.
Criminals have discovered that it is very lucrative to attack personal devices and cloud accounts to ransom data or blackmail the user.
In this context, digital security has become vitally important.
- State surveillance has a long history of resulting in the repression of social movements.
- Even indirectly, rampant surveillance has a chilling effect on social movements.
- Corporate surveillance is just as serious as state surveillance. Not only can the massive amounts of data kept on internet users be easily re-purposed for direct state repression, but corporations are now on the verge of obtaining unprecedented power over consumers.
When people start to learn about the rise in surveillance they start to feel overwhelmed. Some decide that it is impossible to be secure, so they resign themselves to live under perpetual surveillance or to forsake all forms of digital communication. At Riseup, we believe there is a third way: our goal is to make a high degree of security easy and accessible for everyone.
Security overview
| Type of security | What is it? | When is it useful? |
|---|---|---|
| Human Security | Simple changes you can make to your behavior. | Helps prevent human error from being the weak link in any security system. |
| Device Security | Steps to make your computer or phone less vulnerable to attack. | Useful to keep your device resistant to known attacks and whenever your device might physically fall into the hands of an attacker. |
| Message Security | Ways to encrypt individual messages you send and receive. | Required if you want to ensure the confidentiality of a particular message while stored and transmitted. |
| Network Security | Blocking sites that track you and encrypting your internet traffic. | Helps protect against behavioral tracking, account hijacking, censorship, social network mapping, eavesdropping, and advertising. |
Also, check out security resources page for more links to security guides and activist providers.