My Personal Privacy Friendly Technology Stack

Privacy and security are topics I talk about frequently, and I'm often asked which privacy friendly apps and platforms I trust for my personal use. Here's a summary of my go-to choices. Keep in mind, I mainly use Windows and iOS devices, prioritizing trusted applications and platforms known for their robust privacy and security features. Most of these options below offer free or very affordable versions.

• Email: Proton Mail
• Search Engine: Brave, StartPage, DuckDuckGo - Anything but Google
• Web Browser: Firefox, Brave, Safari - Anything but Chrome
• Web Browser Extensions (additional privacy features): Privacy Badger, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, Firefox Multi-Account Containers
• Password Manager: 1Password
• Secure Messaging (End-to-End encryption E2E): Apple iMessage, Signal
• DNS Resolver: Cloudflare 1.1.1.1
• Virtual Private Network (VPN): Proton VPN
• File sharing: Proton Drive, MS OneDrive
• MFA Authenticator App: Authy, MS Authenticator, 1Password
• Anti-Virus / End Point Protection: MS Defender
• Firewall: MS Firewall
• Disk Encryption: MS BitLocker

I'll update this page when I add or remove options from my personal stack. Am I missing something? Got better suggestions? I'd love to hear from you, I'm always looking to improve my knowledge and my options.

And if you noticed that there is nothing from Alphabet/Google or Meta/Facebook on this list, that is not a coincidence. Google, Facebook, TikTok and many others rely on a surveillance capitalism business model. You are paying with your data rather than money. You are the product not the customer. Dump everything from Google and Facebook, the sooner the better.

Here are some additional resources to help you improve your privacy:

• How to: Get to Know iPhone Privacy and Security Settings
• How to: Get to Know Android Privacy and Security Settings
• Our Favorite Ad Blockers and Browser Extensions to Protect Privacy
• Privacy Guides
• Plunk Foundation

Finally, if you don't like my choices and/or would like to explore other options, the editors and experts at these sites can help you find and vet the latest privacy friendly:

• Tom's Guide
• PC Mag
• Consumer Reports
• ZDNet
• CNET

"We know where you are. We know where you've been. We can more or less know what you're thinking about." - Eric Schmidt former Google CEO

“Privacy is an inherent human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect.” - Bruce Schneier Crytography expert

Dave Hatter – CISSP, CISA, CISM, CCSP, CSSLP, PMP, ITIL, is a Cybersecurity Consultant at #Cincinnati based Managed Services Provider Intrust IT. Dave has more than 30 years' experience in #IT as a software engineer, #cybersecurity consultant and project manager and has been served as an adjunct professor teaching programming at Cincinnati State for nearly 20 years. Follow Dave on X (@DaveHatter) for timely and helpful technology news and tips.

Listen to Dave live on 55KRC at 6:30 AM every Friday on 550 AM or https://55krc.iheart.com.

Watch Dave live on WTVG at 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM every Monday on 13 ABC or https://www.13abc.com/.

Last updated: 01/14/2025