Recently made the switch to Proton, too. It'll take me a while to switch all my emails over but it'll be worth it. One thing I love about Proton Pass is the ability to create email aliases easily so I don't have to give out my real email addresses to sign up for something.
Proton Pass is great for this, and having an all in one password manager that can provide masked (or throwaway) emails or masked phone services is also a good solution. I use IronVest for this most of the time, but also use a few new Proton Pass aliases to spread it around.
I’ve noticed more services offering crypto inspired “infinite” aliases. Revolut lets users do that with virtual and temporary payment cards. Proton and iOS with their alias schemes are good.
The more services that use these types of alias schemes the better
best alternative to windows for people who don’t want to invest time and want something similar is linux mint. does all the same stuff and user interface is similar. installation is easy and it automatically senses your hardware. printers etc work better than with windows.
the hardest part is to make a usb with the linux image, required for installation and it’s not hard.
some computers have been sold to make it hard to install another system software and needs some changes in BIOS. if that’s not your thing get help from a local shop, it’s a 5 minute job for a geek.
You can "short list" the Linux distros that work best for you simply by testing the various distros in your web browser. If you just want to become more familiar with the latest release of a popular Linux distro (perhaps to create a short list of possible alternatives to your present O/S), there's no need to write a bootable image to a USB. Just point your browser to: https://distrosea.com and go explore!
forgot to say linux mint, once installed is much better than windows. when i used it before, i never had the problem of “update anxiety” leaving things not working.
on my office computer i see MS windows continuously messing around behind the stage, heaven only knows what it’s doing (besides gathering and analyzing my data) but my conclusion is that MS is useless and getting worse.
i think they update with so many errors that is why 1 day later they want to update again.
been using mint for years but my hardware just died so have gone back to windows while I figure out a new hardware setup. Already in one day Im over the BS. So Ill be going back to Linux as soon as I can. Trouble is on this laptop the boot menu is locked so cant install a new OS.
i m no expert but i never heard of boot menu locked. there are certain bios settings that are necessary for a new install. you need to be able to boot from usb. if that option is not available then seek professional help.
The computer repair shops dont want to know about it. Apparently if you buy a second hand laptop from education department or government it is often locked to prevent students from doing something that might compromise the program or something. You can get to a bios menu with what they call the nova button but not further than that to a boot menu. Believe me I have tried. Any help appreciated.
i wonder is the lock within the bios. then an idea might be to try to replace the bios with a new one, maybe from a different company. try asking a geek to do it? ask for a new bios. i don’t have any other idea, other than replace the motherboard which seems a bit extreme but for certain pc types might be less expensive than it sounds.
Sorry to say, you can't just change your computers BIOS.
A locked boot menu, "if it is actually locked, and not a secure boot setting" is a BIOS Administrative security setting, which can be changed if you can actually access the BIOS settings.
If your locked out, resetting the BIOS to defaults is your option, and much easier on a desktop PC than a laptop.
I'll second this. You CANNOT just replace the BIOS code on ANY computer. The BIOS code is specific to THAT machine, and more specifically to THAT BIOS chip.
BIOS is the MAIN interface to the computer's hardware, INCLUDING the CPU! Replacing the BIOS would break the ability in almost EVERY case, to access the CPU, Memory, storage devices, and even the keyboard and display GPU...
Yes to Linux! Kubuntu works better for me than Mint. Kubuntu better supports my multiple monitors at different resolutions, and I find it more similar to the Apple OS.
i did try the k suite on ubuntu but always had the feeling it was a work in progress. as a recommendation for first linux experience i would look for the OS that needs the least user intervention and just stays stable after updating. do you think it’s stable enough for a newcomer?
Yes. I use Proton Mail, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar, and Proton Pass. Proton has zero access to your data and zero tracking.
Proton Pass is excellent. It allows you to create a unique username for every login, which then privately routes any emails to your Proton account. Why is this important? If you get spam, you can check the alias email and see exactly who sold your email to another company.
For instance, I can create an alias for Substack (which I have), with Substack in the email’s address. If I get an email from Congressman Fraud, I can simply look at the email the congressman used, and see that Substack sold my email to a third party. Then, it’s up to me if I want to keep using Substack, knowing they sold my address.
Great stuff. We’ve been on the same path and landed on Proton. The one thing I didn’t see mentioned is that Proton mail isn’t encrypted once it lands in a friends Gmail inbox - I misunderstood that, myself. I only have a handful of friends on Proton and it may keep me from being tracked but it doesn’t really protect E2E until both ends are encrypted, right?
You are correct! Yes E2EE on Protonmail is inherent to the platform. There are work arounds for it with other providers that I plan to discuss in later posts. Good job for pointing that out.
Yes. But I've been more and more surprised by the people who have and use their Proton mail. So if you switch, more of your colleagues will switch and pretty soon, it will be more common generally.
You CAN encrypt it once the email is downloaded to your recipient's machine.
See the manuals and information about the Email encryption keys, and send your PGP or other encryption public key to the recipient.
This will require YOUR encryption key on THEIR system before they can read any emails from you.
BUT... for those with non-technical friends, you WILL have to send specific instructions on how they can store and access your privacy keys... On Windows, it's a PITA.. But MOST email programs, such as ProtonMail, have options to make it easier for them...
Yes, true. My friends are not very technical so just the leap of using Signal or Proton confounds them. I tried to convert as many as I could in November with a series of instructional emails and about 5 of 50 converted. The rest threw up their hands and said “let them come for me at this point.”
THIS i understand.. But also, my 82 year old mother, who's never used anything but Outlook and Word, learned to actually install and configure Proton in less than 20 minutes. The instructions on the proton website are excellent.
The key point to tell your friends and colleagues is, IF you won't protect yourself, YOU are putting the rest of us at risk!
And I, myself, personally, tell my friends that IF they continue to use GMail and ALL the bad software, I won't accept attachments, or display the images/pdfs/etc that they send me.
This is not always about talking others into using something better, but more about protecting yourself in the process.
I am fully on Apple for cloud, email and the safari browser. I’ve been using DuckDuckGo and Bitdefender but will look at your search engine alternatives now. What are your thoughts on Apple’s services’ implications?
Omg thank you! I recently started switching over to Proton. But was wondering what and how to replace Google search and browser. Thank you for introducing me to Brave. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Enjoy it! its great. you will find the search results may be different than what you are used to but will quickly become accustomed to it. Great choice and if you're looking for any other tips let me know. Always happy to help.
Also there's been a rapid weakening in the search results on google, which seems to track pretty squarely with more ai integration. That's my experience.
I'm still in the process of DeGoogling and it's really tough because of breaking the habit, exactly. Eventually, I want to use my Proton Mail for all of email needs since I love it; next, I have to do the search engine and I've heard a lot about Brave search so this is my queue to use it. It's definitely the habit breaking for me. It's crazy how much Google has a hold on us.
I still haven’t completely degoogled. Until there is a quality alternative to YouTube, I know there’s rumble but my podcasts aren’t on there (yet). So as of now that’s my last connection. The Google account associated with it is like my burner account that I’ll use for things when I need to provide a “throw away” email address. It’s super tough though.
I think ultimately a lot of people will never fully degoogle but the fewer nodes you’re hooked into the better for sure.
Podcastindex.org get an open source podcast player and just use RSS feeds. No need for youtube or any other similar site like rumble, brighteon, bitchute, odysee, etc for podcasts.
Also just try linux mint. It is great and not that hard to use for most applications. Youre already using libreoffice just take an hour or two and make the switch! Your crappy old lenovo thinkpad from 2011 will work fine with it (actually for that specifically youll want to download a trackpad driver in addition to all the normal things. It works without it but it’s annoying). Do you have a thumb drive? Do you have a pos old computer? Try it! It will be interesting at least!
Yes I bought the Lenovo Ideapad 110 for that reason but it is locked and wont access boot menu - pain in the neck. Im thinking of trying to install it in a virtual box - any thoughts on this!
I have spent a lot of time on this before and not the only one that has had the issue. This is from memory because I’m working on it, but you can access the bios menu from what they call a nova key being a small hole on the side. It would normally allow you to go to different tabs to disable secure boot and then the options would I guess be available. Thats what I recall being the case.
The whole phone infrastructure. I've been on proton and brave for 5 years. My photos and maps on the phone are still through Google, so there's a little privacy but still... I'd prefer a Microsoft phone over Google/Android as a lesser of two evils but that option never took off. Apple is not a better option in my opinion.
Just curious, how do you explain that Micro$oft is the lesser of two evils? It's proprietary, non-transparent, they can do whatever they want on that phone.
Android is open-source. At ANY time, you can download the source code for the operating system itself, and SEE what it's doing behind the scenes.
I'd rather do business with a company that lets you SEE the operating system and HOW it works, than one that hides everything. After all, there have been NUMEROUS reports documented and verified, where Micro$oft implemented schemes behind the scenes, and never told anyone about them. All to steal your privacy and market you to the highest bidders...
Google collects all the data and more from Android, has stronger ties to the CIA. It's a $hit $andwich or turd-taco, not worth getting steamered over. But lol at thinking Google lets you really see the inner workings.
ACTUALLY... The source code for the Android operating system is open-source, meaning you can, AND I HAVE, download it, and compile it yourself, then just install the APK on your phone. THEREFORE, your claim that Google doesn't allow us to "see the inner workings" is totally false.
Google "backs" the Android system, in that it gives resources for hardware, but they are NOT actively controlling OR manipulating the Android software.
Yes, Google IS involved, BUT is not in charge. WHO is in charge are the millions of programmers, U/I experts, and just anyone who wants to contribute.
AND all code for the project goes through RIGOROUS testing and validation to make SURE nothing can be "inserted" by Google or ANY bad actors.
I have been in software development over 45 years, now currently working in the space industry. I stand by my statements, and with my experience and knowledge, can attest that Google is NOT "looking over your shoulder" using Android.
Have you considered another version of android? You need to root the phone, which has warranty implications, but is the only way to remove Google completely.
Thank you Jason for this informative article. Correct, at a personal and small business level the threat landscape has become formidable. Phishing has increased to daily attacks.
I’ve noticed an increase of adverts for Telegram users too.
Did you consider Firefox as your alternate browser (prevents tracking of online sessions) and Kaspersky total security software for protection online?
What are you using for VPN?
Your comments on Firefox and Kaspersky suite would be truly useful. Much appreciated.
So I use Brave browser not Firefox. Firefox is no longer a good alternative and actually has just released a notice that they consider user data their data. So that’s no good. Kaspersky has been outlawed in government for years and I would advise against using it. Finally for vpn I use protonvpn or the vpn through Malwarebytes depending on if I’m on my desktop or phone.
Overall it’s good from what I’ve seen but it’s owned by an advertising company so that definitely raises some eyebrows. But definitely better choice than Google
Just switched (in the middle of reading this) to Brave. I'm astonished at the speed of website loading. What are we all putting up with the Big Boys for?? 😳
I’ve been asking this for years!! There is no excuses now. They have made so many upgrades with it in the last few years it has the same feel but with soooo much more privacy. Glad you like it. My favorite feature is adblocking
I’ve avoided all Google/Microsoft for years but am not completely out of them. I’m still using Chrome for my online tutoring because the platform (Preply) is deigned to work best on it and although they say both Firefox and Safari work too I’ve always experienced problems. Does Proton have a suitable replacement?
Just searched the same thing and was brought to the Brave Search results. Not sure how your getting a Google page on Brave unless you specifically searched for Google.com.
You may be confused because the layout is similar. But you’ll notice there are no adds or sponsored pages. Take a closer look.
What stops me is inconvenience first, lack of confidence I can make the switch and mistrusting everyone, even Proton. You didn't mention costs at all? Is Proton free? If yes, how can they be trusted? If no, how much do they charge?
Thank you for writing about this important topic. Appreciate it.
They have a free tier and they can be trusted based on track record and their practices. They are based in Switzerland and are recommended by basically every cybersecurity professional including myself.
Im sure they have many people who will gladly hand over the big bucks and their other products possibly generate income but not from me. All I know is having used mint and brave for years its free and has not had any issues of note other than small update things etc but then you can go back if you need to. Obviously if a product is free you might not want to invest your life savings there.
If someone thinks a service is "free" then all that tells me is they are paying for the service in ways that they are either ignorant or apathetic about
So I scanned through the comments and didn’t see this asked so sorry if I am repeating. I’ve been looking at proton but curious whether you are using the paid levels for proton or free?
I got laid off from Microsoft back in January and within a week switched to using Arch Linux. Was one of my first posts on substack now that I'm trying to network more.
Still no recruiters in my inbox but I sure feel great using Arch.
Recently made the switch to Proton, too. It'll take me a while to switch all my emails over but it'll be worth it. One thing I love about Proton Pass is the ability to create email aliases easily so I don't have to give out my real email addresses to sign up for something.
I love that feature as well. Most people don’t even realize how useful that is. I’ve talked about that in a few of my articles.
Proton Pass is great for this, and having an all in one password manager that can provide masked (or throwaway) emails or masked phone services is also a good solution. I use IronVest for this most of the time, but also use a few new Proton Pass aliases to spread it around.
I've been musing over a good password manager so this is helpful. Thank you.
I’ve noticed more services offering crypto inspired “infinite” aliases. Revolut lets users do that with virtual and temporary payment cards. Proton and iOS with their alias schemes are good.
The more services that use these types of alias schemes the better
best alternative to windows for people who don’t want to invest time and want something similar is linux mint. does all the same stuff and user interface is similar. installation is easy and it automatically senses your hardware. printers etc work better than with windows.
the hardest part is to make a usb with the linux image, required for installation and it’s not hard.
some computers have been sold to make it hard to install another system software and needs some changes in BIOS. if that’s not your thing get help from a local shop, it’s a 5 minute job for a geek.
try it!
Great suggestion here!
You can "short list" the Linux distros that work best for you simply by testing the various distros in your web browser. If you just want to become more familiar with the latest release of a popular Linux distro (perhaps to create a short list of possible alternatives to your present O/S), there's no need to write a bootable image to a USB. Just point your browser to: https://distrosea.com and go explore!
forgot to say linux mint, once installed is much better than windows. when i used it before, i never had the problem of “update anxiety” leaving things not working.
on my office computer i see MS windows continuously messing around behind the stage, heaven only knows what it’s doing (besides gathering and analyzing my data) but my conclusion is that MS is useless and getting worse.
i think they update with so many errors that is why 1 day later they want to update again.
been using mint for years but my hardware just died so have gone back to windows while I figure out a new hardware setup. Already in one day Im over the BS. So Ill be going back to Linux as soon as I can. Trouble is on this laptop the boot menu is locked so cant install a new OS.
i m no expert but i never heard of boot menu locked. there are certain bios settings that are necessary for a new install. you need to be able to boot from usb. if that option is not available then seek professional help.
The computer repair shops dont want to know about it. Apparently if you buy a second hand laptop from education department or government it is often locked to prevent students from doing something that might compromise the program or something. You can get to a bios menu with what they call the nova button but not further than that to a boot menu. Believe me I have tried. Any help appreciated.
i wonder is the lock within the bios. then an idea might be to try to replace the bios with a new one, maybe from a different company. try asking a geek to do it? ask for a new bios. i don’t have any other idea, other than replace the motherboard which seems a bit extreme but for certain pc types might be less expensive than it sounds.
Sorry to say, you can't just change your computers BIOS.
A locked boot menu, "if it is actually locked, and not a secure boot setting" is a BIOS Administrative security setting, which can be changed if you can actually access the BIOS settings.
If your locked out, resetting the BIOS to defaults is your option, and much easier on a desktop PC than a laptop.
I'll second this. You CANNOT just replace the BIOS code on ANY computer. The BIOS code is specific to THAT machine, and more specifically to THAT BIOS chip.
BIOS is the MAIN interface to the computer's hardware, INCLUDING the CPU! Replacing the BIOS would break the ability in almost EVERY case, to access the CPU, Memory, storage devices, and even the keyboard and display GPU...
Yes to Linux! Kubuntu works better for me than Mint. Kubuntu better supports my multiple monitors at different resolutions, and I find it more similar to the Apple OS.
i did try the k suite on ubuntu but always had the feeling it was a work in progress. as a recommendation for first linux experience i would look for the OS that needs the least user intervention and just stays stable after updating. do you think it’s stable enough for a newcomer?
I planned to switch my OS to Mint but the transfer didn't work numerous times.
I'm going to try again.
Mint is an Israeli outfit. Poor choice there.
hello. i don’t understand, please could you clarify?
Thank you! I had another person say the same. I'm thinking about it!
Yes. I use Proton Mail, Proton Drive, Proton Calendar, and Proton Pass. Proton has zero access to your data and zero tracking.
Proton Pass is excellent. It allows you to create a unique username for every login, which then privately routes any emails to your Proton account. Why is this important? If you get spam, you can check the alias email and see exactly who sold your email to another company.
For instance, I can create an alias for Substack (which I have), with Substack in the email’s address. If I get an email from Congressman Fraud, I can simply look at the email the congressman used, and see that Substack sold my email to a third party. Then, it’s up to me if I want to keep using Substack, knowing they sold my address.
And, it protects my primary email address.
That is gold. I never thought about that before. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Excellent advice, thanks. Good awareness and tactics.
Great stuff. We’ve been on the same path and landed on Proton. The one thing I didn’t see mentioned is that Proton mail isn’t encrypted once it lands in a friends Gmail inbox - I misunderstood that, myself. I only have a handful of friends on Proton and it may keep me from being tracked but it doesn’t really protect E2E until both ends are encrypted, right?
You are correct! Yes E2EE on Protonmail is inherent to the platform. There are work arounds for it with other providers that I plan to discuss in later posts. Good job for pointing that out.
Yes. But I've been more and more surprised by the people who have and use their Proton mail. So if you switch, more of your colleagues will switch and pretty soon, it will be more common generally.
You CAN encrypt it once the email is downloaded to your recipient's machine.
See the manuals and information about the Email encryption keys, and send your PGP or other encryption public key to the recipient.
This will require YOUR encryption key on THEIR system before they can read any emails from you.
BUT... for those with non-technical friends, you WILL have to send specific instructions on how they can store and access your privacy keys... On Windows, it's a PITA.. But MOST email programs, such as ProtonMail, have options to make it easier for them...
Yes, true. My friends are not very technical so just the leap of using Signal or Proton confounds them. I tried to convert as many as I could in November with a series of instructional emails and about 5 of 50 converted. The rest threw up their hands and said “let them come for me at this point.”
THIS i understand.. But also, my 82 year old mother, who's never used anything but Outlook and Word, learned to actually install and configure Proton in less than 20 minutes. The instructions on the proton website are excellent.
The key point to tell your friends and colleagues is, IF you won't protect yourself, YOU are putting the rest of us at risk!
And I, myself, personally, tell my friends that IF they continue to use GMail and ALL the bad software, I won't accept attachments, or display the images/pdfs/etc that they send me.
This is not always about talking others into using something better, but more about protecting yourself in the process.
Proton is highly professional. I’ve had excellent customer service, which is an absolute for me.
I am fully on Apple for cloud, email and the safari browser. I’ve been using DuckDuckGo and Bitdefender but will look at your search engine alternatives now. What are your thoughts on Apple’s services’ implications?
Check out my post on recent Apple news https://open.substack.com/pub/beyondthefirewall/p/apple-just-surrendered-what-this?r=3c336z&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Thank you!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Brave is a much better alternative to DuckDuckGo & Safari, not sure about bitdefender
I have heard mostly good things about it. Personally I use Malwarebytes on all my devices
I was also looking for information about to Apple products.
Check out my post on recent Apple news https://open.substack.com/pub/beyondthefirewall/p/apple-just-surrendered-what-this?r=3c336z&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
most software has an alternative and many are better. try:
alternativeto.net
Thanks for the resource
Omg thank you! I recently started switching over to Proton. But was wondering what and how to replace Google search and browser. Thank you for introducing me to Brave. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Enjoy it! its great. you will find the search results may be different than what you are used to but will quickly become accustomed to it. Great choice and if you're looking for any other tips let me know. Always happy to help.
Also there's been a rapid weakening in the search results on google, which seems to track pretty squarely with more ai integration. That's my experience.
I appreciate you so much, man!🙌🏾🙏🏾👊🏾
I'm still in the process of DeGoogling and it's really tough because of breaking the habit, exactly. Eventually, I want to use my Proton Mail for all of email needs since I love it; next, I have to do the search engine and I've heard a lot about Brave search so this is my queue to use it. It's definitely the habit breaking for me. It's crazy how much Google has a hold on us.
I still haven’t completely degoogled. Until there is a quality alternative to YouTube, I know there’s rumble but my podcasts aren’t on there (yet). So as of now that’s my last connection. The Google account associated with it is like my burner account that I’ll use for things when I need to provide a “throw away” email address. It’s super tough though.
I think ultimately a lot of people will never fully degoogle but the fewer nodes you’re hooked into the better for sure.
I set up a gmail just for youtube login. I never even check it. It’s just login. When you find a work around, let us know!
You used to be able to create a google account with a regular email address. But YouTube premium requires a Gmail I think.
correct as I mentioned thats the only reason I have a gmail at all. But it has fake info and I've disabled all trackers.
Will do!
I did! If they censor my speech and what and where I can post (saw it real-time!), I have no use for them. Just a heavy-handed bandit
Podcastindex.org get an open source podcast player and just use RSS feeds. No need for youtube or any other similar site like rumble, brighteon, bitchute, odysee, etc for podcasts.
Also just try linux mint. It is great and not that hard to use for most applications. Youre already using libreoffice just take an hour or two and make the switch! Your crappy old lenovo thinkpad from 2011 will work fine with it (actually for that specifically youll want to download a trackpad driver in addition to all the normal things. It works without it but it’s annoying). Do you have a thumb drive? Do you have a pos old computer? Try it! It will be interesting at least!
Yes I bought the Lenovo Ideapad 110 for that reason but it is locked and wont access boot menu - pain in the neck. Im thinking of trying to install it in a virtual box - any thoughts on this!
Locked' how do you know this ? Do you get a message saying locked ?
So can you access the BIOS settings to re enable the boot menu ?
If the BIOS is password protected, resetting it to defaults is your option.
I have spent a lot of time on this before and not the only one that has had the issue. This is from memory because I’m working on it, but you can access the bios menu from what they call a nova key being a small hole on the side. It would normally allow you to go to different tabs to disable secure boot and then the options would I guess be available. Thats what I recall being the case.
Ck out the Carbon search engine or presearch. I also use Gibiru.
Have also followed a similar line - but what about Google maps? Struggling to find a good alternative
Yea that’s a tough one. I use organic maps. It’s not as robust as far as features go but there is no tracking and it works offline
I’m using Magic Earth it is pretty good - I don’t think it works offline tho
I use open maps. But there are many sites that incorporate maps like weather maps etc windy.com for example.
The whole phone infrastructure. I've been on proton and brave for 5 years. My photos and maps on the phone are still through Google, so there's a little privacy but still... I'd prefer a Microsoft phone over Google/Android as a lesser of two evils but that option never took off. Apple is not a better option in my opinion.
Just curious, how do you explain that Micro$oft is the lesser of two evils? It's proprietary, non-transparent, they can do whatever they want on that phone.
Android is open-source. At ANY time, you can download the source code for the operating system itself, and SEE what it's doing behind the scenes.
I'd rather do business with a company that lets you SEE the operating system and HOW it works, than one that hides everything. After all, there have been NUMEROUS reports documented and verified, where Micro$oft implemented schemes behind the scenes, and never told anyone about them. All to steal your privacy and market you to the highest bidders...
And the censoring!!!
Google collects all the data and more from Android, has stronger ties to the CIA. It's a $hit $andwich or turd-taco, not worth getting steamered over. But lol at thinking Google lets you really see the inner workings.
ACTUALLY... The source code for the Android operating system is open-source, meaning you can, AND I HAVE, download it, and compile it yourself, then just install the APK on your phone. THEREFORE, your claim that Google doesn't allow us to "see the inner workings" is totally false.
Google "backs" the Android system, in that it gives resources for hardware, but they are NOT actively controlling OR manipulating the Android software.
Yes, Google IS involved, BUT is not in charge. WHO is in charge are the millions of programmers, U/I experts, and just anyone who wants to contribute.
AND all code for the project goes through RIGOROUS testing and validation to make SURE nothing can be "inserted" by Google or ANY bad actors.
I have been in software development over 45 years, now currently working in the space industry. I stand by my statements, and with my experience and knowledge, can attest that Google is NOT "looking over your shoulder" using Android.
Have you considered another version of android? You need to root the phone, which has warranty implications, but is the only way to remove Google completely.
Map quest and there is another that my son uses when he drives for Uber. I don't remember the name, but maybe someone here does?
I use organic maps
OsmAnd
Thank you Jason for this informative article. Correct, at a personal and small business level the threat landscape has become formidable. Phishing has increased to daily attacks.
I’ve noticed an increase of adverts for Telegram users too.
Did you consider Firefox as your alternate browser (prevents tracking of online sessions) and Kaspersky total security software for protection online?
What are you using for VPN?
Your comments on Firefox and Kaspersky suite would be truly useful. Much appreciated.
So I use Brave browser not Firefox. Firefox is no longer a good alternative and actually has just released a notice that they consider user data their data. So that’s no good. Kaspersky has been outlawed in government for years and I would advise against using it. Finally for vpn I use protonvpn or the vpn through Malwarebytes depending on if I’m on my desktop or phone.
I bet tired of the Brave pop-up ads. Very annoying 😕
If you have popups on brave you’re using it wrong
I use Brave. For roughly 4 years now. It's great.
I use Startpage as my browser. It doesn’t track your browser history. Easy peasy to use. What’s your take on it?
Overall it’s good from what I’ve seen but it’s owned by an advertising company so that definitely raises some eyebrows. But definitely better choice than Google
I didn’t know that it’s owned by an advertising company. Good info, thank you! 😃
So one of their principle owners is System1 which is an internet advertising company
Not saying that this a concern but it’s definitely something to consider. I’d say you’re probably good.
How does one (a novice) find this kind of information?
Haha! Funny, I’ve used Google maybe half a dozen times in my life. I don’t like to follow ‘the crowd’, so I never picked up on using it.
Thanks for all of this information and your time. I appreciate it!!
I figured you weren’t part of the crowd using starpage. Pretty obscure. Well for America it is anyway. I’m happy to help anytime.
Start page is part of Google, I read
😎
Just switched (in the middle of reading this) to Brave. I'm astonished at the speed of website loading. What are we all putting up with the Big Boys for?? 😳
I’ve been asking this for years!! There is no excuses now. They have made so many upgrades with it in the last few years it has the same feel but with soooo much more privacy. Glad you like it. My favorite feature is adblocking
I’ve been using Brave for 5 years. I never use Google.
Same here, was wondering at how many people didn't know Brave exists.
I’ve avoided all Google/Microsoft for years but am not completely out of them. I’m still using Chrome for my online tutoring because the platform (Preply) is deigned to work best on it and although they say both Firefox and Safari work too I’ve always experienced problems. Does Proton have a suitable replacement?
Check out Brave browser
thanks Jason, I will
if you want fast, private and totally customizable try Vivaldi Browser. they also have Protons VPN baked in to the browser.
Thanks Erin, I’ll check it out. Brave hasn’t yet hooked me…
I clearly saw google.com. Too late for more now but if i have time in the morning (leaving early for Athens) i’ll try again and screenshot the result
Ok that simply makes no sense. Not sure how that’s even possible to be honest
It was possible until I made Brave my default browser. While that was DuckDuckGo it went to Google!
Yea I actually am quite vocal about not using DuckDuckGo
Just did. First search immediately took me to Google. Not a happy bunny!
What do you mean it took you to google?
i typed preply into the Brave search bar and on the next screen found myself on a clearly Google results page
Just searched the same thing and was brought to the Brave Search results. Not sure how your getting a Google page on Brave unless you specifically searched for Google.com.
You may be confused because the layout is similar. But you’ll notice there are no adds or sponsored pages. Take a closer look.
In Brave settings, the search engine is set to Google by default I believe.
Brave search is the default
What stops me is inconvenience first, lack of confidence I can make the switch and mistrusting everyone, even Proton. You didn't mention costs at all? Is Proton free? If yes, how can they be trusted? If no, how much do they charge?
Thank you for writing about this important topic. Appreciate it.
They have a free tier and they can be trusted based on track record and their practices. They are based in Switzerland and are recommended by basically every cybersecurity professional including myself.
I would go the opposite direction. If its free its more likely ok. If they are making money from you then run!!
If its free how would you explain how the company makes money?
Im sure they have many people who will gladly hand over the big bucks and their other products possibly generate income but not from me. All I know is having used mint and brave for years its free and has not had any issues of note other than small update things etc but then you can go back if you need to. Obviously if a product is free you might not want to invest your life savings there.
If someone thinks a service is "free" then all that tells me is they are paying for the service in ways that they are either ignorant or apathetic about
So I scanned through the comments and didn’t see this asked so sorry if I am repeating. I’ve been looking at proton but curious whether you are using the paid levels for proton or free?
Great question!! For my personal use I use free email but paid drive for extra storage
I got laid off from Microsoft back in January and within a week switched to using Arch Linux. Was one of my first posts on substack now that I'm trying to network more.
Still no recruiters in my inbox but I sure feel great using Arch.