Privacy is what sets us apart from the animals. It’s also what sets many countries and citizens apart from dictatorships and despots. People often don’t think about their rights until they need them — whether it’s when they’re arrested at a protest or pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
Surveillance is also a part of life, and it’s getting progressively more invasive. Government eavesdropping is increasing, carried out in wider secrecy, and it’s becoming far more localized. In fact, the last three presidents have pushed for greater surveillance: Clinton introduced mandated wiretapping laws, Bush expanded mass domestic surveillance, and Obama expanded the intelligence service’s reach — just in time for Trump.
BE MINDFUL OF EVERY APP YOU INSTALL
Each time you install an app, it will ask you for permissions to your phone’s features or data, like your contacts, photos, camera, or even the phone dialer itself. Be mindful of apps that you install, as a single rogue app can punch a hole in your privacy protections.
Take Meitu, the anime photo app that whipped up a privacy storm. For such a simple app, it required almost unlimited and unfettered access to your phone. Remember: if an app is free, you’re paying for it in some other way — and usually it’s with your data.
SET A STRONG PASSCODE
Chances are you’re already using a six-digit passcode, if you’re using a modern version of iOS. But you can make the code as long as you like. We have a simple and handy guide Choosing the “custom numeric code” will still give you the number keypad on the lock screen, making the passcode entry easier to type in.
USE A COMPUTER? TAKE THIS ADVICE
Keeping your devices and apps up to date will significantly reduce attacks. Every app or service you install will increase your vulnerability risks because no software is perfect. If you have preinstalled apps or “bloatware,” you should remove those — and that includes web plugins like Adobe’s Flash, Oracle’s Java, and Apple’s QuickTime. Using ad-blockers can prevent ads from installing tracking cookies and even malware (which happens surprisinglyoften).
Yes, Windows 10 is more secure than Windows 7, but it’s understandable that many think it’s a privacy nightmare. We have a separate Windows 10 privacy guide that shows you the right options for you.
SECURE YOUR MESSAGING
Now that your device is secure, you should think about your data in-transit — that is, as it traverses the waves of the wireless spectrum and the pipes of the internet.
SMS messages and phone calls can be intercepted and wiretapped at any time — it’s the law. Police can also use cell-site simulators (known as “stingrays”) to force-downgrade your cell connection from LTE to non-encrypted channels to make it easier to snoop on your phone.
It’s not just the messages you send that you need to worry about; you also have to think about the data that’s generated as a result — so-called metadata, such as who you’re talking to, when, and sometimes where. That information alone can tell a lot about your life, which is why it’s so important to intelligence services. Metadata is a core pillar of government surveillance.
AS FOR ENCRYPTED EMAIL…
Again, encrypted email is a fallacy, so you should get the idea out of your head. Consider services that don’t require you to handle private keys, such as ProtonMail, which now comes with support for the Tor browser (more on that shortly).
SECURE YOUR BROWSING
Browsing is usually at the heart of what most people do. But just as you’re looking out at the world, you also have a lot trying to look in. Ad networks will track you from site to site, your internet provider will log which pages you visit, and hackers will try to target you.
Without getting too into the weeds, no browser is perfect, but some are better than others.
When it comes to the gold standard of privacy, consider using Tor. It’s like a regular browser with privacy benefits, and it’s often used by the privacy conscious, such as reporters and activists.
Tor Browser is a great tool for secure and private browsing. But remember, be careful with plugins and browser extensions as these will significantly weaken the browser’s security. (Image: ZDNet)
The Tor browser lets its users browse the internet anonymously by bouncing traffic through multiple relays. Not only does it hide a user’s internet history, it’s also used to circumvent state-sanctioned network blocks. The service also allows users to browse parts of the dark web, which aren’t accessible through traditional browsers and networks, as well as websites and services that are blocked in your region.
You can use Tor for anything — but streaming video can be slow, and some web plugins (like Flash) are generally disabled as these can be used to de-anonymize you, defeating the point altogether.
With other browsers, to enhance your security, you can install the HTTPS Everywhere plugin(available for most popular browsers), which forces websites that support website encryption to turn it on by default.
Secure sites are your friend, because it means an attacker can’t modify the pages and that internet providers (and the government) can’t see which individual web pages you visit on a domain.
You can also use mobile versions of the Tor browser called Orbot for Android and Onion Browser for iOS, both of which are also open source.
Both of these apps are widely used and trusted by leading security researchers.
PUBLIC WI-FI NETWORKS ARE A BIG ‘NO’
Remember: If you ever use a public network, like a Wi-Fi hotspot in a coffee shop or anywhere else, be extremely careful. Treat this network as though every page you visit will be monitored — which may expose your personal information, including your usernames and passwords.
USE YOUR PHONE’S DATA FOR BETTER SECURITY
If you need a secure network, you should use your phone’s data — such as 4G or LTE — or use your phone as a hotspot for your computer. It’s far better to use your phone’s data plan for anything important than using insecure public Wi-Fi.
You can usually find your hotspot option in iPhone’s settings or Android’s notification tray.
BE AWARE OF STINGRAY ‘DOWNGRADE’ ATTACKS
On that note, be mindful of your connection if you’re at public or high-profile events, including protests or demonstrations. We mentioned earlier that police can use “stingrays” to intercept your phone calls and texts, and possibly your browsing data.
There’s a lot of secrecy surrounding stingrays, such as who has them and what they do, but some news outlets have discovered other tech with similar aims. Most modern phones use high-speed LTE, which comes with encryption, making interception almost impossible. By blocking or jamming LTE and 3G, the stingray can force a phone into connecting to 2G, which can be easily intercepted by the stingray.
If you’re at a protest or other high-security event and you suddenly lose LTE connectivity and are pushed to 2G, that could be a sign your communications are being monitored. (Image: CNET/CBS Interactive)
Android users can select a “preferred network type” such as LTE only by accessing a hidden Android menu. Here’s a helpful guide which explains how to do it.
For iPhones, you have the option to select LTE as a preference, but no way to disable 2G. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Enable LTE > and select Voice & Data.
Then, use your smarts: If you’re in a busy area, such as a city, and you suddenly lose LTE connectivity in the middle of a protest, your phone may have been tricked into connecting to a stingray.
By Rahul Developers
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