Below is a list of the different tools that I use that range from VPNs, encrypted emails and secure messaging. These tools allow me to secure different communication points across my public and private life.
Some of the tools are essential and I would recommend that you should definitely be using them:
- VPNs - secures end to end communication between your device and the internet
- Password managers - generates and stores passwords for all your accounts.
Using a good VPN - one that log your network traffic and still provides low latency is important as it reduces the potential of an intruder intercepting communications between you and the internet.
Some services, like Google & Microsoft now support password-less authentication which I use however these services are still backed by passwords by default meaning that it's important to ensure that you have a secure and complex password which gets reviewed regularly. Having a password manager allows you to do that.
Below are some of the tools I use:
| Category | Application | Platform | Usage | Pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPN | NordVPN | Mobile / Desktop | There are many VPN clients that exists however I chose NordVPN (at the time) because of it's easy of use and number of servers dedicated in the UK. | Pricing varies https://nordvpn.com/pricing/ | https://nordvpn.com/ |
| DNS sinkhole | PiHole | Network | This is a must have for any home network enthusiast. Once configured correctly on your home network it will (by default) block known DNS lookups for malicious and tracking sites. This improves the quality and speed of your home network's internet whilst making it more secure. | Free | https://pi-hole.net/ |
| Firewall | Unifi Controller | Network | The Unifi ecosystem is extremely powerful and offers many features (far too many to mention here). One such feature is a simple firewall which can be used to control how traffic flows in your home network. https://www.mackolicious.com/blog/secure-iot-network | Free (with Unifi Controller) | https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012282453-UniFi-Set-up-a-UniFi-Network-Controller |
| ProtonMail | Mobile / Desktop | Proton offers a suite of applications built on secure protocols and implementations. One such application is ProtonMail which offers end to end email encryption with various tiers. | Free | https://protonmail.com/ | |
| Password manager | LastPass | Mobile / Desktop | LastPass is similar to other password manager in it's offering and has a well known process for storing your 'vault' of secure passwords. | Free | https://www.lastpass.com/ |
| Browser | TOR Browser | Mobile / Desktop | I use the TOR browser to offer me secure, anonymise browsing protection. No tracking, no logging and in-conjuction with DuckDuckGo there's also secure web searching. | Free | https://www.torproject.org/ |
| File sharing | Keybase | Mobile / Desktop | Keybase is my alternative to the popular productivity tool Slack. It offers end to end encryption, encryption at rest, public key encryption and a host of other secure features for communication. Making it a great tool for sending confidential information. | Free | https://keybase.io/ |
| Messaging | Signal | Mobile / Desktop | Signal is an alternative to your phone's default messaging app or your phone's default SMS app. Once you're correspondents have Signal installed you'll be able to communicate securely with them, it also supports expiring messages. | Free | https://signal.org/ |
There are still a bunch of other tools that provide security benefits, e.g. MFA, anti-virus. But this is a summary of some of the tools I believe are important.