Tips from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for your digital protection

By Jim Kuhnhenn
Press Freedom Fellow, [email protected]

Published April 16, 2020
Updated May 5, 2020

Protecting from hackers:

Beware of emails from suspicious parties. Don’t open strange email attachments.

Beware of USB connectors. Know what you are inserting into your USB drive and where it came from.

Protecting from surveillance:

Consider using HT T PS Everywhere, a plug-in for computer browsers that encrypts communications with major websites.

Consider using end-to-end encryption to protect your text, voice and video calls. Examples of services or software that offer end-to-end encryption: Signal (for iOS and Android) WhatsApp (for iOS and Android) and Wire.

Protecting your data:

Encrypt your data. Most smartphones and computers offer encryption as an option. Create a passphrase, which is longer than a password.

Create a secure device. Place your valuable data in a separate computer and keep it offline.

Use two-factor authentication, or 2FA, which requires a password and a one-time code sent to another device, such as a smartphone.

Watch this animated video on how strong encryption can help avoid online surveillance, courtesy of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Surveillance Self-Defense.