Tips and Tools
Tips and Tools
In this section you will find tips and tools to navigate the web and create accounts with privacy in mind.
Each tool has a different level of effort; the more effort you are willing to put into your browsing practice, the more privacy you will enjoy.
General Guides
- Online Privacy by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaBasic information from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on the different technologies that threaten privacy.
- Consumer Report's Security PlannerIt started as a project of the Citizen Lab (University of Toronto) that includes expert-reviewed advice for how to stay safer online. Now it's run by Consumer Report and its goal is to provide the most basic information for general users and point to more advanced tools if the user is especially interested.
- Surveillance Self-Defense by Eletronic Frontier FoundationEasy to navigate website with a basic guide and a tool guide to help you get set up.
- Guide to Feminist CybersecurityA detailed and comprehensive guide on the most valuable cybersecurity tools available.
- Restore PrivacyCollection of guides and resources on privacy ranging from a simple 18-step guide to regaining your privacy, to articles on the best browsers and VPNs.
- Privacy ToolsAn in-depth guide for advance users that gives a long list of tools and suggested products.
Password Security
https://xkcd.com/936/
The comic above (xkcd) is few years old (it was published in August 2011) but still illustrates how and why it's important to create strong passwords.
Password Managers
It is very important to have different passwords for every account to make it difficult for someone to steal your identity. A great way to manage all those different passwords is to have a password manager.
Creating, Deleting, Checking, and Modifying your Accounts
When you are creating an account with a company or service, it is important to remember that you are giving that company some personal information (name, email address, phone number, date of birth, etc). Before making an accounts check to see if the website has a privacy policy and read any policy before agreeing to it.
When creating any account, make sure to have a strong password, so that whatever information you do share, is more secure.
- Just Delete MeA list of popular sites that require accounts and how to delete them. Provides helpful colour coding to identify whether it is easy, difficult or impossible to delete your account. A great place to check before opening an account with a service.
- Have I Been PwnedAllows you to check whether your email address has been compromised in a data breach.
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse – Data BreachesAn up-to-date, searchable list of data breaches that happen worldwide. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse gives a detailed account of what happened, why it happened, when it was made public, and categorized into types of breaches and types of organizations.
Browser Fingerprinting
Websites automatically record your browser information such as fonts, browser type and various add-ons when you visit them. The combination of these bits of information can make your browser unique and therefore identifiable and trackable without even using cookies.
- What is a browser?A simple explanation of internet browsers.
- Privacy Tools' Introduction to Browser FingerprintFor more information on browser fingerprinting.
- Panopticlick by Electronic Frontier FoundationCheck to see if your browser is easily identifiable.
- Am I Unique?Check to see if your browser is easily identifiable. Also make sure to check out their list of privacy tools.
- Privacy Tools' Browser RecommendationsA small selection of browser recommendations from developers who have your privacy in mind when creating their software.
Data Challenges
Using the internet with privacy in mind is difficult. If you want to use a service on the internet, you will likely have to share some personal information. However there are some steps you can take to become more aware about where you personal information is going and how it is it being used.
- Data DetoxEveryday steps you can take to control your digital privacy, security, and wellbeing in ways that feel right to you.
- Privacy ParadoxA 5 day challenge. Presented by WNYC Note to Self, a public radio show in New York City. In the form of a podcast, they present the listener with 5 challenges and information on what happens to your data.