An important part of becoming more self-sufficient is taking responsibility for your digital security.
Nobody else is going to look out for your privacy because it's not in their best interest.
Only you benefit from your privacy, so it's up to YOU to do everything you can to protect yourself.
Luckily, there are simple things you can do that don't require a lot of technical expertise.
Why Should You Secure Your Laptop and Tablet?
The bottom line is that almost all electronic devices can be hacked, and most of the information sent over the internet can be monitored.
Large tech companies make money on your private data by selling advertising, or selling your information to other companies that benefit from it.
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These companies have zero interest in helping you maintain your privacy.
Therefore, it's up to you to take care of your privacy because nobody else is going to do it for you.
But where do you start?
This can be a little daunting, especially if you aren't technically inclined.
Luckily, there are some very simple things that you can do to protect your privacy right now.
Here are the 5 top ways that you can make your laptop or tablet more private.
Use a Camera Cover
Someone might be recording you through your laptop's camera, and you wouldn't even know it.
There are many ways that someone could hijack your camera. If you want the details, you can read about them here.
Luckily, the solution is very simple.
Simply cover your webcam and only uncover it when you are using it.
Some people recommend using a piece of tape, but the adhesive on the tape can make your camera dirty and you have to constantly replace the tape because it loses stickiness.
A much better solution is to use a sliding camera cover.
You simply stick it over your camera and slide it open when you need it, and slide it closed when you're done.
Here's an example on my tablet.
Yeah, I should probably clean my camera.
There are a lot of good ones out there, but you can find the one I use here.
Use a Microphone Blocker
Another simple physical device that you can use is a microphone blocker.
You plug this little device into your headphone jack or USB port on your laptop and the microphone lock tells your laptop that it's a microphone.
From there, the blocker blocks any signals from reaching the microphone input on your laptop. So if someone tried to listen in on your laptop, they would just get silence.
It's a very simple and elegant solution.
Since it's a physical device, you don't have to mess with any settings, or wondering if it's turn on or not.
If it's plugged in, it's working.
You can find out more about my favorite mic blocker here.
Use a Faraday Bag
Even if your laptop is closed, it could still be sending and receiving signals.
Your laptop could be transmitting your location, information about the last website you visited, and more.
Hackers can also potentially access your laptop while it's in your bag.
So another simple way to protect your privacy is to put your laptop in a Faraday Bag.
A Faraday Bag blocks your laptop from sending and receiving ANY electronic signals.
When you're not using your laptop, keep it in the bag and you'll be protected from hackers.
It's also useful for protecting your laptop from strong magnetic fields.
Find out my favorite Faraday Bag here.
Use a Privacy-Focused Browser
The Brave Browser is a good compromise between privacy and usability.
I've been using it for years and it works great.
Some browsers are “too secure” and block so many things that it makes websites unusable.
On the other hand, most browsers don't have enough security and leave you open to multiple attacks.
Brave is a great compromise.
Use a VPN
The final privacy solution is to use Virtual Private Network, or VPN.
A VPN is important because it keeps your IP Address and other information private. One of the biggest things people can find out about you, if they know your IP address, is your physical location.
That might not seem like a big deal, but that information alone can be dangerous, if it gets into the wrong hands. If someone knows when you aren't home, they could target your house.
VPNs also protect you from tracking. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have to log ALL of your browsing activity.
That means they know every single website that you've visited, what you looked at, and for how long.
When you use a VPN, the only thing that your ISP will see is your connection to the VPN. This protects your privacy and gives you peace of mind.
A another great benefit of a VPN is that you can watch streaming services in other countries.
So let's say that you want to watch US Netflix, but you're in Italy. If Netflix blocks people in Italy from using their service, you can get around that block by using a VPN.
Simply connect to a VPN server in the US and the Netflix server will think that you're in the US and will let you in.
See my favorite VPN here.
Final Thoughts
So those are the 5 ways that you can make your laptop more private.
These methods are easy to implement and anyone can do them.
You can never be 100% private when you're online, but these tips will dramatically reduce your risk of being hacked or monitored.
It can be easy to put off implementing these safeguards, but the longer you wait, the more vulnerable you are.
Take action now.
