The world is becoming increasingly digital and more of our personal information is being stored on servers where we have no control over what happens to that information.
Therefore, it's up to each of us to take responsibility of our own data and protect it as much as possible.
These simple solutions help you do that.
Table of Contents
Network Attached Storage (NAS) Backup Solution
If you just want an external drive to store your file, then a NAS drive is perfect.
The added benefit, when compared to a single external backup drive, is that a NAS has multiple drives. So if one drive crashes, you can easily replace it without losing data.
Here's the one I currently recommend.
The disks are sold separately, but this allows you to buy the disk size that you want. It can go up to 32 TB of storage.
There are other NAS devices with 4 drives for even more redundancy, but I've found that 2 drives is enough for most people.
Cloud Services Alternatives
If you want something more complex than a simple backup drive, then there are alternatives that act more like the popular cloud services that most people use.
My favorite is the Embassy server, by Start9.
This is a tiny server that you keep in your home and it has the following features:
- File sync and backup between multiple devices (like Dropbox)
- Photo organization and storage (like Mac Photos)
- Simple file organization (like Dropbox)
- Run a Bitcoin Lightning node
- Private website hosting
- Blogging (Like WordPress)
- Private messaging
- Private password storage
- And more!
If you have some technical skills, you can build one yourself and save some money.
Faraday Bags
A Faraday bag shields your phone from electromagnetic pulses and keeps your phone from sending your location information in the background.
This protects both your phone and your privacy. These bags block WiFi, Bluetooth and Cell signals.
Take your phone out of the bag when you need it, leave it in the bag when you don't.
MOS Equipment Mission Darkness Faraday Bags
These bags do a great job of blocking signals.
They are also light and compact.
MOS has a wide range of Faraday bags that will suit almost any person. I also like these bags because they are reasonably priced.
Click this button to see all of the current models.
Custom Leather Faraday Bag
This is a custom Faraday Bag that I got on Etsy and I love it.
It has a leather exterior and 5 layers of Faraday shielding material on the inside.
The bag is also pretty stiff, so it protects the phone well, if the bag is dropped.
My favorite thing about this bag is that it doesn't look like a phone bag, so it doesn't attract attention.
Qortal Network (Private Internet)
There are tremendous benefits to using the Qortal network.
The goal of the project is to create an alternate internet. Yes, that's a tall order, but they are making good progress.
You can run a node on a Raspberry Pi, no expensive mining rigs needed.
This network is a little different in that you need to be sponsored in order to start minting (similar to mining) and supporting the network.
Once you're sponsored and you hit level 5, you'll start earning the native coin, QORT.
What I really like about this project is that they use “proof-of-time” as the metric to determine how much nodes earn. So a node has to be on the network for a certain period of time before they can start earning.
Nodes that have been on the network longer also have more influence.
Here's Qortal can replace:
- Website hosting
- Online shops (like Shopify and eBay)
- Music hosting (like Spotify)
- Centralized crypto exchanges
- Crowdfunding sites (like GoFundMe)
- Private messaging (messages disappear after 24 hours)
- Private email
- Build custom apps with common programming languages
- And more!
Their goal is to get the network running on a mesh network, but that's something for the future.
If you want to be sponsored, send a request inside the sponsorship request group in Q-Chat.
deGoogled Android Projects
There are many benefits to using deGoogled Android as your phone's operating system.
Read my complete comparison here.
You can either buy a phone from one of these projects, or download the free software and do it yourself.
Laptop / Phone Privacy Guards
It's actually pretty easy for hackers to access the microphone and camera on your phone or laptop computer. These products will help you protect your privacy and keep hackers from watching you.
Private Messaging
Almost all messaging apps are way too public. Yes, including Signal.
They allow people to add you to their contact list by guessing your email or phone number. Many apps automatically pull in your profile image, based on your email, and ask you to connect your contact list.
The best solution I've found is an app that doesn't do any of those things. You don't use your email address or phone number to sign up.
Your identifier on the network is a long string of random numbers and letters.
So people cannot guess your ID. They have to have your ID, or they cannot contact you.
It's very simple, but also very effective. No more spam, only connect with people you want to connect with.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) Solutions
There are a couple of VPN solutions that I recommend.
If you use cryptocurrency, Mullvad VPN is the more private option.
But both will accept standard payment methods.
Privacy Browsers
The best browser to protect your privacy is the Brave browser.
You can download it here.
Another up and coming option is the Impervious browser. It's new, so it hasn't been tested as extensively as Brave.
But it provides many benefits, all rolled into one browser:
- Private messaging
- Private video calls
- Privacy enhanced web browsing
- Private Payments
Give them both a try and see how they work for you.