ghost.moe
A minimalist guide to digital privacy, security, and anti-censorship.
Welcome to ghost.moe. This guide is meant to help you take control of your digital privacy and security. With more privacy and security, comes less convenience. This is an unfortunate reality. We've broken things down by topic, and each topic has three levels:
- More Convenient: These items will only require a download or checking a box in settings. They shouldn't break anything, be annoying, or slow anything down.
- Balanced: These items can cause some minor things to break, be slightly annoying, or require a change to how you use your devices.
- More Secure/Private: These items will require either technical knowledge, be very annoying, require serious planning, cause things to slow down, break things, or require a large amount of effort.
🕵️♂️ Threat Modeling
The most important thing to consider when you are worried about privacy and security is your threat model. Who are you trying to hide your data from? If you only need to hide your data from your family, you may just need to delete your browser history. If you are trying to hide your data from governments and corporations, you will have to do quite a bit more work than just deleting your browser history. Come up with your threat model, and think about the tools that this adversary has at their disposal. Keep your threat model in mind when going through this guide.
🧭 Web Browsing
Your web browser is typically one of the most used programs on your system. Taking steps to lock down your web browser will greatly increase your privacy.
Switch to Firefox
Firefox has a long history of respecting your privacy. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Install an adblocker like uBlock Origin
Ads can be used to track you across websites or give your computer malware. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use DuckDuckGo instead of Google.
DuckDuckGo does not track your searches or browsing history. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Tell websites not to sell or share your data in settings.
Note: Websites do not have to adhere to this request. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Set Firefox to "Strict" Enhanced Tracking Protection.
Note: This could cause some websites to break. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Set Firefox to delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.
This will make it harder to track you between sessions. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Set Firefox to "Always use private browsing mode".
This will log you out of everything and erase your history after closing the browser. This is very useful on shared computers or laptops that could easily be stolen. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use Tor Browser for all sensitive browsing.
Tor is the gold standard browser for privacy and anti-censorship. It will be very slow, however. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Block javascript with NoScript or Ghostery
Javascript is code that a website chooses to run on your computer. Blocking javascript can stop websites from learning more about your computer. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
📱 Phones
Most people carry their phone everywhere they go. This can be used to track you.
Disable personalized ads in iOS or Android settings.
Android: Settings > Google > Ads > Turn off "Ad Personalization"
iOS: Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising > Turn off Personalized Ads
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Manage app permissions.
Set location permissions to “While using the app” or “Ask every time”. Disable microphone and camera access for non-essential apps. Disable system-wide location when not needed. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Remove unused apps.
Apps can run in the background even if you are not using them. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use a pin or password to unlock your phone.
In some jurisdictions you can be required to unlock your phone with your fingerprint or face, but not with a pin or password. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use open-source apps from F-Droid.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Limit app permissions manually.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Install a custom ROM like GrapheneOS or LineageOS.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Avoid all Google services.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
🔐 Accounts
Use strong and unique passwords for every account.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Enable password managers like Bitwarden or 1Password.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where available.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Avoid using social logins (Google, Facebook).
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use pseudonyms and email aliases.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Segment identities for different activities.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
🛡️ Two-Factor Authentication
Enable 2FA using SMS or email.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use TOTP apps like Aegis or Authy.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use hardware tokens like YubiKey or Nitrokey.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
🛰️ VPN
Use any reputable no-log VPN service.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Use VPNs based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.
Self-host your own VPN using WireGuard.
This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. This will be expanded text describing why you should do the above, in more detail. Maybe we can go into the details of how Mozilla is a privacy focused company, has been around for many years, and overall has a good track record for respecting users privacy. We could also mention tradeoffs for implementing the above. I imagine text would be about this long per item.