My colleague and I, who run Defragg, have each worked in the IT industry for over 25 years. During this time, we also owned an IT services business together and saw firsthand the consequences of users not taking online privacy and security seriously. Based on our experience, we would like to share our trusted tools and tips to help you stay secure.
Over the years, we’ve seen how easily personal information is shared online, often without people realizing it. This makes privacy and security more critical than ever. Without proper protection, it’s not just your personal data at risk—your computer itself can be compromised, leaving you vulnerable to hackers, data breaches, or identity theft. Viruses and malware can not only damage your devices but also steal your information and track your online activity without your knowledge.
By taking the right steps, you can control who has access to your personal information and prevent your devices from being compromised. In this guide, we’ll share the trusted tools and practical tips we’ve relied on to help you defend yourself against these common threats.
We make no money from these recommendations.
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Antivirus
Antivirus software is essential for protecting your computer from viruses and other harmful programs. Without it, your personal data, passwords, and even bank information can be stolen.
Our Recommendation: Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a highly recommended antivirus program because it provides strong protection against many types of threats. It scans your computer for viruses in real time and stops them before they can do any damage. Bitdefender also protects you from phishing websites that try to steal your personal information.
One of the best things about Bitdefender is that it works quietly in the background without slowing down your computer, making it a great choice for everyday use.
Antimalware
Malware can damage your computer and steal personal information without you even knowing. This is why having a good antimalware program is important.
Our Recommendation: Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is one of the best tools to protect your device from dangerous software like spyware, adware, and ransomware. It offers real-time protection, which means it blocks malware as soon as it tries to infect your system.
Malwarebytes is easy to use, and you can set it to run regular scans of your computer. This way, you can be sure that your device stays clean and safe from harmful programs.
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is important for keeping your internet connection private. When you use a VPN, it hides your IP address and encrypts your online activity, making it much harder for anyone to track what you do online.
Our Recommendation: Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a great option because it focuses on privacy and security. It has a strict no-logs policy, which means it doesn’t track or store your browsing activity. Proton VPN also uses strong encryption to keep your data safe.
One of the best features of Proton VPN is that it offers a free plan with no data limits, so you can protect your privacy even if you don’t want to pay. It’s easy to set up and can be used on your computer, phone, or tablet.
Web Browser
The web browser you use plays a big role in your online privacy. Some browsers, like Google Chrome, are known to track your activity. In fact, Google has admitted that they collect data on what you do online through Chrome. This means they can track the websites you visit, your searches, and even your personal preferences.
Our Recommendation: Firefox
Firefox, on the other hand, is a much better option for protecting your privacy. Unlike Chrome, Firefox does not collect data on your browsing habits. It also has built-in tools to block trackers, which helps keep your personal information safe from companies that want to monitor your activity.
Firefox is open-source, meaning anyone can check its code to ensure it’s secure. It gives you more control over your privacy, allowing you to customize settings and use privacy-enhancing extensions.
Note: While Brave is another great browser for privacy, it’s our second choice because it doesn’t support all the extensions we like to use. Brave does have strong privacy features, but we’ve chosen Firefox as our top recommendation since it allows more customization with the extensions we trust.
Essential Browser Extensions
Even with a privacy-friendly browser like Firefox, it’s a good idea to use browser extensions to add extra protection. These tools can block ads, trackers, and other unwanted scripts that can invade your privacy.
Our Recommendations:
uBlock Origin
This is a powerful ad blocker that stops annoying ads and blocks harmful content from loading. It’s fast and lightweight, meaning it won’t slow down your browser. With uBlock Origin, you also get protection from trackers, which helps keep your online activity private.
Supported Browsers:
Disconnect
Disconnect blocks websites from tracking you across the internet. Many websites use hidden trackers to collect information about you, but Disconnect helps stop this. It also shows you which websites are trying to track your activity, giving you more control over your online privacy.
Supported Browsers:
Firefox Multi-Account Containers
This extension helps you separate your online activities. For example, you can create one container for social media, another for shopping, and another for work. This keeps websites from sharing information between containers, which helps prevent cross-site tracking.
Supported Browsers:
Clear Browsing Data
This extension makes it easy to delete your browsing history, cookies, and cached data with just one click. Using Clear Browsing Data ensures that your private information isn’t stored or tracked after you finish browsing.
Supported Browsers:
Password Management
One of the best ways to protect your online accounts is by using strong, unique passwords for every site. However, it can be hard to remember all your passwords, especially if they are long and complex. This is where a password managers can help.
Our Recommendation: 1Password
1Password is a tool that helps you generate and store strong passwords securely. Instead of trying to remember multiple passwords, you only need to remember one master password to access your 1Password account.
With 1Password, you can:
- Generate strong, random passwords that are hard to guess or hack.
- Store all your passwords in one place, protected by strong encryption.
- Access your passwords from any device, such as your computer, phone, or tablet.
- Autofill your login details on websites, making it easy to log in without typing.
Using a tool like 1Password not only saves you time but also greatly improves your security by ensuring that all your accounts are protected with strong, unique passwords.
Two-Factor and Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA and MFA)
Even with a strong password, your accounts can still be at risk. That’s why it’s important to use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for extra security.
Our Recommendation: Turn on 2FA or MFA
With 2FA or MFA, you need more than just your password to log in. You also need a second form of verification, like a code sent to your phone or an app. This makes it much harder for hackers to access your account, even if they have your password.
For example, when you enable 2FA, you enter your password as usual, but then you also need to enter a code sent to your phone or email. Some apps even let you use a fingerprint or face recognition as part of the verification process.
Most online services, like email, social media, and banking apps, offer 2FA or MFA. You can usually turn it on in the Security Settings of your account. By enabling 2FA or MFA, you add an extra layer of protection, making it much safer to use your online accounts.
OS Updates
One of the simplest but most important things you can do to protect your privacy and security is to keep your operating system updated. Both Windows and Mac regularly release updates to fix security issues and add new features. These updates help protect your computer from viruses, hackers, and other threats.
Our Recommendation: Keep Your OS Up to Date
If you don’t update your system, you could be vulnerable to attacks because old versions often have security weaknesses that hackers can easily exploit.
For Windows users, updates are usually automatic, but you can check for updates manually by going to the Settings and clicking on Update & Security. For Mac users, you can go to the System Preferences and click Software Update to make sure your system is up-to-date.
By keeping your operating system updated, you make sure your computer has the latest security features and protections.
Applications Updates
Keeping your applications up to date is just as important as updating your operating system. Software updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities, which hackers can exploit if your apps are out of date. By making sure your apps are always updated, you reduce the risk of malware or other security issues.
Our Recommendation: Keep Your Apps Up to Date
Updating Applications on Windows
- Open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu.
- Click on the three dots (menu) in the top-right corner and select Downloads and updates.
- Click Get updates to check for any available updates for the apps you’ve downloaded from the store.
- For non-Microsoft Store apps, open the app and check for an “Update” option, usually found under Help or Settings.
Updating Applications on macOS
- Open the App Store from your Dock or Launchpad.
- Click on the Updates tab on the left side.
- If updates are available, click Update All or choose to update specific apps.
- For non-App Store apps, open the app and go to Preferences or Help to check for updates.
By regularly updating your applications, you can ensure they are secure and perform better. Make it a habit to check for updates frequently or set your apps to update automatically.
Firewall
A firewall is an important tool that helps protect your computer from unauthorized access. It acts as a barrier between your device and the internet, allowing you to control what kind of traffic can enter or leave your network. Without a firewall, your computer can be more vulnerable to hackers and unwanted connections.
Our Recommendation: OPNsense
OPNsense is a strong, open-source firewall that offers many features to help keep your network secure. It can block dangerous connections, filter web traffic, and even detect attacks. OPNsense is also easy to use with a clear interface, so you don’t need to be an expert to set it up.
Using OPNsense, you can customize your firewall settings to fit your needs, whether it’s for home or business use. It provides a high level of control, giving you more protection than the basic firewalls that come with most operating systems.
Note: OPNsense is a powerful firewall, but it requires its own hardware to run. This means you’ll need a dedicated device, like a small server or computer, to install it on. While it offers advanced protection, keep in mind that setting up OPNsense may require more technical knowledge and equipment than basic firewalls. Check out their hardware sizing and setup guide for more info.
Conclusion
Keeping your privacy and security safe online requires a multi-layered approach. This means using several tools together, like antivirus software, a VPN, strong passwords, and two-factor authentication, to protect different parts of your digital life.
By following the advice in this guide, you can greatly reduce the risks of online threats. Remember, no single tool can protect you completely, but with a combination of these methods, you can browse the internet more safely and protect your personal information.
