Basic Infosec Recommendations 2025

Security Suggestions for Activists
* Create account names without any identifying information (name, number, location, etc).
* Use fake information if required and when possible.
* Always create passwords with upper & lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Use your password keeper's password generation feature.

Computer Settings
Windows Base Settings
* Shutup10++
    * Link - https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10
    * Download, install, and run. Apply recommended settings to your preference.
* Encryption
    * Easy - Enable bitlocker. **Store recovery key on paper in secure location and/or password manager.
    * Advanced – Use Veracrypt System Encryption

macOS Base Settings
* Encryption
    * Enable Filevault **Store recovery key on paper in secure location and/or password manager.
* Consider enabling lockdown mode
    * https://support.apple.com/en-us/105120
* Enable iCloud advanced data protection if you can

Software Recommendations
Browsers
* Mullvad Browser
* Librewolf
* Tor Browser
Browser Extensions/Add-Ons
* Ublock
* PrivacyBadger
* Advanced - Noscript
    * Tends to break things and you need to manually enable scripts needed for site use.
Search Engines
* Qwant.com (France)
* Ecosia.org (Germany)
* Swisscows.com (Switzerland)

VPN
* Mullvad
    * Owned within EU, with no logging, and privacy friendly TOS
* Proton
    * Better than nothing. Free VPN service with free Proton account, but Proton's CEO supports far right / fascist politics, and their TOS for US consumer accounts has legal red flags.

Email
* Tuta https://tuta.com/
    * Free & Paid accounts available
    * Also offers a calendar app
    * Hosted in Germany with secure encryption standards and privacy friendly TOS.

File Storage & Collaborative Document Sharing
* Cryptpad
    * https://cryptpad.fr
    * Create free account to create new files, viewing shared files through link is available with no account.
    * Hosted in France with secure encryption standards and privacy friendly TOS

Web Hosting
* Scalewy - France - scaleway.com
* OVH - France - ovhcloud.com
* Aruba - Italy - aruba.it
* Hosting Dot NL - Netherlands - hosting.nl
* Bahnhof - Sweden - bahnhof.cloud
* Glesys - Sweden - glesys.com

Messaging
* Signal – good default messaging app
    * Set phone number settings: Settings -> Privacy -> Phone Number
        * Who Can See My Phone Number: Nobody (Optional: Who Can Find Me By Number: Nobody)
* SimpleX
    * Good for use without linking back to name, phone number, or any other identifying information.
* Teleguard
    * Good for use without linking back to name, phone number, or any other identifying information.

Audio and/or Video Conferencing
* Signal and Teleguard both offer video calling/conferencing

Password Managers
* Bitwarden - FOSS cloud based password manager
    * Create Free Account linked to secure email
    * Can be installed and synced between multiple devices
* Keepass – Local password manager
    * Stores passwords locally on device, unable to sync between devices
* Heylogin
    * Free accounts available
    * GDPR compliant, based in EU