Two years ago I was very stupid: I gave my name, address and Paypal details to someone only to try a new service. Although I never wanted to use it in reality, I couldn’t cancel it in time, and a nasty amount was deducted from my account. I had a hard time recovering it, but thanks to Paypal, I did. (Unfortunately I have been bothered by a cash collection company ever since.)

Be Healthy Paranoid On The Internet

Then, I have vowed that only in the most necessary cases will my information be disclosed to anyone. I don’t even want to reveal where I go, what I do online. I’m almost paranoid now. I always try to over-insure myself, rather twice, than too little. I’m not an internet security professional. But after two years of reading about and practicing internet security, I assume I have some useful ideas. I did the following:

• I subscribed to a good VPN service. This service redirects my Internet traffic through remote servers in an encrypted way, which is very difficult to trace.
• I usually use a double VPN. So, data is not only being transferred to a server in a remote country. But to two servers in two remote countries.

You can collect mail addresses

• I already have many email addresses. For many of the pages I use regularly, I have registered a new email on different servers. I really like the ones that experts call high security. (Protonmail, Tutanota, or Elude are said to be such.)
• I couldn’t completely get rid of some of Google’s services, but at least I try to divide them. For example, I still have Gmail, but two already. One for work, the other for fun and privacy.
• I have canceled any Google service I could live without. For example, I use DuckDuckGo and Startpage.com for search. I have turned off all data storage and tracking features in my Google Account.
• I often use a private browser window, block or delete cookies, block ads, unwanted videos, animations wherever possible. (With a browser extension. Opera is already a built-in feature.) That also saves bandwidth.

  

• I have five browsers on my computer. That is how they identify me, and cookies are browser-dependent. And one is better at this, the other better.
• Most of these methods I use also on my mobile phone. (VPN, private browsing, various mails, various chats, etc.)

Use heavy encryption

• If it seems to be especially important to surf without showing my true identity, I also use a TOR browser on a special operating system. (I will discuss this in more detail in Part Two.)
• At one time, I encrypted the most important data on my hard drive using VeraCrypt. This caused a problem when buying a new computer, but I will use it again soon.
• Of course, I keep passwords or other important things in highly encrypted files. (TrueCrypt or Veracrypt is supposed to be secure. Many other programs have file encryption, but read about if they are secure.)
• I also requested the recently purchased domain name anonymously, the page doesn’t show my identity. My contact is a Discord address (registered with a high privacy email address). I signed up on Minds to share my works. Looking for more anonymous social media services.

Too expensive to crack?

So I got healthily paranoid on the Internet, at least, I hope so. Sure, somebody can certainly trace me this way, but it can be very difficult and not worth it most of the possible badasses. I’m not that important to big people to chase me with expensive first-class hackers.

Am I wrong about something? Am I too paranoid? Or not enough? Please comment.

See also:  How To Be Healthy Paranoid – Here Is The List Of Lists on Steempeak or Steemit

(Photo: Pixabay.com)