Privacy

Encrypted Storage Your files are vulnerable. If your laptop is stolen, lost, or seized, anyone with physical access can read everything: your documents, photos, financial records, passwords database, browser history. Disk encryption is the solution. You enabled disk encryption when installing Linux Mint (Week 2). But encryption isn’t just for your system drive—it’s for USB drives, backup drives, cloud storage, and sensitive file containers. This week, you’ll learn to create encrypted containers with VeraCrypt, understand LUKS (your existing Linux encryption), and establish secure backup practices. ...

Operational Security Tools don’t protect you. Habits do. You can have the most encrypted, hardened, anonymized setup in the world—and blow it all by posting a photo that reveals your location, using your real name once, or clicking a phishing link. Operational Security (OpSec) is the discipline of protecting information through consistent practices. It’s the difference between having security tools and actually being secure. This final week ties everything together. You’ll learn the mindset, habits, and ongoing practices that make all your previous weeks of work actually effective. ...

Goal Understand the ethos, purpose, and mindset of a cypherpunk. Learn why privacy matters in the digital age and why “cypherpunks write code.” Prerequisites: Basic Linux CLI familiarity This is Part 1 of 3 - Covers philosophy, history, and the manifesto. 1. What Is a Cypherpunk? “Privacy is necessary for an open society in the electronic age. Privacy is not secrecy. A private matter is something one doesn’t want the whole world to know, but a secret matter is something one doesn’t want anybody to know. Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world.” ...

Integration You’ve spent 11 weeks building your privacy infrastructure. Now it’s time to put it all together into a sustainable daily practice. This final week isn’t about learning new tools—it’s about making everything you’ve learned work together seamlessly. By the end, you’ll have a complete privacy workflow that protects you without getting in your way. Your Complete Privacy Stack Let’s recap what you’ve built: Foundation Layer (Weeks 1-3) Threat model: You know what you’re protecting and from whom Linux Mint: Privacy-respecting operating system with full disk encryption Hardened Firefox: Browser configured to minimize tracking and fingerprinting Communication Layer (Weeks 4-6) Password manager: Unique, strong passwords for every account Proton Mail + aliases: Private email that doesn’t track you Signal: End-to-end encrypted messaging Network Layer (Weeks 7-8) Mullvad VPN: Hide your IP from websites and ISP Tor Browser: True anonymity when needed Protection Layer (Weeks 9-11) VeraCrypt/LUKS: Encrypted storage for sensitive files 2FA everywhere: Accounts protected beyond passwords OpSec habits: The mindset and practices that make tools effective Part 1: Your Daily Privacy Routine Morning Checklist When you start your computer: ...

Episode 12: The Truth About VPNs Your browser does not support the audio element. Download MP3 Duration: ~8 minutes | Format: Myth Buster Episode Summary VPNs are probably the most oversold privacy tool on the internet. Every YouTuber is sponsored by one, every podcast has a promo code, and most of what they tell you is either exaggerated or flat-out wrong. This episode cuts through the noise. ...

Real-World Examples: Why Privacy Matters “I have nothing to hide” assumes the world is fair, rules never change, and your data will never be used against you. History—and current events—prove otherwise. This page documents real incidents where lack of privacy caused tangible harm. These aren’t hypotheticals. They happened to real people. Physical Security Threats Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Holders When you publicly hold valuable assets, you become a target. The documented attacks are sobering: ...

I wrote the first version of this on the evening of July 18, 2025 — the day the GENIUS Act was signed into law. The news was calling it a triumph: crypto is finally going mainstream. People were cheering. I couldn’t shake the feeling we were applauding the cage. Nearly a year later, I don’t have to wonder anymore. So let me show you what I saw that night, and what’s happened since. ...

Starting in September 2026, Google will require every Android app developer to register with Google, submit government-issued identification, and pay a fee before their apps can be installed on any certified Android device. This includes apps you sideload. Apps from F-Droid. Apps from Aurora Store. Apps you build yourself. If the developer hasn’t registered with Google, the app won’t install. What Google Is Actually Doing Google announced this policy in August 2025 under the banner of “developer verification.” Here’s what it requires: ...