Personal Security Checklist

Passwords

Most reported data breaches are caused by the use of weak, default or stolen passwords (according to this Verizon report). Massive amounts of private data have been, and will continue to be stolen because of this.

Use strong passwords, which can't be easily guessed or cracked. Length is more important than complexity (at least 12+ characters), although it's a good idea to get a variety of symbols. Ideally you should use a different and secure password to access each service you use. To securely manage all of these, a password manager is usually the best option. This guide gives a lot more detail about choosing and managing passwords.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Use a strong password	Recommended	Try to get a good mixture of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid names, places and dictionary words where possible, and aim to get a decent length (a minimum of 12+ characters is ideal). Have a look at HowSecureIsMyPassword.net and How Long will it take to Crack my Password to get an idea of what a strong password is. See this guide for more information.
Don’t save your password in browsers	Recommended	Most modern browsers offer to save your credentials when you log into a site. Don’t allow this! As they are not always encrypted, hence can allow someone to gain easy access into your accounts. Also do not store passwords in a .txt file or any other unencrypted means. Ideally reputable use a password manager.
Use different passwords for each account you have	Recommended	If your credentials for one site gets compromised, it can give hackers access to your other online accounts. So it is highly recommended not to reuse the same passwords. Again, the simplest way to manage having many different passwords, is to use a password manager. Have a look at LastPass, DashLane, KeePass or Robo Forms 8.
Be cautious when logging in on someone else’s device	Recommended	When using someone else's machine, ensure that you're in a private session (like Incognito mode, Crt+Shift+N) so that nothing gets saved. Ideally you should avoid logging into your accounts on other peoples computer, since you can't be sure their system is clean. Be especially cautious of public machines, or when accessing any of your secure accounts (email, banking etc).
Avoid password hints	Optional	Some sites allow you to set password hints. Using this feature makes it easier for hackers.
Never answer online security questions truthfully	Optional	If a site asks security questions (such as place of birth, mother's maiden name or first car etc), don't provide real answers. It is a trivial task for hackers to find out this information. Instead, create a password inside your password manager to store your fictitious answer.
Don’t use a 4-digit PIN to access your phone	Optional	Don’t use a short PIN to access your smartphone or computer. Instead, use a text password. Pins or numeric passphrases are much easier crack, (A 4-digit pin has 10,000 combinations, compared to 7.4 million for a 4-character alpha-numeric code).
Use an offline password manager	Advanced	Consider an offline password manager, encrypted by a strong password. If you work across two or more computers, this could be stored on an encrypted USB. KeePass is a strong choice.
If possible, try to avoid biometric and hardware-based authentication	Advanced	Fingerprint sensors, face detection and voice recognition are all hackable. Where possible replace these with traditional strong passwords.

2-Factor Authentication

This is a more secure method of logging in, where you supply not just your password, but also an additional code usually from a device that only you have access to.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Use an authenticator	Recommended	Use Google Authenticator where sites offer 2FA. Alternative authenticators include: Authy, FreeOTP, LastPassAuthenticator and AuthenticatorPlus. SMS codes are ubiquitous, but easy to break so although better than nothing, not ideal. Another option is a hardware-based 2FA, such as Yubico, although with limited compatibility and of course a physical cost. Check out this list of apps/sites which provide the option of 2FA.

Browser and Search

Most modern web browsers support add-ons and extensions, these can access anything that you do online, avoid installing anything that may not be legitimate and check permissions first. Be aware that ever website that you interact with, including search engines will likely be keeping records of all your activity. Last year Kaspersky reported over a million data exploits caused by malicious sites.

For more browser security pointers, check out: Here’s How To Get Solid Browser Security.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Deactivate ActiveX	Recommended	ActiveX is barley used nowadays, but Microsoft browsers have it enabled by default. It acts as a middleware between Java and Flash applications and your PC. But it is commonly used for malicious sites to run scripts directly on your PC. See this article for more details.
Disable Flash	Recommended	Adobe Flash has been around since the dawn of the internet, however it has been falling in popularity for a while. It brings with it many unpatched vulnerabilities (a few of which you can read about here). See this guide, on how to disable Flash player, or this guide for more details on how dangerous it can be.
Block Trackers	Recommended	Consider installing a browser extension, such as Privacy Badger, to stop advertisers from tracking you in the background.
Block scripts from bad origin	Recommended	Use an extension such as uBlock Origin, to block anything being loaded from an external or unverified origin.
Force HTTPS only traffic	Recommended	Using an extension such as HTTPS Everywhere, wil force all sites to load securely.
Only use trusted browser add-ons and extensions	Recommended	Both Firefox and Chrome web stores allow you to check what permissions/access rights an extension requires before you install it. Check the reviews. Only install extensions you really need, and removed those which you haven't used in a while. Extensions are able to see, log or modify anything you do in the browser, and some innocent looking browser apps, have malitious intentions.
Always keep your browser up-to-date	Recommended	Browser vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered and patched, so it’s important to keep it up to date, to avoid a zero-day exploit. You can see which browser version your using here, or follow this guide for instructions on how to update.
Disable WebRTC	Optional	WebRTC allows high-quality audio/ video communication and peer-to-peer file-sharing straight from the browser. However it can pose as a privacy leak, especially if you are using a proxy or VPN. In FireFox WebRTC can be disabled, by searching for, and disabling `media.peerconnection.enabled` in the settings. For other browsers, the WebRTC-Leak-Prevent extension can be installed. uBlockOrigin also allows WebRTC to be disabled. To learn more, check out this guide.
Use a private search engine	Optional	Google tracks, logs and stores everything you do, but also displays biased results. Take a look at DuckDuckGo or StartPage. Neither store cookies or cache anything. Read more about Google Search Privacy.
Consider a privacy browser	Optional	Google openly collects usage data on Chrome usage. There are several privacy browsers out there which minimise the amount of data collected. The most popular of which is Brave Browser, or Firefox. Others include Epic Browser Yandex, or Comodo. The most secure option is Tor Browser.
Use Tor	Advanced	The Tor Project privides a browser that encrypts and routes your traffic through multiple nodes, keeping users safe from intercaption and tracking. The draw backs are speed and user experience, but it is the most secure browser option.
Disable JavaScript	Advanced	Many modern web apps are JavaScript based, so disabling it will greatly decrease your browsing experience. But if you really want to go all out, then it will reduce your attack surface. Read more about the growing risk of JavaScript malware.
Route all desktop traffic via Tor	Advanced	Whonix allows for fail-safe, automatic, and desktop-wide use of the Tor network. It's based on Debian, and runs in in a virtual machine. Straigt-forward to install on Windows, OSX or Linux.

VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) allows you to securely connect to the internet, when you visit a site, your visiting it through the secure VPN connection and not broadcasting your own IP address, therefore hiding your identity on the sites you visit, to both your ISP anyone else trying to track you, they can also encrypt your traffic so you can browse more securely on public networks. They’re really easy to set up. To learn more about what a VPN is, how it works and how to choose one, checkout this PC Mag article.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Use a VPN	Recommended	Ideally use a paid-for VPN, as they’re considerably better quality so won’t affect your speeds, nor show ads. Take a look at VyprVPN, NordVPN, IPVanish and TunnelBear.

Emails

Nearly 50 years since the first email was sent, they’re still very much a big part of our day-to-day life, and will probably continue to be for the near future. So considering how much trust we put in them, it’s surprising how fundamentally insecure this infrastructure is. Email-related fraud is on the up, and without taking basic measures you could be at risk. (For basic enterprise pointers, see this article).

If a hacker gets access to your emails, it provides a gateway for your other accounts to be compromised, therefore email security is paramount for your digital safety.

These links are also useful for additional simple measures that you can take to specifically protect a Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook and AOL account.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Have more than one email address	Recommended	Keeping your important and safety-critical messages separate from trivial subscriptions such as newsletters, is a very good idea. Be sure to use different passwords. This will also make recovering a compromised account after an email breach easier.
Keep security in mind when logging into emails	Recommended	Your email account is one of the most important to protect with a secure password. Only sync your emails with your phone, if it is secured (encrypted with password). Don’t allow your browser to save your email password. Prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by only logging in on a secured browser.
Always be wary of phishing and scams	Recommended	If you get an email from someone you don’t recognize, don’t reply, don’t click on any links, and absolutely don’t download an attachment. Keep an eye out for senders pretending to be someone else, such as your bank, email provider or utility company. Check the domain, read it, ensure it’s addressed directly to you, and still don’t give them any personal details. Check out this guide, on how to spot phishing emails.
Don’t share sensitive information over email	Optional	Emails are very very easily intercepted. Also you can’t know how secure your recipients environment is. Don’t share anything personal, such as bank details, passwords, confidential information over email. Ideally, don’t use email as a primary method of communication.
Don’t connect third-party apps to your email account	Optional	If you give a third-party app (like Unroll.me) full access to your inbox, this makes you vulnerable to cyber attacks. The app can be compromised and, as a consequence, cyber criminals would gain unhindered access to all your emails and their contents.
Consider switching to a more secure email provider	Optional	Email providers such as ProtonMail, CounterMail, HushMail (for business users) or MailFence allow for end-to-end encryption, full privacy as well as more security-focused features.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Check your privacy settings	Recommended	Most social networks allow you to control your privacy settings. Ensure that your profile can only be viewed by people who you are in your friends list, and you know personally.
Only put info on social media that you wouldn’t mind being public	Recommended	Even with tightened security settings, don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want to be seen by anyone other than your friends. Don’t rely solely on social networks security.
Don’t give social networking apps permissions they don’t need	Recommended	By default many of the popular social networking apps, will ask for permission to access your contacts, your call log, your location, your messaging history etc.. If they don’t need this access, don’t grant it.
Revoke access for apps your no longer using	Recommended	Instructions: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram.
Remove metadata before uploading media	Optional	Most smartphones and some cameras automatically attach a comprehensive set of additional data to each photograph., This usually includes things like time, date, location, camera model, user etc. Remove this data before uploading. See this guide for more info.
Don’t have any social media accounts	Advanced	It may seem a bit extreme, but if your serious about data privacy and security, stay away from entering information on any social media platform.

Your Devices

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Turn of connectivity features that aren’t being used	Recommended	When you're not using WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC or anything else, turn those features off. These are commonly used to easily hack individuals.
Uninstall apps that you don’t need	Recommended	Don’t have apps that your not using on your phone, as they can be collecting data in the background. Don’t install apps from non-legitimate sources, or apps with few reviews.
Don’t grant apps permissions that they don’t need	Recommended	If an app doesn’t need access to your camera, don’t grant it access. Same with any features of your phone, be wary about what each app has access to.
Install a Firewall	Optional	To prevent applications from leaking privacy-sensitive data, you can install a firewall app. This will make it easier to see and control which apps are making network requests in the background, and allow you to block specific apps from roaming when the screen is turned off. For Android, check out NetGuard, and for iOS there is LockDown, both of which are open source. Alternatively there is NoRootFirewall Android, XPrivacy Android (root required), Fyde iOS and Guardian Firewall iOS.
Consider running a custom ROM if you have an Android device	Advanced	Your default OS tracks information about your usage, and app data, constantly. Consider a security-focused custom ROM, such as Lineage or CopperheadOS.

SMS and Calls

Both SMS texting and traditional phone calls are not secure. Avoid it whenever there is a reasonable alternative, and don’t use these means to communicate anything secure. Be wary of who you share your phone number with.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Don’t use SMS - Use E2E encrypted messaging apps	Optional	iMessage is secure. For non-Apple users Signal is the most secure option. As of late 2016 WhatsApp is also end-to-end-encrypted using the Signal protocol. Keep in mind that although the transmission may be secured, messages can still be read if your, or your recipients' devices have been compromised.
Use a secure email provider	Optional	Most email providers completely invade your privacy intercepting both messages sent and received. ProtonMail is a secure email provider, that is open source and offers end-to-end encryption. There are alternative secure mail providers (such as CounterMail, HushMail and MailFence)- but ProtonMail has both a clear interface and strong security record.
Avoid using your real phone number when signing up for an account or service	Optional	Where possible, avoid giving out your real phone number while creating accounts online. You can create phone numbers using services such as Google Voice or Skype. For temporary usage you can use a service like iNumbr that generates a phone number that forwards messages and calls to your main number.

Your Router

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Don’t use a default password	Recommended	Change your router password- here is a guide as to how.
Use WPA2	Recommended	WPA and WEP make it very easy for a hacker to gain access to your router. Use a WPA2 password instead. Ensure it is strong: 12+ alpha-numeric characters, avoiding dictionary words.
Ideally hide your SSID	Optional	An SSID (or Service Set Identifier) is simply your network name. If it is not visible, it is much less likely to be targeted. You can usually hide it after logging into your router admin panel, see here for more details.
Avoid the free router from your ISP	Optional	Typically they’re manufactured cheaply in bulk in China, and firmware updates which fix crucial security flaws aren’t released regularly.
Kill unused process and services	Advanced	Services like Telnet and SSH (Secure Shell) that provide command-line access to devices should never be exposed to the internet and should also be disabled on the local network unless they're actually needed. In general, any service that’s not used should be disabled to reduce attack surface.

Operating Systems

Although Windows and OS X are easy to use and convenient, they both are far from secure. Your OS provides the interface between hardware and your applications, so if compromised can have detrimental effects.

Security	Priority	Details and Hints
Keep your OS up-to-date	Recommended	Microsoft, Apple and Google release regular OS updates, which fix security risks. Always keep your device updated.
Consider Switching to Linux	Optional	Linux is considerably more secure than both OSX and Windows. Some distros are still more secure than others, so it’s worth choosing the right one to get a balance between security and convenience.
Use a Security-Focused Distro	Advanced	QubeOS is based on “security by compartmentalization”, where each app is sandboxed. Whonix is based on Tor, so 100% of your traffic will go through the onion router. Tails is a has no persistent memory, and is ideal if you don’t want to leave a trace on the device your booting from. Subgraph is an “adversary resistant computing platform”, but also surprisingly easy to use
Password protect your BIOS and drives	Advanced	A BIOS or UEFI password helps to make an inexperienced hackers life a bit harder if they get a hold of your PC or hard drive, here is a guide on how to do it.

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