• Qubes OS icon
  • Whonix icon
  • Void Linux icon
  • F-Droid icon
  • SuperFreezZ icon
  • +15

Privacy and Security

tarkustarkus20 appsUpdated
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Desktop OS

Don't use Windows, MacOS, or Chrome OS. None of them are open source and all of them are loaded with spywa

  1. Qubes OS icon
     Like

    Qubes is an open source operating system designed to provide strong security for desktop computing.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Fedora
    • Xen
    Qubes OS screenshot 1
    Qubes OS screenshot 1
    Qubes OS screenshot 2
    +9
    Qubes OS screenshot 3
  2. Whonix icon
     Like

    Whonix is a desktop operating system designed for advanced security and privacy. Whonix mitigates the threat of common attack vectors while maintaining usability. Online anonymity is realized via fail-safe, automatic, and desktop-wide use of the Tor network.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Whonix Desktop Environment
    Whonix Workstation running on Ubuntu
    Whonix Gateway running on XFCE
  3. Void is a general purpose operating system, based on the monolithic Linux kernel. Its package system allows you to quickly install, update and remove software; software is provided in binary packages or can be built directly from sources with the help of the XBPS source packages...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Void's desktops: XFCE, Enlightenment and MATE
    Void Linux screenshot 1
    Void Linux screenshot 2

Mobile Apps

Stay away from mobile devices as much as possible. Do not use iOS. If you can, install a custom OS like GrapheneOS or LineageOS. Otherwise use the stock OS and keep it minimal, only using it for what cannot be done on a computer.

  1. F-Droid icon
     Like

    Discover and install FOSS Android apps with ease. Privacy-focused, ad-free, and no registration required, F-Droid offers a lightweight alternative.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    F-Droid screenshot 1
    F-Droid screenshot 2
    F-Droid screenshot 3
  2. Android app making it possible to entirely freeze all background activities of any app.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    SuperFreezZ screenshot 1
    SuperFreezZ screenshot 2
    SuperFreezZ screenshot 3
  3. Features a passive jammer technique that engages the microphone thereby blocking other apps from using it. But does NOT listen to or record any of the audio from the microphone. It uses 0% CPU and no noticeable battery use.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    PilferShush Jammer screenshot 1
    PilferShush Jammer screenshot 2
    PilferShush Jammer screenshot 3
  4. NetGuard icon
     Like

    Controls individual app internet access without root, blocks Wi-Fi and mobile data, supports IPv4/IPv6, logging, privacy protection, and detailed notifications.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    • OpenAPK
    NetGuard screenshot 1
    NetGuard screenshot 2
    NetGuard screenshot 3

Browser

Avoid Chromium-based browsers and disable or remove DRM, WebRTC, and Javascript.

  1. The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • OpenBSD
    Tor Browser screenshot 1
    Tor Browser screenshot 1
    Tor Browser 10.0.3 is now based on the new version of Firefox for Android.
    +1
    Tor browser for android alpha
  2. Gnuzilla is the GNU version of the Mozilla suite, and GNU IceCat is the GNU version of the Mozilla Firefox icon Mozilla Firefox browser. Its main advantage is an ethical one: it is entirely free software.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    GNU IceCat screenshot 1
    GNU IceCat screenshot 1
    GNU IceCat screenshot 2
    +1
    GNU IceCat screenshot 3
    tarkustarkus’s note

    Latest version is still 60.7 as of November 2020. Void Linux does have an updated version in it's repositories, but users of other distros should just stick with Tor Browser instead.

  3. uBlock Origin (uBO) is a CPU and memory-efficient wide-spectrum content blocker. It blocks ads, trackers, coin miners, popups, annoying anti-blockers, malware sites, etc., by default using EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Peter Lowe's Blocklist, Online Malicious URL Blocklist, and uBO...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Thunderbird
    • Opera
    • Node.JS
    • Mozilla Firefox
    uBlock Origin screenshot 1
    uBlock Origin screenshot 1
    uBlock Origin screenshot 2
    +3
    uBlock Origin screenshot 3
    tarkustarkus’s note

    Use this to block Javascript on a per-site basis

Messenger

  1. XMPP icon
     Like

    XMPP, or Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, is an open standard for instant messaging and real-time communication, allowing for message exchanges between any two entities on the Internet. It's known for its decentralized and extensible nature.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Windows Phone
    • Self-Hosted

Email

Do not use ProtonMail or Tutanota because they require you to use their JavaScript webmail. If you can, self-host your email. Otherwise use Disroot (free) or Posteo (paid).

  1. GTK+-based client offering fast performance, news reading, robust stability, extensibility via plugins, advanced filtering, encryption, folder and contact management.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    The main window
    The account preferences window
  2. GnuPG icon
     Like

    GnuPG allows to encrypt and sign your data and communication, features a versatile key management system as well as access modules for all kinds of public key directories. GnuPG, also known as GPG, is a command line tool with features for easy integration with other applications.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Xfce
    • OpenPGP
    GnuPG Shell running GnuPG on Windows

Other Software

  1. Tor icon
     Like

    Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Tor screenshot 1
    Tor screenshot 1
  2. VeraCrypt icon
     Like

    Secure and encrypt entire partitions or devices, including system drives, with automated, real-time protection and enhanced security measures.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    Langage
    VeraCrypt screenshot 1
    Encrypted volume wizard. Step 1.
    +8
    Encrypted volume wizard. Step 3.
    tarkustarkus’s note

    Use to encrypt hard drives and usb drives

  3. Firejail icon
     Like

    Firejail is a SUID security sandbox program that reduces the risk of security breaches by restricting the running environment of untrusted applications using Linux namespaces and seccomp-bpf.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Firetools: sandbox launcher and statistics
    Firetools: sandbox launcher and statistics
    Firetools: file manager
    +4
    Firejail user interface: choosing the application
  4. pass icon
     Like

    Pass is the standard unix password manager, a lightweight password manager that uses GnuPG icon GnuPG and Git icon Git for Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X. With pass, each password lives inside of a gpg encrypted file whose filename is...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Git
    • GnuPG
  5. rsync icon
     Like

    File and directory synchronization tool for Unix systems with delta encoding, compression, recursion, SSH support, permission preservation, and flexible filters.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin
    • Haiku
    First of 3127 lines of Manual pages
    rsync screenshot 1
    rsync screenshot 2
  6. Searx icon
     Like

    Open-source metasearch engine aggregating results from 70+ services, with no tracking, no user profiling, Tor support, and browser integration for privacy.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Searx screenshot 1
    Searx screenshot 1
    Searx screenshot 2
    +2
    Searx screenshot 3
  7. QEMU icon
     Like

    Open-source hypervisor emulating CPUs via dynamic translation. Supports unmodified guest OS, allows mixed binary translation and native execution.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    QEMU  with the free OS ReactOS
    Hardware Configuration of a VMware machine
    Harddisk based on a VMware vmdk-file
    +1
    Advanced settings of a vmdk-machine
    tarkustarkus’s note

    Use to run virtual machines to compartmentalize. Virt-Manager is a graphical frontend for this.

Things to avoid:

  • VPNs - they do not provide any anonymity or security and in many cases are worse than not using anything at all. If you must, use Mullvad, but Tor is recommended.
  • Any Social Media - just no
  • Cloud Storage - store everything locally and use USB drives for backups
  • Any Antivirus software - they are all bloated and scare you into buying their premium products.

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