Windows - Privacy, Security, Open Source

This may be the best solution for fingerprinting, other than Tor. Open-source and based on Firefox.

The benefit of this over arkenfox.js is that you will potentially have more people to blend in with. Mullvad works right out of the box, and hardly anyone uses Arkenfox.js out of the box, as it breaks a lot of things without tweaking it.

While Mullvad browser is a much better option for privacy than Firefox, you may want to take advantage of Firefox's convenient apps that will end up fingerprinting you easier, such as Firefox containers. Brave has something similar with profiles.

Firefox: Mozilla Firefox Arkenfox: https://github.com/arkenfox/user.js

One other alternative is the fastest browser I have used, that uses a separate engine than most, but doesn't have many functions, K-Meleon: K-Meleon

A good chromium option. I like to use this and Mullvad/Firefox in case one or the other doesn't play well with something.

Brave doesn't require a bunch of extensions like uBlock Origin. It has basic capabilities out of the box. And while it doesn't have containers, its profiles might even have more containerization than Firefox Containers.

Alternatively, for more security and less privacy, use Edge. Edge: Microsoft Edge Why it is more secure: https://735trv.github.io/madaidans-insecurities/firefox-chromium.html

The browser you use when you need real privacy.

It's like Simplewall, but with the added security of Tinywall.

Anonymizing network

Alternatively, Freenet: Hyphanet I2p: I2P

Password manager that is cross-platform. Although data is in your hands more with something like Keypass, with Bitwarden, you don't have to really worry about passwords not syncing correctly and losing data.

Alternatively, KeePass: KeePass KeePassXC: KeePassXC ProtonPass: Proton Pass Buttercup: Buttercup

Creates a sandboxed environment. But it's not fool-proof, so don't rely on it completely.

Alternatively, this is better if you have Windows Pro/Enterprise, Windows Sandbox: Windows Sandbox

Simple Indicators of Compromise and Incident Response Scanner. It scans your system for various vulnerabilities and possible malware.

Alternatively, Nuceli: nuclei

Checks for changes to the registry. Low resource consumption. But this one is proprietary.

Alternatively, MJ Registry Watcher: MJ Registry Watcher

Collection of simple tools to help harden Windows by disabling features that present a higher security risk like Windows Scripting Host and Microsoft Office Macros. Changes from the software can easily be undone with a Restore button.

Alternatively with more features, Hard_Configurator: Hard_Configurator

The most reliable and secure encryption tool. It creates encrypted drives. You can think of it as creating a folder that can only be accessed when you input a password, otherwise it stays encrypted.

What this means is that you can ensure more security. It doesn't matter what kind of cloud you use with this. I still prefer Nextcloud or KDrive or the like, but Google or Dropbox are fine, as they can't access the contents. It can be as safe as bank encryption.

What you do is have what you want encrypted inside of it, and then you sync your encrypted folder to your cloud sync folder. Anytime you update it, it automatically updates the encrypted folder on the cloud. I use FreeFileSync for this. You can also sync to other offline devices, such as with Rclone or Syncthing.

Alternatively, to be more compatible with various cloud services, Cryptomator: Cryptomator

Alternatively, for fast file/folder encryption, 7Zip: 7-Zip File Lock PEA: File Lock PEA Hat.sh: Hat.sh

Use this rather than proprietary software if you buy a VPN, unless the VPN supports Wireguard.

Alternatively, and even better (as long as your VPN provider offers it), WireGuard: WireGuard

But it is safer to set up your own VPN with a VPS: https://gist.github.com/joepie91/5a9909939e6ce7d09e29

List of some good VPN: https://offshore.cat/vpn

Helps you remove unneeded Windows components and telemetry.

Alternatively, Privatezilla: Permadelete Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility: Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility Winpilot: BloatyNosy

I added this separately from DnsCrypt, but really its just an alternative. Pi-Hole can utilize DnsCrypt along with anonymized relays.

You don't have to set it up on a docker or router or server if you don't want. You can set it up directly on Windows (basically) with WSL: https://github.com/DesktopECHO/Pi-Hole-for-WSL1

Alternatively, Privaxy: Privaxy Unbound: Unbound Wirehole: WireHole

DNS management for Windows. A combination of this and Simplewall uses much less resources than Portmaster.

However, it's not maintained as frequently as it should be. You are better off creating the proxy yourself through the terminal. It's really not difficult if you follow the instructions on their website. DNS Crypt: DNSCrypt Protocol Then, add anonymized relays: https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy/wiki/Anonymized-DNS Then, add blocklists for a system-wide blocklist (basically don't need uBlock anymore...): https://github.com/DNSCrypt/dnscrypt-proxy/wiki/Combining-Blocklists

Alternatively, Encrypted DNS Server: Encrypted DNS Server SecureDNS: SecureDNS

There is a very simple GUI alternative, but it is not open-source, so you have to put some trust into the coders. But it makes it very simple to just search and add the relays. However, at this point it doesn't support blocklists easily like DNSCrypt. YogaDNS: YogaDNS Can combine that with Zen ad blocker (really just an easy GUI for the blocklists), Zen Ad blocker: Irbis Zen

Reasons to set up your own VPN: https://gist.github.com/joepie91/5a9909939e6ce7d09e29

Block AI photo facial recognition.

An open-source email client where you can your different emails to so that you no longer have to log into their websites.

Alternatively, Claws Mail is a much more lightweight alternative than Thunderbird. Usually uses around 20-40mb of memory, as opposed to Thunderbird using 180-600mb, depending on whether you enable indexing and saving locally. A tad bit more difficult to set up though, Claws Mail: Claws Mail

Alternatively, use Betterbird which is a soft fork with improvements, meaning it gets all the Thunderbird updates and adds more on top of it, Betterbird: Betterbird

A secure, open-source chat app that does not require that you input a phone number.

For even more security (but not plug and play), Briar: Briar Ricochet Refresh: Ricochet Refresh

Not completely open-source. But I include it here because it is the best chat app for large groups and bots.

Alternatively, more open-source but less features and less security than Briar, Signal: Signal

Open-source alternative to cloud, like Dropbox.

If you want an easy, proprietary alternative, look at the Infomaniak Suite based in Switzerland. Kdrive is more privacy-friendly than Dropbox, and free to use, Kdrive: kDrive

Alternatively, Crypt.ee: Cryptee

This one is for your router, but you can add plugins to it like Suricata. Open-Source

Alternatively, OPNSense: OPNsense

Network security. Open-source

More difficult to set up, and probably better off setting up on another device for personal use, but it is a very well known intrusion protection system.

Alternatively Snort: snort

Private and encrypted notes that are cross-platform.

Alternatively, Cryptpad: CryptPad

A great markdown editor that saves everything as .txt in subfolders. The only thing that can compete is Obsidian, which is proprietary.

You can use this in a veracrypt vault (and also firewalling it) to store sensitive information.

Make sure to change to share=false in notebook.zim if you are using it in an encrypted folder.

Alternatively, Obsidian: Obsidian

Alternatively, more like Evernote: Joplin: Joplin

I use this to replace Notebook++.

An alternative to Microsoft 365 and LibreOffice. Has more compatibility with Microsoft Office products, and uses less resources than LibreOffice.

Alternatively, LibreOffice: LibreOffice

File archiver/unzipper. It also can encrypt folders with aes-256.

Alternatively, Pea Zip: PeaZip

Open source alternative to Process Explorer, with more features. Basically an overpowered task manager.

Alternatively, Process Explorer: Process Explorer

Group Policy Editor if you have Windows Home.

An emulator.

Use it to run Whonix: https://www.whonix.org/wiki/VirtualBox

Alternatively, QEMU: QEMU

It's proprietary, but it uninstalls better than open-source alternatives in my experience, finding everything in the registry without going overboard.

Alternatively, Bulk Crap Uninstaller: Bulk Crap Uninstaller