June 2025 "Easy" vs "Overkill" *sponsored by Yubico 2FA Keys Shifting Focus to what's EASY When it comes to general advice for privacy and security, it doesn't take much to fall into the trap of going overboard. Do we need to go off-grid? Delete Facebook? Stop using Apple phones? Whether for the sake of yourself or maybe for your parents, this week I'm trying to simplify all the confusion: 11 EASY Privacy Tips ANYONE Can (or should!) Do → *FYI...I've had a few comments about the intro so I'd...
22 days ago • 2 min read
May 2025 Email Security 101 *sponsored by DeleteMe Email Privacy Doesn't Exist by Default Every day, over 376 billion emails are sent, and most of us don't stop to consider how an email magically moves from one computer to another. When you dig below the surface, though, you may find it's not as secure or private as you think: The MYSTERY Behind Email Encryption (explained) → Go Deeper: there are a lot of ways to improve the security of your email, not the least of which is to use a secure...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
May 2025 Popular Privacy Myths Common Privacy Myths...Debunked I hear a lot of crazy stuff related to online privacy. For example, does turning off GPS makes your phone untrackable? Do strong passwords make your accounts safe? Let me explain what I mean: 7 Privacy Myths People STILL Believe (do you?) → Go Deeper: there are what I consider to be different "levels" of privacy and security. Most of these myths exist in that very top level. Here are ways to graduate to higher levels: Password...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
April 2025 Home Camera Privacy Are home camera systems really secure? WiFi security cameras are everywhere these days: protecting porches, watching for burglars or monitoring your baby nursery. Having a camera isn't a bad thing, but there's an important framework to follow to choose the right one: How to Choose a Security Camera for PRIVACY → Go Deeper: if you like this S.C.O.P.E. framework for this video, let me know! There are other ways you can protect your home, including blurring it and...
3 months ago • 2 min read
March 2025 23andMe Bankruptcy What happens to all that DNA data? It's not just the data...often the samples themselves have been stored and could be sold off to some random buyer. This again reinforces the idea that these DNA testing kits are a BAD idea. Here's a quick short I published today: this 23andMe bankruptcy is BAD NEWS → Go Deeper: if you or somebody you love has used 23andMe in the past, there are some steps you're going to want to take to request the deletion of your data. Below...
3 months ago • 2 min read
January 2025 Data Deletion Gone Mad Blind Opt-Outs are BAD for Privacy Over the past couple years I've learned a lot about the data broker/data removal industry and honestly...it's been really sad. Here are two examples of how data deletion can actually damage your privacy instead of improve it: the WRONG way to Delete Personal Info Online → Go Deeper: there are different types of personal information online that you might want to delete. Some of it can be done by a data removal service like...
4 months ago • 2 min read
January 2025 UK Bans Encryption? Apple Removes ADP for UK Users At the request (or rather...demand) of the UK government, Apple has removed the option to use end-to-end encryption for iCloud data for UK users. This is a big deal. Here's my breakdown: UK Wants to See your Photos & iCloud data → Go Deeper: This whole episode seems to confirm the effectiveness of Advanced Data Protection (Apple's encryption). BUT...it's not on by default. Here's what you need to know to turn it on: ADP Tutorial...
4 months ago • 2 min read
January 2025 New Bedside Routine? Apparently People are addicted My latest video on a new bedside routine I'm trying in order to improve both my health and my security/privacy has apparently hit a nerve with people. The comment section is full of people who just can't admit that they're addicted to their phones. I'm not sure they even watched the whole video. Check it out for yourself: NEW Beside Privacy Routine I'm Loving (it's EASY) → Go Deeper: There are plenty of other ways that you can...
5 months ago • 2 min read
January 2025 Breakfast Hates Privacy Starbucks & Krispy Kreme both attacked Last month, both Starbucks and Krispy Kreme experienced different kinds of ransomware attacks that exposed a lot of data as well as failures in how corporations address privacy & security: Is Morning Coffee KILLING your Privacy? → Go Deeper: In the video, I reference using email aliases to protect your data and then the "best practices" recommended by the US CISA. The Solution: Aliases What are the different ways that...
6 months ago • 2 min read