5 big steps to digital freedom (extra bonus step)
Once trust is broken, there is no trust. If you no longer trust big tech, then here are a few easy things to do to protect yourself
USB Blocker (So you phone is not attacked while you are charging it)
$3 or $4 you is all it costs for a USB Blocker like that shown in the video above. You just plug it into the end of your charging cable and it stops data from flowing between your phone and the computer or wall outlet (yes they have hacked wall outlets in charging stations to upload viruses and malware to phones). Carry a few in your bag and sleep a lot easier.
Webcam Covers
For another few dollars you can get Webcam covers for your cell phones, laptops, and computers. Nobody wants to get caught in an awkward moment.
Passwords — a hardware key gives you a lot better security
How do you manage your passwords:
- remember them — probably repetitive, easily guessed and too often forgotten
- Write them down on a sticky note beside your computer — anybody could sit down at your computer and use them
- Password manager — what if the password manager gets hacked — the hacker has passwords to all your bank accounts etc.
For $50 you can get a hardware device to use with your passwords. The passwords will not work unless you have the hardware device there.
Secured USB Drive to safely store important documents offline
Does your spouse and children know how to access all your accounts and documents if you should suddenly die. What about cryptocurrencies you own and how to access the wallet? Maybe storing them here with a combination you both know might be the solution.
Some people keep small safes at home — guess what the thieves are going to steal first. Your small safe is jumping up and down saying “Pick me, Pick me — I hold all the valuables”
Other people store valuable documents and passwords with their lawyer — ever heard of a lawyer ripping off their clients?
Maybe a Secured USB Drive hidden away safely might be a better or at least complimentary solution.
Are Anti-Virus products just another way for BigTech to spy on you?
After watching this video — you might not be so keen on them
This brings us to the end of our 5 Big Steps to Digital Freedom
If you have completed these 5 steps, you will now be a lot more independent of BigTech. Let’s recap
- Protect your IP Address (it can be used to track you and also link all your computer activity together)
- Store you email and photos, videos, files at home instead of with Gmail or on Google Drive or One Drive
- Started using Linux as your preferred operating system helping break the stranglehold of Microsoft and Apple
- Ditched the iPhone for a degoogled phone
- Established newsfeeds direct from your trusted sites using RSS Readers. Giving you communication channels independent of Big Tech and Social Media.
- Can now charge you cell phone safely, keep spying eyes out of your camera, protect your password and valuable docs, and finally probably never use an anti-virus product again.
Conclusion
You should feel very proud of yourself. While these changes are not hard, they take a lot more effort then sending a snarky tweet. And because you took positive action you are a lot more free from the tentacles of Big Tech then before.
I have a lot more to say about the battle we face with big tech, but I wanted to get these concrete actions documented for you first — because I value actions much more then mere words.
Finally could I ask a favor of you. Could you share these 5 steps with your family and friends. One by one we are going to poke wholes in the wall Big Tech have erected to protect themselves — so it is going to be a team effort. Enlist your team members.
Action, Action, Action — go gett’em
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Writer and family members do not hold any financial interest in the businesses manufacturing, developing, and/or selling any of the products or services mentioned in this article. Nor are we compensated in any way e.g. commission or affiliate program if you decide to purchase these products or services.
5 big steps to digital freedom (extra bonus step) (text only — excluding videos and images) © 2021 by Beating Big Tech is licensed under CC BY 4.0
