Digital Grimoire: collection #1
A curated collection of recommendations designed to help you get started with the basics of digital survival.
Surviving in the Digital Age requires mental sharpness, a bit of outside-the-box thinking, and some essential precautions when using your devices or being online.
On Cyber Hermetica, youβll find numerous tips and technical insights to enhance your personal cybersecurity and safeguard your data and digital identity.
This is a curated collection of recommendations from the Digital Grimoire, designed to help you get started with the basics of digital survival.
1. Minimize your data exposure
The first and most important step to enhance your security and privacy is to eliminate unnecessary data sharing and minimize your digital footprint. One way to achieve this is by avoiding to share real data when you register to online services.
Avoid sharing your personal email addresses: use disposable or secondary email accounts for non-critical purposes. Aliasing services like SimpleLogin can greatly help.
Avoid sharing your personal telephone number: use disposable mobile numbers to receive registration OTPs or send SMSs with anonymous services such as SMS4SATS.
Switch to smartphones with secure operating systems: choose devices running privacy-focused operating systems like GrapheneOS, which minimize data collection and enhance control over permissions.
You can learn more here:
2. Enhance your passwords security
Weak passwords are an easy target for attackers. The infamous βTheFappeningβ incident highlighted the risks of poor password security. Protect yourself with these steps:
Use long passwords: Ensure they are 12-15 characters or more, combining letters, numbers, and symbols.
Avoid common words: Donβt use birthdates, names, or predictable patterns.
Donβt reuse passwords: Each account should have a unique password.
Use a password manager: Tools like KeePassDX help generate and store complex passwords securely.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): This adds an extra layer of security even if your password is compromised.
3. Secure your WhatsApp chats
Hereβs how to make WhatsApp more secure:
Enable end-to-end encryption for backups.
Set up an access PIN.
Lock the app or specific chats using biometric authentication.
Enable message, photo, and video self-destruction.
Hide your IP address during voice calls.
Check out this simple guide by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which explains how to configure these settings on both Android and iOS.
4. Secure your Telegram chats
For Telegram:
Choose a username to use in chats instead of your phone number.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) via Settings β Privacy & Security β Two-Step Verification.
Use Secret Chats for end-to-end encryption.
To limit data exposure, spam attempts, or unwanted access to your communications:
In Settings β Privacy & Security, set "Phone Number" and "Last Seen & Online" to Nobody, and "Profile Photo" and "Forwarded Messages" to My Contacts.
For Calls, use the My Contacts option to hide your IP address.
Set Groups to My Contacts to avoid being added to unwanted groups.
Enable the Passcode Lock to protect access to your messages.
For Android users, the FOSS version of Telegram, available on F-Droid (a free app store independent of Google), removes the connection to Google Play Services, providing even greater privacy.
5. Protect your online purchases
Online shopping is convenient but comes with security risks. Protect yourself with these measures:
Use Virtual Credit Cards: Many banks and services offer virtual cards with temporary numbers to prevent fraud. These cards are only valid for one transaction or a short time.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Transactions: only shop online using a secure network. If you must use public Wi-Fi, ensure youβre connected to a VPN.
Check for HTTPS: before entering payment details, ensure the website URL starts with
https://and shows a lock icon.
By securing your online purchases, you can minimize financial risks and protect your sensitive information.
Help me grow the community: forward this article to your friends!