11 Best Personal Tools For Online Privacy & Security

A few years ago, a friend recommended a podcast episode with one caveat: “You’re going to be paranoid about the internet,” he advised.

His prediction was 100% correct. I enjoyed listening to Reply All until the show crashed and burned in 2022. But in the meanwhile, I’d become increasingly more attuned to online privacy concerns.

Specifically, I began transitioning many of my online tools from mainstream options to more privacy-focused ones. And I’m not alone — because I’ve had plenty of conversations with friends and colleagues about better platforms for security.

One great resource is the Tech Talk Ya’ll podcast, hosted by two guys I know here in Atlanta. They provide plenty of technology updates and explain what exactly this news means.

If you’re newly interested in privacy or looking to beef up your online security, these are a few tools I’d recommend starting with. The keywords to look for when picking up a new tool are: end-to-end encryption, open-sourced, and privacy-focused (among others).

1. Web Browser: Brave

I started using Google Chrome when it launched in 2008. Since it’s taken over the crown as the most-used web browser, Chrome has become increasingly clunky and leaky.

Which is why I switched to Brave.

The best part of Brave is that it’s built on Chromium, so it operates very similarly to Chrome. Transitioning accounts was quick and simple. Brave automatically blocks most pop-ups and ad-trackers for safer web browsing. Plus, it increases the browser speed.

DuckDuckGo and Firefox are also decent browser options if you’re prioritizing privacy.

2. Search Engine: DuckDuckGo

Even before Google overtook the browser game, they’ve long been the king of search engines. That likely won’t change anytime soon (even with AI), but privacy-minded users are wisely searching for other options.