Your Laptop or Desktop PC
Most laptop or desktop computers come loaded with either Microsoft Windows or Apple macOS preinstalled as the operating system (OS). Both of these operating systems have contact tracing built in to the OS. This means that your computer is watching you everywhere you go. While I won’t get into all of the things that Microsoft, Google, and Apple OS’s are capable of from a surveillance perspective, the same rule applies to them all. It doesn’t matter how much security software you install on them. If the OS is manufactured by Microsoft, Google, or Apple, your OS is spying on you.
The bottom line, you ask? You MUST stop using all of their products as soon as possible. It is time to move to Linux. Before you can take any additional steps to protect yourself, you must replace all of your computing hardware and operating systems first.
Take Back our Tech has several instructional guides of how to migrate a Microsoft Windows-based computer to Linux. I personally recommend Linux Mint v. 20.02 to all new Linux users. This guide provided by Tech Back Our Tech will show you how to install Linux Mint from scratch. Note: These instructions reference installing Linux Mint 20.01, but the steps are the same: Take Back our Tech Linux Guide
Check out Take Back Our Tech on Telegram, their website and in their community in these links:
Take Back our Tech Official Community
If you are interested in purchasing a laptop or PC with Linux pre-installed, you can visit our shop here to buy one from us from just £195 in the UK and Europe!
Or check out System 76 if you’re in the US.
During the process of moving to Linux, ensure that your computer has a solid-state hard drive installed as Linux Mint and Ubuntu use what is called LVM encryption. Older format hard drives with moving parts, such as IDE-based hard drives are slow, quick to fail, and do not handle encryption well. If you aren’t sure of your hard drive type, a computer repair shop can help with this.
The thought of moving to a whole new operating system you’ve likely heard little about from one you’ve used most of your life a little overwhelming? Perhaps check out this extensive video of a side by side comparison of Windows 10 and Linux Mint to see how it sits with you.
Your Phone
Smartphones gather your data, capturing in great detail where you are, who you are and what you’re doing 24/7. Once you have purchased a smart phone, the moment you begin using it, they automatically begin logging our every action and behaviour.
Every single app on our phones also collects our data, using several different approaches (access contacts, messages, gallery, microphone etc).
The best way to combat this is to get yourself a De-Googled phone.
If you’re in the UK or Europe, you can get one from just £169 from our store here!
If you’re in the US, the community behind Take Back Our Tech has also launched a De-Googled phone called the Above Phone.
With your De-Googled phone, for optimum security, it’s then also best to use a pay-as-you-go sim card that’s not in your name and refrain from using any apps that utilise your personal data and spy on you, such as Facebook or Instagram.
Written by: 5u3ht3m0rp
This information was provided by 5u3ht3m0rp, an anonymous expert in cyber security who is dedicated to providing activists the tools they need to remain anonymous and untraceable.
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