Advanced Guides

Layer your anonymity. VPN-over-Tor, Tor-over-VPN, I2P garlic routing. When to use each, how to combine them, and common mistakes that expose you.

CBP mandatory facial recognition began December 26, 2025. Non-citizens cannot opt out. 75-year data retention. Here is what you can do to protect yourself.

Swap BTC for XMR without an exchange or KYC. eigenwallet setup, the adaptor signature protocol, and the timelocks that can cost you the Bitcoin.

Help others stay private. Run a Tor relay, host a Snowflake proxy, support EFF and digital rights orgs. How to contribute to collective privacy defense.

Clearview AI, ICE databases, Flock license plate readers, FBI watchlists. Practical steps to find out what the government knows about you, and what you can (and can\'t) do about it.

Data brokers sell your info to ICE and anyone with $20. Opt-out links for Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified + 82 more. DIY removal or paid services compared.

Remove yourself from Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified & 200+ data brokers. Phase-by-phase guide to erasing your digital footprint. Templates included.

Stop surveillance correlation by separating your digital identities. Create work, personal & anonymous personas that can\'t be linked. OPSEC fundamentals.

Google has 15 years of your data. Escape now. Replace Gmail → ProtonMail, Drive → Nextcloud, Android → GrapheneOS. Complete de-Google guide with alternatives.

Your data is on the dark web. Find it first. HaveIBeenPwned, Dehashed, and breach database techniques to discover what hackers already know about you.

The Freedom of Information Act lets you request records from any federal agency. Here\'s how to file effective requests, appeal denials, and work the process, plus state-level public records laws.

A practical guide to using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain government records. Federal FOIA, state sunshine laws, best practices, and what to do when agencies refuse.

Apple and Google are warning people they\'ve been targeted by government spyware. Here\'s exactly what to do: enable Lockdown Mode, contact the right organizations, and protect yourself going forward.

Physical authentication keys stop phishing attacks that passwords and authenticator apps can\'t. YubiKey, Nitrokey, and OnlyKey compared for security and privacy.

Hardware wallet comparison: Ledger vs Trezor vs Coldcard security, privacy, and usability compared. Which cold storage protects your crypto?

Segment your home network with VLANs to protect computers from compromised IoT devices. Complete guide to creating trusted, IoT, and guest networks with firewall rules.

Clearview AI scans 40B+ faces. ICE uses real-time scanning. Here\'s what actually defeats facial recognition: IR LED glasses, makeup patterns, and what doesn\'t work.

Compare Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, Qubes OS, and more for privacy. Learn to harden any Linux distro with AppArmor, SELinux, and MAC policies.

Set up your own Matrix Synapse homeserver with Element for truly private, federated messaging. Complete Docker Compose guide with PostgreSQL, reverse proxy, and federation.

Your phone tracks everything. Stop it. GrapheneOS vs CalyxOS, disable location tracking, block IMSI catchers. Complete mobile security hardening guide.

Best privacy phone OS: GrapheneOS vs CalyxOS vs LineageOS compared. Stop Google tracking. Degoogled Android guide with installation steps.

What Monero mining leaks to a pool, how to size your CPU hashrate, verify XMRig safely, pick a payout wallet, and choose between solo, pool and P2Pool.

Full monerod setup: verified download, config file, Tor relay, pruned vs full node storage, restricted RPC, Docker, monitoring and hardening.

Compare open source Bitcoin and crypto hardware wallets. Trezor, Coldcard, Foundation Passport, Keystone - security features, trade-offs, and which to buy in 2026.

Replace proprietary BIOS with open source firmware you can audit. Coreboot and Libreboot disable Intel ME, boot faster, and remove manufacturer backdoors.

The best open source hardware in 2026: laptops, keyboards, routers, 3D printers, smartwatches, and more. Real devices with open designs you can inspect, modify, and repair.

Compare open source laptops from Framework, System76, and Purism. Open firmware, repairability, Linux support, and which to buy in 2026.

Compare open source Linux phones: PinePhone, Librem 5, and postmarketOS on mainstream phones. What actually works in 2026 and what remains a dream.

Compare open source hardware security keys for 2FA and passwordless login. Nitrokey vs SoloKeys vs OnlyKey - features, security, and which to buy in 2026.

You have legal rights to protect your privacy. The First Amendment protects anonymous speech. Carpenter v. United States protects location data. State laws give you control over personal information. Here\'s the legal foundation for personal operational security.

How investigative journalists use OSINT to verify sources, geolocate events, and expose wrongdoing, while protecting themselves and their sources from surveillance.

The definitive guide to removing your information from 75+ people search sites and data brokers. Direct opt-out links, methods, and tips for each site. Updated December 2025.

Escape the algorithmic hellscape. A practical guide to decentralized social networks: Mastodon, Bluesky, Pixelfed, and the fediverse ecosystem. What they are, how they differ, and which one is right for you.

Compare Tails, Whonix, Kodachi, and TENS. Learn which live distro provides the anonymity and forensic resistance you need.

Hardware kill switches, open source design, and running Linux on your phone. Librem 5 and PinePhone compared for privacy-focused users.

TSA facial recognition, CBP fingerprints, DNA collection expanding. How to minimize biometric exposure when you can't opt out. Airport and border guide.

Investigators use OSINT to find everything about you. Here\'s how to audit your exposure, reduce your digital footprint, and protect yourself from open source intelligence gathering.

IMSI catchers, facial recognition, undercover cops. Complete digital security guide for protests: phone prep, burner devices, arrest planning, and aftermath OPSEC.

FBI drones. ICE facial recognition. Stingrays capturing texts. How to protest without ending up in a database. Phone security, clothing tips, OPSEC for activists.

Run your own email server with Mailcow, Mail-in-a-Box, or Docker Mailserver. Full control over your email. No third-party scanning your messages.

Own your data completely. Self-host Nextcloud for files, Matrix for chat, your own email server and VPN. Complete independence from Big Tech. Full setup guide.

For journalists, activists, and high-risk individuals. Faraday cages, dead drops, compartmentalized identities. The complete operational security manual.

Tails is what Snowden used. Boot from USB, everything routes through Tor, leaves zero traces. Complete setup guide + security tips. Stay anonymous.

Tor blocked? Get bridges now. Step-by-step obfs4, Snowflake & meek setup to bypass government censorship and deep packet inspection. Works in China, Iran, Russia.

Tor encrypts your traffic through 3 relays. NSA can\'t crack it. Learn how onion routing works, Tor vs VPN differences, and when to use Tor Browser.

TSA shares flight data with ICE. License plate readers track highways. CBP scans all non-citizens. Here's how to travel with less surveillance exposure, and know the risks you can't avoid.

The best VPN for 2025: Mullvad vs ProtonVPN vs IVPN compared. No-logs audits, jurisdiction analysis, anonymous payment options. Which VPN actually protects your privacy?