Your conversations and digital footprints are not as secure as you think!

Since this administration has taken over:

• Google has removed its pledge not to weaponize its products or AI ^[1].
• The DHS has removed surveillance protections for certain LGBT+ individuals ^[2].
• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has told Cyber Command to just ignore Russia ^[3].

YOU might be a target of this administration, and your digital footprint could give you away. So, what can we do to protect ourselves?

1. Only using messaging apps that use end to end encryption. We recommend Signal, or as a fallback RCS (most networks in the US are using this now). SMS is not secure, do not use it.
2. Switch to a secure email product such as Proton Mail.
3. Download a VPN to all personal devices that you communicate with regularly. Proton Mail offers a companion VPN product, or you can check out Mullvad VPN if you are a bit more technical.
4. Enable disk encryption on your devices.
5. Be mindful of what you post on social media, Google, or other companies that sell your data.
6. Disable location services and tracking when not actively needed.
7. ACAB, always. Know and use your rights!

For further reading, check out these resources:

• https://infosecforactivists.org/
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/signal-privacy-app-trump-musk_l_67b49f61e4b046fcb34098b3

References:

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy081nqx2zjo
2. https://truthout.org/articles/dhs-scraps-surveillance-guardrails-for-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/
3. https://www.newsweek.com/hegseth-cyber-russia-order-2038563