We’re the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an independent non-profit working to protect online privacy for over thirty years. This is Surveillance Self-Defense: our expert guide to protecting you and your friends from online spying.
Read the BASICS to find out how online surveillance works. Dive into our TOOL GUIDES for instructions to installing our pick of the best, most secure applications. We have more detailed information in our FURTHER LEARNING sections. If you’d like a guided tour, look for our list of common SECURITY SCENARIOS.
Popular Guides
- Your Security Plan
- Attending a Protest
- How to: Get to Know iPhone Privacy and Security Settings
- How to: Get to Know Android Privacy and Security Settings
- How to: Use WhatsApp
- How to: Use Signal
Basics
- Creating Strong Passwords
- Keeping Your Data Safe
- What Should I Know About Encryption?
- Your Security Plan
- Communicating With Others
- Choosing Your Tools
- Seven Steps To Digital Security
- Animated Overview: How Strong Encryption Can Help Avoid Online Surveillance
- Animated Overview: Using Password Managers to Stay Safe Online
- Animated Overview: Protecting Your Device From Hackers
- Animated Overview: How to Make a Super-Secure Password Using Dice
- Why Communication Metadata Matters
Tool Guides
- How to: Use Tor
- How to: Get to Know Android Privacy and Security Settings
- How to: Get to Know iPhone Privacy and Security Settings
- How to: Enable Lockdown Mode on iPhone
- How to: Detect Bluetooth Trackers
- How to: Use WhatsApp
- How to: Use Tor on Android and iPhone
- How to: Use Signal
- How to: Encrypt Your iPhone
- How to: Encrypt Your Windows, Mac, or Linux Computer
- How to: Delete your Data Securely on Linux
- How to: Delete Your Data Securely on Windows
- How to: Delete Your Data Securely on macOS
- How to: Enable Two-factor Authentication
- How to: Avoid Phishing Attacks
- How to: Understand and Circumvent Network Censorship
Further Learning
- Choosing a Password Manager
- How Do I Protect Myself Against Malware?
- Key Verification
- Attending a Protest
- Choosing the VPN That's Right for You
- A Deep Dive on End-to-End Encryption: How Do Public Key Encryption Systems Work?
- Protecting Yourself on Social Networks
- Facebook Groups: Reducing Risks
- Key Concepts in Encryption
- Privacy for Students
- What Is Fingerprinting?
- Privacy Breakdown of Mobile Phones