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Surveillance
Self-Defense

Basics

If you’ve ever worried about protecting the privacy of your digital data or your conversations with others, we’re here to help.

Surveillance Self-Defense is a digital security guide that teaches you how to assess your personal risk from online spying. It can help protect you from surveillance by those who might want to find out your secrets, from petty criminals to nation states. We offer guides to the best privacy-enhancing tools and explain how to incorporate protecting yourself against surveillance into your daily routine.

If you’re ready to take the first steps, our series of basic guides (below) will help you to understand what digital surveillance is and how you can fight it. We suggest starting with the Your Security Plan guide.

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 Metadata Matters