Take Back Your Privacy: The Barefoot Anarchist’s Guide to Navigating Today’s Digital Landscape

Curious about surveillance? Wondering about the security of your computer?

These are just a couple of starting points. The author, with decades of experience in the field, takes us on a journey through the digital landscape. Exhaustively researched, with hundreds of links, it’s nevertheless written in an informal and entertaining style.

Do you know the difference between “a web browser” and “the internet”? That’s about all you’ll need, to start. When you’re done with this book, you’ll know more than most IT (information technology) professionals. You’ll be able to analyze the claims made by tech bloggers and those who flog their own products. You’ll know much, much more about the risks to your privacy and anonymity–and why they’re both so important–in today’s fast-moving world.

Then, at the end, the author tells how he once went to jail for trying to help protect thousands of college students (including himself). It’s a chilling reminder of just how easily “spin” can replace substance. And yet, it’s a funny story.

Come on in and give this book a try. You’ll be glad you did.

The Table of Contents:
Dedication
Who needs this book?
What’s a Barefoot Anarchist?
Chapter 1: Why Privacy? Why Encrypt?
The Free Speech Argument
Dangers of Self-Incrimination
Chapter 2: Threat Modeling
Sounds Ominous!
You Can’t Be Totally Anonymous
You Must Decide What You Can Live With
Attack Surfaces
Your IT department
Software: Open-Source vs. Closed
Companies & Policies
Advertising
Government & Privacy
Chapter 3: Connections
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
The Onion Router (Tor)
Wifi
Chapter 4: Downloading Files
Download Sites
Use BitTorrent?
How About Usenet?
Chapter 5: Digital Purchases
Credit Card Options
A Note on Card/Banking Security
A Note on Credit Itself
PayPal & Similar Services
Bitcoin and Friends
Chapter 6: General Computing
Virtual Machines
Physical Security
Disk Encryption
Passwords & Logins
Smart Cards & Biometrics
Sending Anonymous Data
Automatic Software Updates
Anti-Virus Software
Chapter 7: Operating Systems
Windows?
Instead of Windows?
Other Linux Distros
Chapter 8: Telephony
Location Tracking
Cellular Eavesdropping
Text Messaging
Baseband Hacking…and Beyond?
The Metadata is the Message
Phones and Wifi
Near-Field Communication (NFC)
Android vs iOS vs Others
Voice over IP (VoIP)
Texting Alternatives
All-in-one? Silent Circle vs. Signal
Chapter 9: Web Browsing
Search Engines
Which Browser?
“Secure” Connections
Fingerprinting
Advertising
Other Plugins
Chapter 10: “Cloud” Backups
Dropbox and Friends
SpiderOak & Its Pals
Curmudgeonly Advice
Make a Decision
Chapter 11: Email
Who’s giving it to you?
How to encrypt it?
Chapter 12: Putting It All Together
What’s Your Threat Model?
How Do We Fix Privacy?
Appendix A: Encryption Primer
Just the Basics
Appendix B: Jail!
Thanks for Reading!
Excerpt from Shiver on the Sky