Let’s talk privacy.
I’m chronically online and wander all over the internet. Most of us do. We use the web for banking, health, work, and everything in between—but we rarely stop to ask how much we’re exposing to data brokers, advertisers, and the occasional bad actor.
This first post breaks privacy down into simple, doable steps you can take today.
1) Browsing & Search Habits
We look things up so much that a company name became a verb. “Just Google it.” That habit is fine—but you can leak a lot of metadata along the way.
Quick wins
Try a privacy-first browser (e.g., Brave or Tor Browser). Tor changes the browsing experience and can be slower, but it substantially reduces cross-site tracking and hides your IP by routing traffic through relays.
Add tracker-blocking: uBlock Origin (content/ad blocker) and Privacy Badger (tracker behavior blocker) dramatically cut cross-site tracking.
Search alternatives: Startpage or DuckDuckGo reduce profiling compared to mainstream defaults.
Know what Incognito does: It keeps history/cookies off your device, but doesn’t hide activity from your ISP, employer network, or the sites you visit.
Do this now (2 minutes)
Install uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger.
Set your default search engine to Startpage or DuckDuckGo.
On public Wi-Fi, avoid logins or use a reputable VPN.
2) Passwords & Authentication
Tough love time: do you reuse passwords? You’re not alone—one report highlighted that 78% of people reuse the same password across multiple accounts. That means one breach can domino into many.
“But Muninn, I can’t remember a different password for everything!”
Same. My secret: a password manager.
Platform options
Apple Passwords app:(built into iOS/iPadOS/macOS): syncs via iCloud Keychain and uses end-to-end encryption for stored passwords and passkeys. Apple can’t read that data.
Windows Credential Manager: lets you view/manage saved web/app credentials on Windows; for full cross-device features, pair it with Microsoft Edge’s password manager and a Microsoft account.
Third-party managers: Bitwarden, 1Password, and others add sharing, auditing, and cross-platform sync.
MFA = mandatory
Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere you can. App-based codes (or passkeys / security keys) beat SMS, but any second factor is better than none.
Do this now (5–10 minutes)
Pick one manager and import/sync your passwords.
Change any reused or weak passwords; start with email, bank, and primary social accounts.
Enable MFA on those same accounts.
This will be a multi-part series. Next up: email, private communications, smart sharing, and the big privacy bugbear—social media.
Good luck, have fun, be safe, and stay curious.
~Muninn 🐦⬛