Personal security Tools
Tools to protect your devices, identity, files, and browsing.
28 tools evaluated. Ratings backed by published methodology.
1Password
Password manager with free access for journalists.
Amnesty MVT (Mobile Verification Toolkit)
Open-source forensic toolkit from Amnesty International's Security Lab. Scans iOS and Android backups for traces of Pegasus and other mobile spyware. The tool the Pegasus Project used to confirm infections.
Bitwarden
Open-source password manager with zero-knowledge encryption. Free tier with no meaningful limits. Self-hostable. Passkey support across all plans.
Blacklight
Real-time website privacy inspector by The Markup. Enter any URL and see exactly which trackers, cookies, keyloggers, and session recorders are watching visitors. Free, instant, no installation required.
Brave Browser
Privacy-first Chromium browser with built-in ad/tracker blocking. 100M monthly users. Chrome extensions work out of the box.
Dangerzone
Converts potentially malicious documents into known-clean PDFs by rendering in a sandbox. Pixel-based sanitization — no signature detection to evade.
Disconnect
Open-source anti-tracking browser extension from ex-Google and ex-NSA engineers. Blocks 2,000+ third-party trackers. Powers tracker protection in Firefox, Edge, and Samsung Internet.
DuckDuckGo
Privacy-focused search engine. No search history tracking, no personalized results, no ad profiling. Now expanding into AI chat, VPN, and identity protection.
ExifCleaner
Drag-and-drop metadata removal. No network access, no telemetry. Open source.
Firefox
The only major browser not built on Google's engine. Enhanced Tracking Protection, Total Cookie Protection, and fingerprint resistance on by default.
GrapheneOS
Hardened Android OS for Pixel phones. Strips Google services, sandboxes sensors, defeats forensic extraction tools that crack stock Android and iOS.
Have I Been Pwned
Free breach notification service tracking 14B+ compromised accounts across 900+ breaches. Check if your credentials have been exposed.
KeePassXC
Local-only password manager. No cloud, no server, no account required.
Mailvelope
PGP encryption for Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo — without switching email providers.
Mullvad VPN
Privacy-focused VPN. No account needed. No logging. Pay with cash or crypto.
OnionShare
Share files, host websites, and chat anonymously over Tor. No third-party services.
Orbot
Free, open-source Tor proxy for Android and iOS. Routes your mobile traffic through the Tor network to mask your identity and location. Built by the Guardian Project.
Privacy Badger
EFF-built browser extension that blocks invisible trackers and sends Global Privacy Control signals on every page you visit.
Proton Drive
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Proton AG. Swiss jurisdiction. Zero-access encryption means Proton cannot read your files — even under court order.
SecureDrop
Whistleblower submission platform. Sources submit anonymously via Tor.
Tails
Portable operating system that leaves no trace. Runs from USB, routes everything through Tor.
Tella
Encrypts photos, video, and audio on capture. Hides files on-device. Captures verification metadata for evidence. Works offline.
Tor Browser
Anonymous web browsing via the Tor network. Prevents traffic analysis and fingerprinting.
Tresorit
End-to-end encrypted cloud storage. Swiss jurisdiction. Zero-knowledge architecture. Owned by Swiss Post since 2021.
uBlock Origin
Open-source content blocker. Blocks ads, trackers, and malware domains locally in your browser with zero data collection.
VeraCrypt
Full-disk and volume encryption. The successor to TrueCrypt.
VirusTotal
Scan suspicious files and URLs against 70+ antivirus engines before opening them.
WireGuard
Modern VPN protocol built into the Linux kernel. Fast, minimal, auditable. The cryptographic foundation under Mullvad, many commercial VPNs, and custom setups.
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