7 LIES of Security & Privacy (MOST People Still Believe!)

Let's try that again. Gosh, that was a good movie, right? But believe it or not, you're being told lies, or at best, half-truths about your online security that impacts how you go about protecting yourself. Lies about your password, certain security software you're using, your risk level if you're using a Mac or if you log on to public Wi-Fi. And for most people, it's not your fault. There's no standard disclaimer on the information we consume telling us whether the privacy and security recommendations are based on an extremely high threat model, which sometimes borders on paranoia, or if it's generally accepted best practices. So today, I want to hone in on a few of the most common misconceptions that push us away from making objective, productive decisions about our digital lives. This is All Things Secured. My name's Josh, and today's video is being sponsored by Delete.me, a service that erases your personal information that's floating around online. I've been using it for a year now. I highly recommend it, so check out the special deal in the description below. Let's get started. If you don't download sketchy files, you won't get infected with malware. This lie harkens back to the days when you needed to be careful about downloading a .exe file, which would, if opened, infect your computer. Those were the days when the only thing you had to worry about was whether or not you clicked on that download link. Unfortunately, nowadays, it's possible to inject malicious code into the actual websites you visit that is then executed automatically and often without you realizing it. So instead of worrying about which files you download, although you still should, it's really better to think about which browser you use to access the internet, how you access the internet, how you monitor your devices for malware, and which websites you trust. My passwords are strong. I'm good to go. No matter what a password checker might tell you about how many centuries it would take to crack your superior password-making abilities, something as simple as a keylogger, a piece of malware that records the keys that you type on your computer, or even a data breach in a retail store could render your passwords pointless. I've said it many times before, and I'm gonna keep preaching this as long as I believe it to be true. Set up two-factor authentication on any account that allows you to do so. It can be done for free using an authenticator app, which I've talked about before, or you can add even more security with a physical 2FA key. Either way, passwords alone are no longer enough. Big tech and the three-letter agencies already know everything about us. Privacy and security is dead. I'm not denying the fact that reams of data have been compiled into a profile about you, your demographic, your political views, your purchase habits, and so on. But it's a flat-out lie to think that the existence of this data nullifies the need for greater privacy habits. Google may know where you used to live and all your favorite restaurants. Facebook may know who you're connected with and what kind of cat videos you like. These digital profiles are useful only as long as they continue to be updated with new data. And you have the ability to stop giving over all that personal information. It's your choice. And I know what you're thinking right now. What about the data that's already out there? I mean, have you ever Googled your name in the city where you live? If you haven't, I mean, you should give it a try, but it's a very sobering experience. I mean, your age, your address, phone number, maiden name, family connections, property value, court records, even your occupation. There are websites out there that are constantly scraping or buying up this data on you and then selling it to the highest bidder. In November of 2021, I started using a service called Delete Me, which basically finds all of these data brokers on the internet that have my information, your information, and then send out removal requests. In the past year, they've reviewed tens of thousands of records and found that my personal information was being held by 35 different brokers. And they're finding more every single month making requests on my behalf to remove that data. Now, when I search my name online, that dossier no longer exists. And I have the confidence of knowing that it will be infinitely harder for anyone to gather this personal info about me. If you're interested to learn more about how you can have your information removed online, visit joindeleteme.com and use the promo code ATS to get 20% off any of the protection plans that they offer. I use X piece of security software, therefore I am secure. No, that was not an accident to mention this common lie right after the Delete Me sponsorship. I do like and recommend Delete Me, but as with any service or piece of software, you should think about this as different pieces of armor. There was no knight who rode into battle wearing only a helmet and nothing else to protect his body. Likewise, no one app or piece of software, even those that market themselves as all-in-one solutions, that's very daring of them to say that, they don't provide all-encompassing protection. I come across too many people that think that if they use the right internet browser, well, then they never have to worry about tracking again. Or if they use a VPN, they can do whatever they want online and never get caught. Do I personally use a privacy-focused browser and a VPN? Sure, I do, but I believe that your privacy habits are more important than the software tools. And far too often, the tools make us think that the habits aren't necessary. I'll be alerted whenever I've been hacked. There's this interesting misconception I've noticed from a lot of people that still think that being hacked means seeing random pop-ups on your computer or unauthorized purchases on your bank statement. That may happen, but more often than not, this isn't the case anymore. Malware can live on your devices undetected for quite some time, and most credit theft will never show up on your bank statement. Part of what I preach in my security seminars is the need for intentional monitoring. There are software and service solutions available for this, or you can actually just do it yourself. But if you wait until you notice the hack, it's almost always too late. Swift action prompted by active monitoring is what can actually save you from frustration and financial loss. Real security isn't possible online. This half-truth is really discouraging to me. It implies that the only solution to the constant attacks that we're facing is the extreme of just going off the grid. Use a dumb phone or no phone at all. Delete Facebook. Never do online banking. Throw your smart TV out the window. But for the vast majority of us, that's simply not possible. And if those ideas are the only solution, then you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's not much that you can do to protect yourself. But there is. You can protect the data that you give out through aliases. You can make your social media private. You can move toward end-to-end encrypted services. There's so much you can achieve if you're not chained down by these limiting beliefs. The final lie I wanna share with you is one that's been pushed on us over and over again, albeit very subtly. And that's this. Security comes at the expense of privacy. We see that every time we enter an airport now or how COVID safety protocols were implemented. The message is that we're doing this for your safety, but you're gonna have to give up a little bit of your privacy. That doesn't have to be the case. And there's another option known as privacy by design. This is what we need to be pushing for. End-to-end encryption, zero trust, or at least as little trust as is required. Pseudonymity, which is where you have an identifier or a pseudonym that's used in place of your real identity in places where it's not absolutely necessary. Your security online is your responsibility. And thankfully, there are so many different ways that you can take control. But you can handle the truth instead of believing all of these lies.