It’s been a little over two years since my last blog post about my privacy and digital security journey, which you can find here. A lot has changed and evolved in that time, so I figured it’s time for an update.

Hardware Updates

Starting with hardware, I’m still using an iPhone as my primary mobile device, but that’s likely not going to last much longer. I’ll dive into the details in a future blog post once I make the switch. As I mentioned in my previous post, a Google Pixel running GrapheneOS remains the gold standard for privacy-focused mobile setups, and that’s where I’m headed in the near future. Good tutorial here if you are interested.

On the iPhone front, there are a couple of updates worth noting. Last time, I mentioned that Advanced Data Protection wasn’t available in my region yet. It is now, and I enabled it as soon as it rolled out—highly recommend turning it on if you’re an Apple user. Another tweak I’ve made is disabling Siri completely. If you still want to use Siri, I’d suggest turning off the “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” option (which stops your phone from constantly listening for the wake phrase) and sticking to “Press Side Button for Siri” instead. Personally, I’ve ditched it entirely—timers were the only thing I used it for, and setting those manually is quick enough.

For my laptop, I’m still limping along with my 2017 MacBook Pro. It’s definitely showing its age and becoming borderline useless—especially since Apple won’t let me run the iOS 18 simulator for app development without updating to the latest macOS, which my mine can’t support. It’s frustrating, to say the least, and it’s clear an upgrade is on the horizon. I’ll dive into the full story in a dedicated post soon, but for now, the Framework Laptop 13 running a Linux distro is looking like the frontrunner for me.

I’m drawn to the Framework for its repairability and upgradability. I’ve also heard good reviews from people who’ve been using it. Pairing it with Linux feels like the perfect setup for me. More on that once I make the switch!

On the desktop side, I’ve already made a big shift—I switched to Arch Linux a few weeks ago and haven’t booted into Windows since. The transition took some effort to get everything configured just right, but once it’s dialed in, it’s fantastic. No bloat, fully customizable, runs like a dream, and also thanks to Proton—Valve’s compatibility layer—and Steam Deck’s Linux gaming advancements, now most games work flawlessly.

Password Management

On the password manager front, there’s a new player in my setup. Since Proton released Proton Pass, I’ve been using it and absolutely love it. The integration with SimpleLogin for email aliases is a game-changer—it saves me so much time while keeping my inbox private. That said, I still stand by Bitwarden as an excellent option if you’re not in the Proton ecosystem. For those who prefer an offline solution, KeePassXC remains a solid choice.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Last time, I mentioned I was waiting for my YubiKey, which finally arrived. I’ve been using it ever since, and it’s been a fantastic addition—definitely worth considering if you’re serious about security. For an authenticator app alternative, I’d recommend Aegis (open-source and Android-friendly), though I’ve phased out authenticator apps myself. For my most sensitive accounts, I use my YubiKey for both hardware-based security and OTP (one-time passwords) when a site doesn’t support security keys directly. For less critical accounts, I store 2FA codes in my password manager for seamless autofill.

AI Tools

On the AI side, I’ve been mostly using Grok. For now, I’m not too worried about privacy implications since I don’t share sensitive info with it. If you’re looking for a more private alternative, running Ollama with your favorite model locally is a great option.

What’s Stayed the Same

The rest of my setup has largely stayed consistent—at least until I switch phones. Once that happens, I expect a cascade of changes, and I’ll write a dedicated post about the new phone setup when the time comes. If you’re interested in the rest please read my previous blog post from 2 years ago here.

New Resources

One book I’ve recently started digging into is This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth. It’s a fascinating read that dives into zero-day brokers, cybersecurity, and some wild stories from the frontlines of the digital world—highly recommended.

I’m also obsessed with the Darknet Diaries podcast by Jack Rhysider. If you’re into tech and privacy, it’s a must-listen. There’s even an episode featuring Nicole Perlroth that talks about the zero-day brokers—check it out here.