In very basic terms, encryption is a way to send a message in code. The only person who can decode the message is the person with the correct key; to anyone else, the message looks like a random series of letters, numbers, and characters. Encryption is especially important if you are trying to send sensitive […]

When entering personal information over the Internet, make sure the website is encrypted. Encrypted websites use https://. Look for https:// on every page, not just the login or welcome page. Where an encrypted option is available, you can add an “s” to the “http” address prefix and force the website to display the encrypted version.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) protects your communications during their entire journeys from sender to recipient. Apps like Signal and WhatsApp, as well as the iMessage and FaceTime services on Apple platforms, deploy E2EE to keep your messages private. Defer to E2EE-protected services whenever possible.

Losing your computer can be as bad as losing your wallet or purse, since it probably contains a lot of extractable personal information, including financial details. Disk encryption eliminates this risk by making all data on your hard drive inaccessible to anyone without a specific key (password). Use FileVault on macOS or BitLocker on Windows […]

Email is an old set of protocols that can easily leak your data. Don’t include information about your Social Security benefits or bank account in the body of a standard email. If need be, transmit such items instead via phone, fax, or even encrypted email, which is available via free tools such as GPG Suite.

Thinking of connecting to a public Wi-Fi network? Here’s what you need to know first.