The Electronic Frontier Foundation has spent 35+ years defending digital privacy. Surveillance Self-Defense (SSD) is their free, public guide that turns that expertise into tutorials anyone can follow. No signup, no upsell, nothing to buy.
What's inside
Basics: how online surveillance actually works, and how to build a "security plan" (a threat model, in plain English).
Tool Guides: step-by-step setup for the most secure apps, from Signal to password managers to two-factor authentication.
Security Scenarios: tailored advice for a specific situation, like attending a protest, crossing a border, or using AI tools.
Why we recommend it
Most privacy advice is either too vague ("use strong passwords") or too technical to act on. SSD sits in the middle: it explains the why, then gives you the exact steps. It starts with the most freeing idea in privacy, that you don't have to defend against everything. You decide what matters to you, and protect that.
Start here
Your Security Plan: figure out what you're protecting, and from whom.
Creating strong passwords, and picking a password manager.
Getting to know your phone's privacy settings (iPhone and Android).
Free at ssd.eff.org.
Up next · Friday
We turn one of SSD's core habits into a five-minute walk-through: a strong password you never have to remember, or reuse.