Ecosystem
A (thoughtfully) curated selection of services designed for various needs, from securing connections on public WiFi to storing data and managing emails. I’ve compiled a collection of tools that I rely on for both personal and business use while on the go or at home.
Internet
The Internet has become essential in today’s world. Without it, performing tasks like banking, transferring money, checking public transport schedules, purchasing tickets, verifying business hours, or staying connected with family and friends across the globe would be challenging. Even lighter activities, like enjoying memes on social media, depend on Internet access. To stay connected, you generally need a mobile, WiFi, or landline connection.
For additional security and flexibility, I rely on Tailscale VPN or Mullvad VPN for most online activities. I also use Twingate, which makes it easy to access devices directly through their internal IP addresses—a super convenient feature.
SIM Cards
Buying a SIM card in your current location is usually straightforward. Most stores and shops offer prepaid options that should cover your basic data needs for everyday tasks. In the EU, it’s particularly convenient to buy a SIM card, even from a lower-cost country, and use it across the region. Thanks to EU regulations, roaming is free within member countries, so you won’t face extra charges for using your SIM card in more expensive EU countries.
Most of these SIM cards are pretty expensive for what they offer. 99% of the times you’ll be cheaper (and enjoy better privacy) with a locally purchased SIM card.
Alternatively, to avoid the hassle of finding local shops that would sell SIM cards without Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, there are online services for that. Depending on the country and the data or call options needed, these can be costly. One example is silent.link. If you’re just looking for an anonymous virtual phone number for calls and SMS, check out JMP, Crypton, or Hushed, which don’t require KYC verification.
WiFi
Free WiFi can be found through various resources on the internet. For example WiFi Map has iOS and Android apps that show publicly accessible access points on a map.
VPN
For commercial VPNs, I recommend choosing one that accepts cash or Monero (XMR) for better anonymity. Here are a few options:
- Mullvad VPN (Sweden; note: some caution recommended. Accepts Bitcoin (XBT) and cash, with physical gift cards available on Amazon)\
- Trust.Zone (Seychelles; accepts CLOAK)\
- Njalla (formerly IPredator VPN) (Nevis; accepts XMR)
Note: VPNs with fewer users make it easier for peers to identify individual users based on usage patterns. Setting up your own VPN is only practical for certain needs, like creating a private network for data sharing or secure communication. If your goal is simply to prevent YouTube from building a profile around your love for telenovelas, a commercial VPN should suffice, and make sure your browser is resilient to fingerprinting.
Travel caution: The use of Tor and VPNs is banned or heavily restricted in several countries. In Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Turkey, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates, individuals are prohibited from using Tor and VPNs. China and Russia only allow VPN services that have government approval. Meanwhile, countries like North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Vietnam, Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela do not have official bans but enforce strict internet censorship, making Tor and VPN use challenging and potentially risky.
When traveling to regions known for political instability or restrictive views on privacy and free speech, always check local laws. //This doesn’t mean avoiding VPNs or Tor altogether but rather understanding how to use them responsibly to avoid potential issues.//
Browsing
For my day-2-day browsing I mainly use Firefox with a couple of extensions. I also use ungoogled Chromium and Safari. Safari mainly for homelab stuff and things related to Apple services.
In Firefox I use the following extensions:
- uBlock Origin
- Decentraleyes
- ClearURLs
- Bitwarden Password Manager
- Surfingkeys
- LibRedirect
- Cookie AutoDelete
- User-Agent Switcher
- Firefox Translations (for cloud-free, in-browser translations of websites)
In Chromium I use the following extensions:
Be aware that browser extensions can make your browser more identifiable. Regularly test your browser’s fingerprint to ensure it doesn’t stand out too much. Tools like Cover Your Tracks and Am I Unique can help assess your browser’s uniqueness.
In addition to that, in the about:config/user.js I use the following settings for Firefox:
accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar = 0
app.shield.optoutstudies.enabled = false
beacon.enabled = false
browser.contentblocking.category = strict
browser.safebrowsing.downloads.remote.enabled = false
browser.safebrowsing.malware.enabled = false
browser.safebrowsing.phishing.enabled = false
browser.send_pings = false
browser.sessionstore.privacy_level = 2
browser.urlbar.speculativeConnect.enabled = false
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.feeds.telemetry = false
browser.ping-centre.telemetry = false
browser.tabs.crashReporting.sendReport = false
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket = false
services.sync.prefs.sync.browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.section.highlights.includePocket = false
extensions.pocket.enabled = false
toolkit.telemetry.enabled = false
toolkit.telemetry.server = ""
toolkit.telemetry.unified = false
datareporting.healthreport.uploadEnabled = false
media.gmp-widevinecdm.enabled = false
media.navigator.enabled = false
network.cookie.cookieBehavior = 5
network.dns.disablePrefetch = true
network.dns.disablePrefetchFromHTTPS = true
network.http.referer.XOriginPolicy = 2
network.http.referer.XOriginTrimmingPolicy = 2
network.http.sendRefererHeader = 0
network.IDN_show_punycode = true
network.predictor.enable-prefetch = false
network.predictor.enabled = false
network.prefetch-next = false
privacy.donottrackheader.enabled = true
privacy.firstparty.isolate = true
privacy.resistFingerprinting = true
privacy.resistFingerprinting.letterboxing = true
privacy.trackingprotection.cryptomining.enabled = true
privacy.trackingprotection.enabled = true
privacy.trackingprotection.fingerprinting.enabled = true
privacy.trackingprotection.socialtracking.enabled = true
webgl.disabled = true
pdfjs.enableScripting = false
security.ssl3.rsa_des_ede3_sha = false
security.ssl.require_safe_negotiation = true
geo.enabled = false
Even if some people don’t like Firefox, Safari, or Chrome anymore, I still think having a few different browsers installed is useful for several reasons:
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Separate Tasks: Using different browsers for different things—like one for work and another for personal use—helps keep everything organized and reduces distractions. You can also separate tasks like banking, gaming, and homelab stuff.
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Better Privacy and Security: Each browser has different privacy features. For example, Ungoogled Chromium limits data collection, and Firefox has strong tracking protection. Using more than one browser helps keep activities private by reducing cross-site tracking.
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Unique Features: Each browser offers something different. Safari works well with Apple devices, Firefox allows for lots of customization, and Ungoogled Chromium is a more private version of Chrome.
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Better Compatibility and Performance: Some websites work better on certain browsers. Having multiple browsers lets you view content smoothly, no matter the site or app.
Search Engines
Most of the times I use DuckDuckGo, but maybe switch to Brave Search in the future. I will maybe switch, as DuckDuckGo has announced that they will censor the search result under the excuse of protecting people from disinformation.
As I do not use Google or Bing, I can recommend the following search engines: Startpage, Qwant, and Searx.
Maps
I mainly use Apple Maps for navigation. I’ve tried Google Maps, but its low-contrast color scheme isn’t easy on the eyes. But if you want something else than Apple Maps or Google Maps definitivly give Organic Maps or OsmAnd a chance. They are great.