Digital is fundamental!

Today, you can do everything with your smartphone: surf the Net, manage your money, make medical appointments, book vacations, chat with anyone, sign documents, find your way around, share your thoughts on any subject, etc. In short, you can entrust the most intimate aspects of your life to the Internet. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask ourselves what we can't do!

Because it's so easy, you might think you're safe behind your screen, anonymous and invisible. But that's just an illusion, because you should know that if you use your smartphone (or your computer) without worrying about protecting your privacy, some people can read you as easily as they can read an open book.

When we talk about your privacy, we mean all the digital data conveyed by each of your interactions with your cell phone, i.e. :

• Application data => messages, emails.
• Connection data => login + password.
• Browsing data => searches/videos/music/social networks.
• Location data => places/travels.
• Cloud data => photos/files.

The more data advertisers can collect to build your profile, the greater their value. Targeted ads have a much higher conversion rate. Targeted advertising has a much higher conversion rate than global advertising:

If you're surfing on sites about scuba diving in the tropics, you'll receive offers for all-inclusive diving centers in Asia. You'll receive offers for all-inclusive diving center stays in Asia**.

You share your hesitations with friends and family about your eldest son's choice of university course? You'll end up receiving emails from websites specializing in comparisons of top schools.

Are you driving to the swimming pool on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m.? Make sure you're not late, otherwise your navigation app will remind you that with the current traffic conditions it's high time to hit the road.

Looking for a good restaurant on the internet? You'll receive suggestions in your favorite app for restaurants just around the corner from where you're searching.

All thanks to the collection of your digital data.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt said back in 2010 "We know where you are. We know where you've been. We can more or less tell what you're thinking about “. Reassuring, isn't it?

Now, if a commercial enterprise can find out that much about you legally, imagine what malicious individuals can achieve by breaking the law... You risk being turned from an advertising target into prey. The risk is that your identifiers will be stolen, with the possible consequences of your accounts being emptied and your identity stolen. You could also be blackmailed and have all your access blocked in exchange for a ransom, fall victim to false information about yourself, etc., etc.... The possibilities are limited only by the technical capabilities and imagination of these crooks! **So, still tempted to think you've got nothing to hide?

Don't worry, digital technology is fantastic. It's easy to spread your data far and wide, but it's also possible to protect it.
To fight, you need to know what you're up against, so let's start at the beginning: The vector through which data is transmitted is the smartphone. It's a snitch, made all the more effective by the fact that it rarely leaves our side, recording everything with its sensors and applications.

So we're going to have to work hard to protect ourselves from data collection at the expense of..:

Your privacy

• Identification (IP address).
• Knowledge of your centers of interest (cookies deposited during web browsing).
• Geographical position (geolocation).

Your Security

• Scanning of messaging and cloud data.
• Log-in and password cracking.

The aim is not to make an exhaustive list of all existing tools, but to propose a cybersecurity strategy using 1 or 2 apps per category. The prerequisites are

• iOS ecosystem, renowned for its ergonomics and greater security than Android (see “Confidentiality” section).
• Open source apps that collect as little personal data as possible.

To surf the Web (Browser + VPN). Apple products: Settings Safari suitable + Private Relay iCloud+. Other products: Startpage or DuckduckGo or Tor + Proton VPN.

For authentication :
Apple products : iCloud Keychain.
Others: Bitwarden free + 2FAS Auth or Bitwarden premium.

To send unsecured mail without fear of spam:
Apple products: Settings Mail adequate + Hide my email address iCloud+.
Other products: DuckDuckGo email.

To send secure mail:
Apple products: Mail settings suitable + PGPro or S/MIME.
Other products: Tuta Mail.

To send instant messages:
Apple products : iMessage.
Other products: Signal.

Staying safe can be :
Easy by using only the system integrated into iOS, but you will then be captive to this ecosystem and neither your emails nor the use of all your apps will be secure. A little less easy but more secure by choosing to mix iOS apps with other products.

To choose, you just have to weigh up the investment, whether in learning or in hard currency, against the R O I (Return On Investment).

Recommended settings and apps to secure your data :

iCloud+ / Startpage / Bitwarden / Proton VPN / Tuta Mail / Signal

• E2EE Cloud storage space from 50 GB with iCloud+ => Advanced data protection.
• Internet browsing that protects your IP address with iCloud+ => iCloud Relay and Startpage search engine.
• Password manager + TOTP provider with iCloud+ => iCloud Keychain (or Bitwarden premium if using a non-Apple ecosystem).
• VPN with Proton VPN so your other apps can't be tracked.
• Email aliases at will with iCloud+ => Hide my email address to isolate the identifiers of each of your accounts and protect you from spam.
• Secure email messaging with Tuta Mail.
• Secure instant messaging with iMessage or Signal.

How long would it take you to change the passwords on all your accounts if your main account was compromised?
How long does it take to clean out your spam-filled mailbox every day?
How much would it cost to steal your identity (have you ever been banned from the Banque de France for overindebtedness?).

It's the answer you give to each of these questions that will guide your choice.