Basic CyberSecurity

Public domain image of fence from J.J. Thomas,
Illustrated Annual Register of Rural Affairs for 1876-7-8,
Luther Tucker & Son (1878) scanned by Google Books
from Ohio State University Library

Some former Obama Administration folks have asked for advice on what do to re: cybersecurity now that they are using non-government equipment. Since we each have a different threat model and different setups that advice should be very different, person to person. BUT, for the folks I know, no matter who you are, or what setup you have, start with:

1) Use two factor authentication. the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has handy guides to turning it on at many major services. If yours isn't listed, check this two factor resource maintained by Josh Davis.
2) Use a password manager so that using unique, hard to guess passwords is easier than using bad ones. Also use the password manager to store your fake answers to those insecure security questions, such as "what is your mother's maiden name?" EFF has a great video about password managers suggestions and Wirecutter has some suggestions about which one to use.
3) Keep your operating system and applications updated. If you are no longer using an application, consider deleting it.

The three steps above are relatively simple to do and shouldn't take more than a half hour to set up. There is no excuse for NOT doing them. They will save you from many, many, many, many types of attacks and heartache.

Public domain image of barbed wire fence from
.J. Thomas, Illustrated Annual Register of Rural Affairs
for 1876-7-8, Luther Tucker & Son (1878) scanned
by Google Books from Ohio State University Library

One additional thing I suggest, particularly if you are involved in anything sensitive, is to think about what information about you is accessible by others, such as your friends, the places you work, and the providers of the services you use. Threats may get information from those sources, instead of you.

For more information, please take a look at the EFF's excellent Surveillance Self Defense guide (which is labelled surveillance but could really be labelled "privacy" or "security").

And, if your threat model includes the government getting access to your devices at a protest or as you cross the border, there are some other important things to consider.