Privacy Tools
There’s a lot of noise around privacy tools — half the internet insists you need a VPN “or else.” The truth is more practical: a few well-chosen tools cover almost all of what an everyday person needs, and knowing what each one actually does (and doesn’t do) matters more than buying the most expensive option.
VPNs: What They Actually Protect
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic between your device and the VPN provider, which is genuinely useful on public Wi-Fi (a coffee shop, airport, or hotel network) where someone else on the same network could otherwise snoop on unencrypted traffic. What a VPN does NOT do is make you anonymous online or protect you from phishing, malware, or a weak password — those require separate habits. If you mostly browse from home on your own trusted Wi-Fi, a VPN adds less value than people assume; it earns its keep on public networks and when traveling.
Our Pick: NordVPN
A well-established VPN with servers in more than 130 countries, an independently audited no-logs policy, and simple apps for your phone, laptop, and router. A solid default choice if you want one VPN that just works, without having to become an expert first.
See NordVPN PlansAffiliate link — we may earn a commission if you subscribe, at no extra cost to you.
Why NordVPN, and when to choose something else
- Why we picked it: its no-logs policy has been independently audited, it has servers in more than 130 countries, and its apps cover phones, computers and routers.
- Choose Surfshark instead if you need to protect a lot of devices, since it advertises unlimited devices on one plan (see Surfshark plans, affiliate link). Worth knowing: Surfshark and NordVPN have had the same parent company, Nord Security, since 2022, though they run as separate services.
- You may not need a paid VPN at all if you mostly use your own secured home Wi-Fi and your phone’s data connection. A VPN earns its cost on public Wi-Fi and while traveling.
- Check the renewal price. Like most VPNs, the first term is discounted and renews at a higher rate.
How we choose: our research process.
Independent free alternative: Proton VPN
Proton VPN’s free plan has no data limit and an audited no-logs policy. The trade-offs: one device at a time and servers in only 10 countries. It comes from Proton, a Swiss company not connected to Nord Security, and it’s a good way to try a VPN before paying for one. See Proton VPN Free (not an affiliate link).
Password Managers
This is the single highest-impact privacy and security tool most people can adopt. A password manager generates a unique, strong password for every account and remembers it for you, which eliminates password reuse — the root cause behind most account takeovers. Look for one with strong encryption, a free tier that covers the basics, and support for two-factor authentication on the manager itself (this is important: the password manager account itself needs strong protection, since it holds the keys to everything else).
Our Pick: NordPass
An easy-to-use password manager that generates, stores, and autofills strong passwords across your phone, browser, and computer. Its paid Premium plan also checks whether any of your saved passwords have shown up in a data breach, so you know when it’s time to change one.
See NordPass PlansAffiliate link — we may earn a commission if you subscribe, at no extra cost to you.
Why NordPass, and when free is enough
- Free is often enough: the password manager built into your browser or phone (Google Password Manager or Apple Passwords) is free, syncs across your own devices, and is far better than reusing passwords. NordPass also has a free plan, limited to one active session at a time and without the breach scanner.
- Paying makes sense if you mix device brands (for example, an iPhone and a Windows PC), want alerts when a saved password shows up in a breach, or need to share passwords safely with family.
- Why we picked it: it is simple to set up for people who have never used a password manager, and it works on every major phone, browser and computer.
- Worth knowing: NordPass comes from the same company as NordVPN. An independent free alternative is listed just below.
How we choose: our research process.
Independent free alternative: Bitwarden
Bitwarden’s free plan stores unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, including breach scanning and two-step login, and its code is open source. If you later want extras like a built-in authenticator and emergency access, Premium costs about $20 a year. It’s not connected to Nord Security. See Bitwarden (not an affiliate link).
Antivirus & Malware Protection
Modern operating systems (Windows and macOS) both include solid built-in protection — Microsoft Defender and macOS’s built-in protections are genuinely capable for most everyday users, and for many people that’s enough as long as it stays enabled and updated. Where a dedicated antivirus product adds value is in things like blocking malicious websites before you reach them, scanning downloads before you open them, and catching phishing links — features that go a step beyond the OS defaults.
Encryption & Backup Tools
Full-disk encryption (built into modern Windows as BitLocker and into macOS as FileVault) means that if your laptop is lost or stolen, whoever has it can’t simply read your files off the drive — turn it on if it isn’t already. Pair that with automatic backups, ideally following the “3-2-1” idea: at least three copies of important files, on two different types of storage, with one copy off-site (a cloud backup service covers the off-site piece automatically).
Related Guides
- How to Create Strong Passwords and Protect Your Online Accounts
- Two-Factor Authentication Explained: A Simple Way to Protect Your Accounts
- How to Recognize a Phishing Email Before It Tricks You
- Password Managers Explained: Do You Really Need One?