The Privacy Tools I Trust
After Everything Fell Apart
I learned the hard way how exposed our digital lives really are β after a layover breach almost cost me everything. So I rebuilt. Every tool below helped me reclaim control over work, travel, family, and everyday privacy.
Some links here are affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission β at no extra cost to you. I only include tools Iβve personally tested and trust.
π₯ 20+ tools I personally used to rebuild after a real-world breach. No Google. No fluff. Just what worked.
Want to skip ahead? Privacy Toolkit includes the full stack with setup guides.
π Core Stack
These are the tools I trusted most after the breach. They earned their place through real-world recovery, not hype.
Proton Mail (affiliate)
Proton Mail is the secure base of my communications setup.
π Try Proton MailPart of the rebuild stack I still rely on.
ProtonVPN (affiliate)
ProtonVPN is what I used while traveling immediately after the breach.
π Try ProtonVPNUsed on hotel Wi-Fi during recovery.
KeePassXC (non-affiliate)
KeePassXC became the foundation for encrypted storage.
π Try KeePassXCZero-sync fallback I trust completely.
Tor Browser (non-affiliate)
Tor Browser was my fallback for untraceable access.
π Try Tor BrowserStill unmatched for anonymous search.
Signal Messenger (non-affiliate)
Signal gave me secure calls when email was compromised.
π Try SignalFallback when email fails.
GrapheneOS (non-affiliate)
GrapheneOS gave me a no-Google daily driver with control.
π Try GrapheneOSStill my phone OS today.
Want my full setup with walkthroughs?
π§° Get the Privacy Toolkitπ§ Tool Finder
Tested tools for email aliases, file sync, and backup VPNs.
Surfshark VPN (affiliate)
Surfshark is a budget VPN with alerts and malware blocking.
π Try Surfsharkβ Trusted + Aligned
No sponsors. No loggers. Just tools that align with Vault values.
Brave Browser (non-affiliate)
Brave Browser is what I use for daily private browsing.
π Try Brave BrowserQuad9 DNS (non-affiliate)
Quad9 is the DNS I route everything through β privacy-first.
π Try Quad9π Watchlist
Tools Iβm currently testing or evaluating.
Element (Matrix) (non-affiliate)
Element is a federated, encrypted chat app for teams.
π Try Elementπ Start the 5-Day Privacy Rebuild Series
Everything I used to rebuild β delivered step-by-step, including fallback options and setup guides.
π§° Get the Privacy ToolkitNo spam. Aliases welcome.
π How I Finally Browsed Safely in 2025
Incognito failed me. Brave Browser, Mullvad VPN, Quad9, and more helped me rebuild.
Read the Full Guide