Sneaking around turns this Mistress on. I have learned some tricks over the years for staying discreet- especially online. We all want to cover our tracks in this digital world and I hope the following can assist you in this endeavor. The email server you use for communication, as well as your web browser, are both important aspects of protecting your online privacy.

Email: ProtonMail is a free email service that provides open source and encrypted messaging. They are hosted offshore and protected by Swiss privacy law. I recommend doing a “.ch” over a “.com” email address when creating an account for added security as “.com” is under the control of the US government. Using ProtonMail is more secure than Gmail because the messages are encrypted. They do not track the IP address of your emails, searches, or sell your data like Gmail. ProtonMail offers a VPN service, but I have not tried it. VPNs, or a virtual private network, are another resource for protecting your privacy online.

VPN: I recommend using a VPN when surfing the web. A VPN allows users to securely access a private network and share data remotely through public networks. Much like a firewall protects data on a computer, a VPN protects it online and gives users greater anonymity. If you have more questions about what a VPN is and how it works, then please check out this beginner’s guide.

I suggest purchasing a VPN to use on your phone and computer and setting it to a non-US location, such as Switzerland. If you have your VPN on all the time, and do something like go on Google while it's set to France, then your results will come up in French. I have been informed by a security expert that Cryptostorm, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and TunnelBear VPN are solid options. There are free VPN services, but they are generally slow, unreliable, and potentially unsafe due to malware.

Private Browsers: The Onion Router, or TOR browser, was developed so that people could browse the internet anonymously. The TOR network disguises users’ identities by moving their traffic across different TOR servers, and then encrypting that traffic so it cannot be traced back to the user. When using the internet via the TOR browser, it prevents other parties from learning what sites you visit and your physical location. Using a TOR browser is not recommended for use on a work computer as HR can monitor this activity. Any competent corporate security organization can easily detect use of TOR and will block it. Brave is another private browser which has TOR built into its privacy mode. For the extra cautious, one can use a TOR browser in conjunction with a VPN.

That’s it from me. Come leave a non-digital footprint in my boudoir soon!

Your discreet Mistress,

Ramona Ryder