Updating this for 2024…
The Basics
The Nerdy Stuff
The Basics
Password Protection
Passkeys are starting to happen.
Step one
Use a password manager.
Use something that allows you to securely store randomly generated passwords. Bitwarden works well.
Step two
Use long passphrases if you need to remember the password.
Use different(Complex, Long, and different from any other password) passwords for every website or service you use.
Step three
Always use 2 factor authentication. Google authenticator, Duo, or Authy are the best options, SMS is fine but not the best option due to many cases of targeted identity theft.
Also.. See passkeys mentioned above. They use sort of a 3 factor
Web Browsers
Difficult to recommend anything in particular lately. All have been having some major security issues. I’ll stick with Firefox, Chrome and Brave.
Laptops
Windows or Linux laptops
I’ve been using the Framework laptop for a couple years now. It’s a great option for a smaller laptop and they have a 16incher now. The adapter slots and ease of upgrade/repair make it a no brainer. You can replace the motherboard, yes, You! I’ll absolutely buy a Framework to use as my next personal laptop.
The Thinkpad T-series laptops have been great at my workplace, Reasonable price to durability.
Chromebook
If you are in the google ecosystem try a chromebook. They are cheap with great battery life and you can make them very secure without using antivirus software. I’ve enjoyed the Samsung and ASUS 15" chromebooks. They’re fairly solid.
Mac Laptops
The Macbook Air M2 looks great. They are small, sturdy, and mighty powerful. (Sounds like there might be a heat issue… investigate this for yourself)
Desktop
Not quite sure what to recommend on desktops. I would recommend the “NUC” but it seems they’ve discontinued this line of PCs. Grab a framework laptop and get a couple HDMI adapters….
If you want something that can do more than the NUC, I recommend building a Desktop PC.
Antivirus
Comodo or McAfee Internet Security seem like the way to go. US based companies. Good feature set. ClamAV is an open source option that’s updated a few times per day.
VPN
I recommend ProtonVPN or Private Internet Access(PIA); Private internet access even allows relatively anonymous payment.
F-Secure does have a VPN option, good option if you go with the F-Secure Antivirus.
Entertainment
Stick with Chromecast or Apple TV independent of the TV.
The Nerdy Stuff
Linux
I really think most people would be able to use linux without an issue. This was not the case 15 years ago, but I think the usability of linux is getting better every day.
If you…
are new to linux… kubuntu is a great way to go. Easy to install, easy to learn, loads of information on the internet.
want a server… Alma/Rocky, or Debian or Ubuntu LTS is a great way to go, Long life time for each release and Updates are simple to schedule.
really want to learn linux… roll with Arch Linux.
want a learning curve but a super stable system… try NixOS
want the most up to date software… go with a rolling release option.
a fun distribution to try if you are mighty paranoid is QubesOS(“A reasonably secure operating system”). Each “Window” is a virtual machine that keeps the data separate from the other Windows. Qubes requires a powerful laptop/Desktop with a fair bit of memory. It can work on i5/8GB ram. Not well, but it works. Tails and Whonix are also solid security forward options.
Vim
Vim is based on an old file editor called vi. It stands for vi iMproved. The basic idea is that you “should” be able to do most editing of a text file without moving your fingers far from the home row on the keyboard.
e.g. ‘hjkl’ move you around an open text file. (left,down,up,right); ‘i’ allows for inserting text.