How to Stay Secure in an Insecure Cyber-World
Enjoy Adult Content Online Without Compromising Your Privacy
About Me
I've always been a computer nerd. I've worked in the Information Technology and Information Security fields for over ten years. I was the guy who installed and ran the antivirus and web filtering software. We would have our share of employees who'd try to circumvent our web filtering and security software - or ask me for advice on how to bypass the work restrictions (short answer: don't).
For the past five years, I've owned a computer consulting firm and taught computers and computer security classes at a local college. So I do consider myself a 'SME' (subject matter expert in geek terms) in computer security.
During all that time working in IT I have dealt with a distressing number of folks whose computers were infected by viruses and malware. What might surprise you (or maybe not) is how many of those infections came from surfing porn sites (forgive the pun ;-)
Well, I don't particularly appreciate our harmless community being so broadly targeted, and on a personal level, despite interest in sexuality being a basic human trait, I am not keen on having my surfing habits made public. So, I thought I would share some of the ways I protect myself and my clients with my fellow erotica fans.
What might surprise you (or maybe not) is how many of those infections came from surfing porn sites (forgive the pun ;-). Well, I don't particularly appreciate our harmless community being so broadly targeted and on a personal level, despite interest in sexuality being a basic human trait, I am not keen on having my surfing habits made public. So, I thought I would share some of the ways I protect myself and my clients with my fellow erotica fans.
As a techie, my writing skills are not my strong point. I am in debt to
Small_Island
for his strong editing skills and for being a second set of eyes. Without his help, this article would have read like an incomprehensible instruction manual.
You're Not Paranoid if the World is Out to Get You
Our online lives are constantly at risk of cyber-attacks. Everything is now done electronically and is therefore stored online. The information available online includes your geographical location, your emails, social media, usernames you've registered, medical records, credit cards, and even your social security number. You probably know "legitimate" companies like Google and Meta are interested in knowing all they can about you to improve their ability to sell to you, but there are also lots of illegitimate persons and companies out there who want that data so they can steal from you.
And then there is your internet search history - what phrases you've entered in major search engines, and what websites you've visited. Another prize for marketers, but when that history is also available online, it could be given to law enforcement or leaked to lawbreakers.
Compounding these risks that all online users face are the amplified risks faced by our community of creators and enjoyers of erotica and other adult material.
Our hobby of visiting erotica and porn sites exposes us to greater risk. Porn sites are notorious for being major sources of malware, particularly for mobile divorces. While Literotica stays away from pop-up ads, and tries to keep their site secure, there are loads of porn sites out there without such good security practices... and many are even run by crooks themselves.
If your computer is infected and you bring it to a repair shop, in many locations and countries, you may have lost any reasonable expectation of privacy in the contents within your computer.
Therefore, in the end, it's up to us to protect ourselves from the bad actors, while enjoying what's on offer from the good actors.
The following are some tips and tricks to help protect you from having your privacy compromised while searching and watching porn.
Note: Before downloading any programs or tools listed here, check to be sure you are visiting the official site! A favorite tactic of the bad guys who want to infect your system is to 'poison' search engine rankings to trick you into downloading lookalike programs, which may contain scareware or are bundled with spyware.
Avoid Risky Behavior
Let me start by going back to my introduction: don't be a dummy. Never use a work computer or any system where there is no expectation of privacy.
If you can, stick to 'known' sites such as xvideos, Pornhub, Literotica, etc. Be wary of sites that look unprofessional and appear to have been launched recently. A favorite tactic of malware authors is to launch a domain with a similar name as a legitimate site, for example, replacing an "O" with a 0 (aka a zero).
Literotica has an excellent 'Content Guidelines' list of what they will and will not publish, staying away from things like underage sex, extreme violence, bestiality, etc. I'm not going to argue morals or ethics but will point out that these Bright Line restrictions help protect the site from breaking local laws and drawing unwanted heat.
Again, staying away from morality judgments, I'll point out the obvious and say that when you tread into more extreme waters, looking for content that strays closer to breaking local laws, you should expect more interest in your activities from both the good and bad actors. So, when you think about your computer security, start with what you have the most control over - what you search for and where you go looking.
Be Wary of Using a Phone/Mobile Device
Avoiding the mistake of trying to look at porn sites on a work computer does not mean you should pull out your phone to do it. Nearly one-quarter of malware on mobile devices comes from porn websites, according to a study from Blue Coat, a Web security and optimization company.
That makes watching porn on smartphones a far bigger threat than viewing porn on a PC.
Porn leads to more malware on smartphones and tablets than e-mail spam, malicious websites, and fake apps combined. Also, the nature of mobile devices makes differentiating legitimate sites, links, and emails from malicious ones a tricky task.
Smartphone operating systems are not as secure as desktops, and much of the security you can install on a desktop just does not work as well on a phone (such as VPN software or creating an encrypted hard drive to store your information).
Never check "install all"
As we go through this article, I'm going to recommend that you download various programs to your computer to build up your defenses. Well, unfortunately, in their efforts to sell you more, many programs, even good programs, are bundled with additional software, sometimes called 'PUPs', or Potentially Unwanted Programs. Some of these 'add-ons' are programs that could contain adware or browser extensions. Always de-select any add-ons that you do not want to be installed along with the actual program you are looking for.
Protect Yourself Against Malware & Viruses
You must have good antivirus software. Malware, viruses, and Trojans can be embedded in a legitimate-looking file, such as an MP3 or PDF. Once downloaded and opened, hackers then gain access to your device.
There are many good antivirus programs available. I have some personal favorites, which are listed at the end of this document.
Dedicated User Profile
When you set up your computer, you can create different dedicated user profiles, this can be especially helpful if you have a 'family' laptop. When you set up profiles for yourself and your wife, for example, you can also set up another for your porn surfing versus your 'regular' surfing. On my laptop I have three different profiles, each with its own userid and password.
My 'family' profile - in case a family member wants to borrow my laptop. This contains the default browser.
My 'regular' profile - where I do my banking, social media, etc.
My 'hobby' profile, for you guessed it, porn. I don't use this for social media or email. This profile contains the extra security features which will be described below
One day I received a call from my wife. Her desktop crashed and she wanted to print out a web page and asked if she could use my laptop. Since I had a separate 'safe' user profile, I gave her that user id and password. She logged in and used the default browser to print what she wanted. She was none the wiser about the other account on my system (whew).
Use a Privacy-focused Browser
The User Profile helps keep things secure for me at the machine level, but whichever profile I've activated on my laptop, when it's time to go out on the Internet, the browser that connects me becomes the next possible weak link. Some browsers, such as Duck-Duck-Go, Firefox, Tor, and Brave advertise themselves as being secure- and private-by-design.
Many browsers have privacy settings - enable the ones to prevent tracking. There are also several browser extensions and add-ons which can be enabled to enhance your privacy.
I use a privacy-enhanced browser whenever I can, on both my 'personal' profile and 'hobby' profiles.
Use a separate browser profile
The likes of Google and Facebook are constantly tracking your online activity, in an effort to know what interests you and construct a consumer profile around you. Don't use the same profile to check Facebook or your email that you do to visit a porn site!
As an extra layer of protection, store your browser profile on an encrypted folder or hard drive (more below)
Again, never log into any social media or email accounts using the same profile as you do to surf your favorite porn sites!
Browse in Private Browsing Windows (Incognito/InPrivate/Private/etc. mode)
Regardless of the browser you use, almost all browsers today offer a private or incognito mode for surfing. Use it, especially for viewing adult content.
Your searches, pages you visited, login details, and cookies will not be saved on your device after you close your private windows.
This mode prevents your browser from saving your browsing history, cookies, cache, or autofill data on your device. Therefore, anyone who accesses your device won't be able to see what sites you visited or what content you viewed. The last thing you want is for 'autofill' to helpfully fill in your search terms, especially if that will lead to your latest porn search.
You will have to reenter your credentials each time, but that's a small price to pay. It also helps you avoid unwanted ads or recommendations based on your browsing habits.
Many folks believe browsing in private or incognito mode is enough. While that's a good start, all it does is prevent search history and cookies from being stored on your local machine.
