Considering the current intrusive cyber climate, what are the best ways to preserve privacy?
For example, I have been exclusively using a VPN connection network-wide at home setup on OpenWrt, which in turn has a PiHole as its DNS, with the PiHole using Unbound and NextDNS (redundant I know, but I use it to encrypt my requests more than anything else).
I also have Wireguard setup so I can VPN all my devices to my network while I am on the road (also have a NextDNS profile installed. Yes I know, it’s redundant).
I also basically have all my “smart” devices (TV, lightbulbs, air purifier, etc…) at home cutoff from the internet using OpenWrt’s firewall to prevent them from calling home.
I rotate web browsers frequently to try and attempt avoiding getting fingerprinted, not sure how useful that is.
I switched email providers to mailbox.org because f*** Google and Microsoft.
I also am hosting my own cloud drive on Nextcloud to avoid using services like GDrive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc…
I own Apple devices which aren’t the best for privacy but migrating from a whole ecosystem that I have been embedded in for MANY years is easier said than done. Hopefully in the future that’s my next move.
I feel like there is a lot more I can do but I am not sure what else. I would appreciate any and all suggestions ya’ll might have.
EDIT: I’m not being too extreme with my caution as some comments are making it sound to be. I am a very average person who is privacy conscious yet realize being cut off from the internet and society is not realistic. I guess my threat model is your basic “day-to-day it’s non of your business who am I online or what I do, please don’t profile/fingerprint me, I am just a passerby” kinda threat model.
You pretty much got the foundational stuff plus a little more established. Aside from getting away from Apple, which you already mentioned, there’s not much more I can think of without going full tinfoil hat. The main thing, in my opinion, is just not being a wide open door and giving away your personal data freely. Sounds like you’re there, so long as you don’t have social media accounts.
I feel I am missing out on other things and that I could do much better though.
Like you said, aside from a tinfoil hat, I think my setup is very basic and can be improved.
More encryption is the only thing I would think worthy of mention since I don’t see that listed anywhere. Encrypted messengers, encrypted storage, encrypted emails.