RRCooper’s Lil’ Zine of Cybersecurity for Canadians

Introduction

While this is my creative output profile, in my professional life I work as a cybersecurity professional. While studying for my field, I noticed that there was a definite lack of a cybersecurity resource that was short, to the point, and not attached to any product.

With growing concerns about our country’s sovereignty, I felt it was more important than ever to fill the gap in accessible cybersecurity knowledge. That’s why I made this zine.

It’s not meant to be comprehensive. Just a quick and practical overview of best practices.

This guide gives you a simple way to protect your privacy, stay safe online, and help others who might be struggling to do the same.

Know Your Rights

Online privacy and safety are fundamental human rights.

According to Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948):

"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.

Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."

These rights are inalienable. No individual, corporation, or government has the right to violate your privacy.

How to Protect Yourself from Cyber Threats

Use a Password Manager

Strong, unique passwords are critical—but hard to remember.

Password managers like KeePassXC can store and manage them for you securely. You can then store the “vault” it uses in secure cloud storage like Dropbox or NordLocker.

Be Cautious on Social Media

Social platforms have repeatedly failed to protect user data.

Limit the sharing of identifiable information like personal and family photos.

Consider:

• Deleting old posts and storing personal data offline.
• Switching to safer platforms like Signal, Mastodon or Session.

Use Privacy-Respecting Browsers

Mainstream browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Edge may not prioritize your privacy.

Brave, a Chromium-based browser, offers better privacy by default. Firefox is another safe open-source alternative.

Choose Secure Email Providers

“If the product is free, you are the product.”

Many free email providers scan your messages for targeted ads—and that data can be bought by bad actors.

Have two addresses, one we’ll call private, and the other public.

Use privacy-focused services like Proton or Startmail for your private e-mail. This is the one you use for important things like family, government, or education. Be careful of who you give this e-mail to.

Your public email, can be your pre-existing Gmail or Apple account. These are useful for single sign-on, and you also have an e-mail to give out if anyone asks.

Install Ad Blockers

Online ads can track you—and in some cases, expose you to malware.

If you’re not using Brave, install extensions like Ghostery or uBlock Origin.

Creators reliant on ad revenue can consider using donation-based models like tip jars instead.

Use a VPN Consistently

VPNs, like Windscribe(Canadian) or NordVPN, encrypt your traffic and hide your IP address.

If a business discourages VPN use, consider voicing your concerns; or switching services.

Perform a Biannual Security Audit and use digital clean-up tools

Every six months, review your online presence and remove any content that could compromise your privacy (e.g., location info).

Too much to handle alone? Turn it into a group activity with friends. You can help each other stay safe.

Reduce your digital footprint by using services like Incogni. Add both your private and public e-mail to Incogni, prioritizing your private one.

Protect Yourself Against Malware

Use trusted tools like Kaspersky or Malwarebytes.

Keep your antivirus software up to date.

Use Privacy-Focused Search Engines

• Startpage lets you use Google results—without the tracking.
• DuckDuckGo is another solid alternative.

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity is Ongoing

Threats evolve, and so must your habits.

Stay informed by following trustworthy sources like official government sources and reliable news media.

Educate the Vulnerable

New cyber threats often target the most vulnerable, such our elders and young.

Unscrupulous online criminals make them their main target. Make sure to take the time and engage with them to explain what new threats are out there.

Credit

Originally written by RR Cooper(rrcooper.tokyo)

Version 1.0 was published August, 2025.

Distributed under Creative Commons (CC0). You may share or modify it—but not sell it.