The Second Key Problem
A hardware security key is the strongest lock most people will ever own, and a single one is also the easiest way to lock yourself out. Here is how to run two, enroll both everywhere, and survive losing one.
Topic
Security
A collection of 45 issues
Encrypted DNS on Every Platform
Every privacy checklist says to turn it on. Almost none explain what it hides, who it hands your lookups to, or where the switch actually lives in September 2026.
The Text Message Is the Backdoor
Why your phone number can be stolen without anyone touching your phone, and the exact carrier switches that make it much harder
The Password Manager You'll Actually Keep
Moving your logins out of the browser without leaving a trail of copies, and setting it up so you don't drift back
Decide What You're Actually Defending
Before you install a single tool, the one exercise that tells you which ones you actually need
Move Your Two-Factor Without Locking Yourself Out
Everyone tells you to move off SMS. Nobody tells you the order to do it in, which is how people end up locked out of the account they needed most.
Who Can Actually Read Your Cloud Backup
A phone hardened to the point of pain, backing up to a service that holds a compellable key, has moved the target rather than removed it. Who holds the key, ecosystem by ecosystem.
Encrypted DNS on Every Platform
Everyone recommends encrypted DNS and almost nobody shows you where the setting is. Verified paths for six platforms, and an honest account of what you are actually buying.
Lockdown Mode: Is It Worth It?
Two companies shipped a feature with the same name and almost nothing in common. One costs you nothing and everyone should know the button. The other breaks real things and is aimed at very few people.
Four Ways to get a Private Phone
Four Ways to Build a Private Phone: A Field Guide to Lockdown Mode, GrapheneOS, Cape, and Glacier. A thorough, vendor-neutral look at four distinct approaches to mobile privacy, what each one actually does, where it shines, and where it falls short.