- Chelsea Manning is the face of Nym, the world’s most privacy-focused new VPN.
- She and Nym CEO Harry Halpin said they avoid products from Google and Microsoft due to security concerns.
- They say they prefer Apple’s privacy infrastructure.
Chelsea Manning, a former military intelligence analyst sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified government information in 2010, said one of the biggest tech companies reigns supreme when it comes to data privacy. He says there is. It’s Apple.
Manning, whose sentence was commuted by President Obama, is now a privacy and security consultant for Nym, a new VPN aimed at improving data security.
In her consulting role, she evaluates clients’ data privacy practices and makes recommendations to improve security.
Manning said that from his experience, Apple’s overall product infrastructure is “pretty robust and secure” compared to its competitors.
“I’m not saying you have to go buy an iPhone or an Apple product. I’m not invested in Apple,” Manning told BI. “However, I have noticed a significant increase in proficiency and a focus on delivering a full stack of privacy-based technologies.”
She said she doesn’t typically endorse Microsoft or Google products and “doesn’t use incognito mode or the Chromium browser” if she wants to browse privately. This was a sentiment echoed by Nym CEO Harry Halpin. Halpin, a cryptographer and former senior research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said he also avoids products from Microsoft and Google because of concerns about keeping his data secure.
Representatives for Microsoft, Google, and Apple did not respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment on this story. The companies have previously said they take privacy and security seriously.
In its Windows Security Overview, last updated in July, Microsoft stated that the Windows 11 operating system is “safe and secure, based on the premise that no person or device can access it until it is proven to be secure and intact. It was developed based on the Trust Security Model.
In its July 2024 Security Overview, Google said that “security drives our organizational structure, culture, training priorities, and hiring processes,” and “security drives our customer data handling, account management, compliance audits, certifications, and more.” “Security is a priority,” he said. ”
Apple’s Platform Security Overview, updated in May, states that security is designed “at the core of the platform.” It was also mentioned in the company profile. The company believes that “privacy is a fundamental human right” and that it will affect the development of its products and services.
Opt-in and opt-out privacy policy
Two other cybersecurity experts told Business Insider that major companies are pouring billions of dollars into protecting their own data privacy, and each company is ensuring that their services are the best for users. He says he is trying to convince her.
They said each company’s approach to security means different things for consumers.
“Google, Microsoft, and many other companies need to opt out of data collection,” Chris Hauk, a consumer privacy advocate at data security advocacy group Pixel Privacy, told BI. “On the other hand, Apple, you have to opt-in for many features.”
Dinesh Besiahgari, a front-end engineer at Amazon Web Services, told BI that Google, Apple, and Microsoft have each implemented “sandboxing” measures that restrict apps from accessing each other’s data to prevent the spread of breaches through devices. Box” security features have been adopted.
“Ideally, every major company would have something similar,” Beciagari said, referring to sandboxed infrastructure. However, he added that the security of any operating system depends on the latest updates: “Every time you apply a patch, it becomes more secure.”
You never know when your data may be compromised
As for what you can do in your daily life to make your cyberlife more secure, Manning said he prioritizes simple steps that you use consistently, like turning on a VPN and using a privacy browser. Manning acknowledges that not everyone will choose to go back to using pen and paper like she did.
Whatever steps you take to protect data privacy, make it a habit. As Manning says, “It’s hard to tell when you’re at risk, and you never know.”
“One of the things I have come across in my work as a security consultant is that many of my clients are ordinary people who do something and then unexpectedly and randomly end up having their lives completely turned upside down. That’s the thing,” Manning said.
But she added that it’s important not to fall into a “fatalist” mindset, which means it’s “pointless” to fight back and protect your privacy. Halpin agreed, saying it will take a lot of effort to change the way people think about data privacy on the internet and how companies build products to keep users secure, but it’s worth the effort. said.
“No one will probably want Nym, but it’s still worth building to show there’s an alternative,” Halpin said of the new VPN. “And if enough people want it, we can open up more space for new kinds of internet infrastructure, which could solve some of these larger civilizational problems that we face. It might help you solve it.”