Gail Eddy, Nederland. Many of you know that Privacy and Security are paramount to me. So, when I saw the book Extreme Privacy: What It Takes To Disappear on Amazon I was intrigued. Michael Bazzell completely updated the second edition in 2020.

Overview

At 566 pages, Extreme Privacy is a hefty book. There are so many topics covered, in so much detail, I wasn’t able to read it all the way through. In many places, the material was too dense for a layman to comprehend. One of my big complaints about the book is the index on page 566. A one-page index does not do this 20 chapter book justice.

Despite the length, I did thoroughly review the whole book. The first part of each chapter was interesting and was written at a pretty high level. I was able to get the gist of each chapter without having to read all the detail on subjects in which I wasn’t terribly interested.

This book is primarily targeted at high profile people who need to implement extreme privacy. (Think movie stars, CEOs, and billionaires.) It’s also directed at people who have been seriously threatened and need to disappear. But it also has some great tips for people who just want to be more digitally secure. Our information is EVERYWHERE, and even companies who say they will be careful with our information are subject to cyber-attacks. (Right now, we’re still waiting to see the complete fallout of the 2020 Solar Winds attack on US government systems.)

Here’s the link if you’d like to purchase the book: https://amzn.to/3npSZYk. (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases).

What I learned

One of the big take-aways I got from this book is that hiding is not cheap. There is new equipment to buy, with cash. You have to set up a trust. You’ll need to hire accountants and lawyers to advise you on what is legal and what is not. Then there’s the new home to buy or rent. And don’t forget that you’ll need to purchase multiple online devices; one to use only at home, and another to never use at home. And then there is all the equipment that normal people use, like a VPN, servers, and routers.

Another thing I learned is that all of the work you do disappear can all be undone with a little social engineering. For example, you have your mail delivered to a private mailbox in another state, which then forwards the mail to you. An unscrupulous person finds the address and phone number of the private mailbox company. They call and say they are your brother or wife and ask for the address to which mail is forwarded. Boom! All your hard work for privacy is gone.

Another potential problem is hacking. You bring your pet to a new veterinarian and provide your real address and phone number. Many veterinarians provide their customer data to marketing firms so they can keep in touch with their clients. Then the marketing firm gets hacked and your data is “in the wild”. (There is a whole chapter on pets!)

I also learned how I could start to remove my information from public databases.

What I liked

I thought the book was well organized. Using the Table of Contents (NOT the Index!), it was easy to find the sections that I was interested in. I learned a lot about new tracking tools that are being used, and how to legally get around them. For example, license plate scanners: How can you legally get around having them scan your license plate?

Another thing I liked was that Mr. Bazzell has years of experience and he’s made a few mistakes. He discussed those mistakes openly – what the mistake was, and the fallout. He also described how he does things differently today.

I also liked that the book takes a proactive approach. It outlines the things you can do today before you run into issues with privacy and security.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc. 

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.