Tips for safe computer usage?

If you are really concerned, then paying for something within reason should not be an issue. With that in mind, I would suggest taking a serious look at Ironkey USB sticks; models S250 or D250 personal drives. They have locked storage, built in secure browser using Tor as mentioned above. Also has password vault.

I didn't want to post a link here to avoid them seeing a bunch of hits from Eccie sending you over there. Originally Posted by NYr

Yes, ironkey is great. However, keep the portable browser light (without addins), since they may ignore the proxy settings.... thus exposing your location.

Still, eccie should have gone SSL years ago, to make it harder for those surfing at Starbucks via their smartphone, etc.

First know what type of threat your trying to defend yourself from, then select what you need accordingly, alot of great suggestions, but do you really need to spend the time, money and effort, doing some of the things suggested, now if you just feel the need to protect againist everything, and you got the bucks..go for it but the sensible approach is to know what goal you want to attain in this endeavor.

P411 went SSL a few years ago. It would be nice if ECCIE follow in the interest of privacy. Originally Posted by JohnHeart

Really there is no need for them to do that, the nature of P411 and ECCIE is different, ECCIE is just a ordinary board that people post things, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy nor do they offer you any, they don't protect secrets or private personal info, it keeps them legally in the clear. everything you post here is a open book.

P411 does state that your privacy will be protected, and they keep personal information that can be used to identify a user. ECCIE does not.

When you pay for a upgrade or place a banner thats the only time you go to a SSL site and that's CCBILL, that's about as likely it's going to get.