Privacy in Action: Nikita Chong, Infosec and IT Disaster Recovery Developer and Consultant

Nikita Chong, Infosec and IT Disaster Recovery Developer and Consultant

Nikita Chong is a Software Development Manager at Shutterstock. Previously, she worked as a software developer and consultant for information security and IT disaster recovery.  Her passions include data privacy and security, art, music, movement, and helping others. She also has a random aspiration to become a polyglot, and is currently studying Swedish, Japanese, and Arabic.

Interview with Nikita Chong

Fill in the blank: Privacy is _______.

Privacy is more important than ever. Hacking, tapping, and stealing are not new practices. However, as technology advances at its current rate, the methods to do these things become more sophisticated and accessible. Where profit is involved, history has shown that we cannot rely on the benevolence and ethics of businesses, or even governments.

Why are data privacy and private search important to you? In your line of work? In your personal life?

Personal data can be used in a lot of different ways. However, it belongs to me and should not be used or capitalised on without my permission. Knowledge about groups or individuals can be used to influence or manipulate them unknowingly, or in extreme cases, to perform targeted attacks or discrimination against them.

At work, it’s important to us that we respect our customers’ privacy and laws such as GDPR, so that we stay competitive and relevant. This means that all roles are responsible for being aware of security, which is supported by training.

What measures do you take to protect your personal data online and offline?

I rely on personal responsibility. I choose to use privacy-respecting tools such as ProtonMail for email, Startpage as my default search engine, a VPN, an offline password manager, and a secure messaging app where possible. For browsing the web, I use Firefox and I always have the following extensions enabled: Privacy Badger, HTTPS Everywhere, and uBlock Origin.

Before choosing to use or pay for a tool that will come into contact with my personal data, I ask the following questions: Is it open source? What are the values of the company in relation to privacy, social responsibility, and ethics? Where are the servers based? Which jurisdiction’s laws does the company operate under? There are many resources online to help you navigate these questions.

Offline, I use a privacy sticker or shutter for my webcam and front-facing camera on my phone. I do not give out my personal details freely, e.g. when solicited for mailing lists, petitions, loyalty programmes, email receipts, etc. The more places your email is stored in, the more places it can be stolen from.

These measures may seem outlandish or extreme, but they are simple and mostly free. I’d prefer to use a little effort now, than be forced to secure or track down my leaked data later in a panic.

Who are people or organizations that have sparked and/or inspired your personal determination to protect your personal data?

Edward Snowden is my biggest influence. His and Chelsea Manning’s brave actions forced the world to confront the reality of mass surveillance in 2013. Their stories led me to organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and individuals such as Laura Poitras, director of Citizenfour, and Jennifer Granick, who is a foremost surveillance and privacy-focused attorney. In this age of self-publishing, it’s important that people I look up to have the appropriate credentials, knowledge, and experience to support what they are speaking about.

How do you stay informed about the latest in privacy products, news and legislation?

Twitter is great for real-time, bite-sized updates: I follow Edward Snowden, Jennifer Granick, Fight for the Future, and ProtonMail. I read The Intercept occasionally for long-form journalism. I also hear about vulnerabilities and exploits from my friends and colleagues – I’m lucky and humbled to be able to learn from them.

What projects are you most excited about for 2021?

I’m a huge fan of ProtonMail, so I’m excited for them to keep improving and integrating their ecosystem of products. Startpage is another tool I use daily, so I’m looking forward to new features being released! On a personal level, I’m gearing up to write some privacy-related articles.

Would you rather: Share your search history or give up cheese for a year?

I eat mostly vegan food, so giving up cheese isn’t too daunting for me ? I feel that my search history is quite mundane (think weather forecast and video game wikis…), yet it’s analogous to having a window into my mind. As an introvert, I’m not used to sharing my thoughts so freely. I believe that the ability to maintain privacy is healthy and crucial to the processing of ideas and emotions.