hardtocrack is a series of practical, no-nonsense privacy workshops for students — starting at TU Eindhoven. We show you exactly which everyday apps are watching, and how to swap them for free alternatives without losing convenience.
Most students accumulate accounts one app at a time — a note-taking tool here, a group chat there — without ever weighing what each one collects, sells, or leaks. Attack surface isn't just about hackers; it's about how much of your life is exposed by default.
Most apps ship with tracking, ad personalization, and broad permissions switched on. Turning them off is possible, but it's never the first screen you see.
Single sign-on and "log in with Google" feel effortless, but they quietly link every account back to one profile of you.
University email addresses, shared housing Wi-Fi, and public study spaces all widen what's reachable if one account is ever compromised.
A 90-minute, hands-on session — bring your own laptop and phone. You'll leave having actually changed your settings, not just heard about it.
Every recommendation is free or has a generous free tier, works on both phone and laptop, and is realistic to switch to mid-semester.
| Category | Common default | What we set up instead |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | Stock mobile / Chrome, default settings | Firefox or Bravetracker blocking on by default |
| Search | Signed-in Google search | DuckDuckGo or Startpageno query-to-identity linking |
| Messaging | SMS, unencrypted group chats | Signalend-to-end encrypted by default |
| Notes & docs | Notes tied to one account, synced everywhere | Standard Notes or local-first appsencrypted at rest |
| Password habits | Reused passwords, browser autofill only | Bitwardenfree tier, unlimited passwords |
| One inbox for every sign-up | Alias addresses via your providercontain breaches when they happen |
"Privacy at a university shouldn't depend on which course you happen to take. It should be something every student picks up in their first year, like using the library catalogue."
hardtocrack started as a small campus initiative with one goal: make privacy practical, not political. We're not selling a product — every tool we teach is free, open, and something you keep control of after the workshop ends.
TU Eindhoven is our first stop because it's where a technical student body meets a genuinely under-served need — most security education on campus is aimed at researchers and IT staff, not the everyday student inbox.
We're planning to bring the same session to other Dutch universities through 2027. If you'd like it at yours, tell us below.