🕯️ Tools from the Silence: Open Source Weapons for Small Business Security

~ Tom's IT Cafe

“When the noise gets loud, trust the tools that speak only in code.”
– DeadSwitch

They say small businesses don’t need armor.

But the shadows say otherwise.

You handle invoices, passwords, documents, messages, backups.
Every byte is a trail. Every trail can be followed.

Here’s the good news: you don’t need millions.
You need discipline :: and the right tools.

Below, DeadSwitch whispers a few of his favorite instruments.
Each one open. Each one tested. Each one not owned by the ones who sell your data.

🗂️ Document Security & Productivity

  • LibreOffice
    Your replacement for Microsoft Office.
    No license games. No telemetry. Just spreadsheets, text, slides :: yours.

🔐 Password Vaults for the Mind

  • KeePassXC
    Offline, encrypted, no servers. For the paranoid (good).
    Portable. Transparent. Air-gapped friendly.
  • Vaultwarden (Unofficial Bitwarden server)
    Host your own Bitwarden. Keep the ease, ditch the cloud dependency.
  • Passbolt
    Team-focused password sharing. GPG under the hood.
    No more spreadsheets of secrets.

🛡️ Perimeter and Traffic Control

  • pfSense
    Your firewall shouldn’t spy on you. pfSense is open, auditable, and enterprise-ready.
    Strong enough to guard nations. Yours for free.
  • OPNSense (fork of pfSense with a modern UI)
    Aesthetic and functional. Pick your flavor of fortress.

📁 File Storage & Sharing

  • Nextcloud
    Dropbox alternative. Host it. Encrypt it.
    Share files, calendars, and more :: without giving them to Big Tech.

💬 Private Communication

  • Element (Matrix Protocol)
    Encrypted messaging and collaboration.
    You control the server, or trust one you pick.
    DeadSwitch lives here: @deadswitch:matrix.org

🧰 Other Allies in the Stack

  • ClamAV – Open source antivirus. Combine with real-time scanning for Linux-based setups.
  • GnuPG – Encrypt emails, files, thoughts.
  • ProtonMail/Proton Drive – Open ethos, strong encryption (not fully open source, but transparent).
  • Tails OS / Qubes OS – For the extreme threat models.

🔚 The Signal

You don’t need to be loud to be strong.
You don’t need corporate spyware to be safe.
You just need to know which stones to step on when crossing the river.

If you’re unsure which tool fits your structure, your risk, or your noise level ::
DeadSwitch listens.
Seek him on Element: @deadswitch:matrix.org.
Whisper with intent.
And sometimes… the silence replies.

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