Last Update: Oct. 01, 2026
Raise your hand if you’ve looked into protecting your digital life and come back with a list of 2 dozen different things that you needed to add to your devices to be more secure? I know I have. I’m always appalled when I see these pages recommending everything from antivirus suites to dozens of browser extensions, to multiple authenticator apps. That isn’t security. That is clutter with better branding.
I put together a minimalist security setup. How minimalist? Well, there are only two items in the minimalist security setup. It strips account protection down to the only two tools that actually stop the vast majority of breaches: a password manager and multi-factor authentication.
These two tools when used correctly, close more attack surface than any bundle of ‘all-in-one’ software you will find on the app store or any guide that asks you to install and configure a dozen different things.
This guide is designed to walk you through exactly what to set up, explain why it’s better than having a massive security setup, and how to get it running quickly without needing a degree in information security.
Now I want to call out up front, this guide specifically covers account security. This means things like your bank accounts, your email, streaming services, etc. Pretty much everything you own these days has some kind of account, which is why this is so important.
Accounts cover probably 95% of the things you need to be actually worried about on a day to day basis in your digital life. In the future I’ll put together an article on the full list of tools I use to protect myself digitally on a day to day basis. Full disclosure: There aren’t very many.
Now I’m calling this a security setup, but you might also see it referenced as a security stack. A security stack is just a collection of tools used to protect your digital security. They are the same thing, but let’s face it. If I tell grandma about a security stack, she is going to look at me like I’ve turned into some kind of mutant. If I tell her it’s a security setup, she will have at least some idea of what I’m talking about because I’ve dropped the tech jargon.
Digital Minimalism Meets Digital Security
When most people apply digital minimalism to their lives, they tackle apps, notifications, and screen time. Digital security is rarely on that list, but it’s arguably just as important. A cluttered security setup fails in the same ways as a cluttered phone does. You have too many moving parts, too many distractions, too much to maintain, and too many places for something to quietly break.
Let’s take a look at what a typical “maximalist” approach to security actually looks like in practice. You’ve got all of your accounts protected by a different password scheme. You’ve got a password manager that you’ve stopped using because maybe it got breached a few years ago (Yes, this happened) so you’ve started writing passwords in a notes app. You’ve got multi factor authentication turned on for some accounts but not others. If you’re more tech savvy you’ve got a VPN that you pay for but probably never use.
A setup like that doesn’t make you any safer online. All it does is make you tired…and tired people take shortcuts.
I put together the minimalist security setup to really make things as easy as possible. Two tools and you use them completely. One password manager that is used for every account, all the time. Then multi factor authentication turned on everywhere it is offered, ideally using one consistent method.
Sounds boring right? It is incredibly boring and that is the entire point. Good security should be boring. I don’t want to waste your time with all the other bells and whistles that you don’t need. Sure, there are other tools available. Even some of them that I personally use. But the minimalist security setup takes it down to just the two essentials.
The 2 Tool Minimalist Security Setup
So why just tools? When most people think about a security setup, they think of antivirus, adblockers, complex passwords, facial recognition, thumbprint scanners, and a whole host of other tools. You don’t necessarily need all of those things.
Weak or reused passwords and the absence of a second verification step account for nearly every major account breach. When you fix both of these things, you’ve closed the door on attacks that account for most real-world damage.
A password manager solves the first problem by generating and storing a unique, complex password for every account you own. Once you stop reusing passwords, it means that a leaked database no longer puts your entire digital life at risk.
Two-factor authentication solves the second problem. Even if a password does leak, a second factor, which is something you have rather than something you own, stops an attacker from breaching your account.
It’s also an easy way to know when your password has been compromised. Over the years, i’ve had several accounts where I’ve gotten notifications that someone was trying to access my account and it prompted for me to authorize it. That is always my cue to change my password to something new.
These two tools are the core of an effective minimalist security setup. A password manager for what you know and multi-factor authentication for what you have. Everything else is refinement of your setup.
Before we go too far, you’ll see that there are two different terms that come up. Two-Factor Authentication and Multi-Factor Authentication. I use these interchangeably as they are essentially the same thing. Two-Factor Authentication uses two methods to authenticate. Usually a password and a code of some kind. Multi-Factor Authentication uses two or more methods to authenticate. For example, a password, a code, and facial scan. All Two-Factor Authentication methods are Multi-Factor Authentication, but not all Multi-Factor Authentication methods are Two-Factor Authentication.
Choosing Your Password Manager
When building your minimalist security setup, there are plenty of options for password managers. Any reputable password manager beats no password manager at all. However, a few things matter when you are choosing one over a pile of tools.
First, you want one with cross platform support. A password manager that only works on one device forces you back into bad habits quickly. Bitwarden and Proton Pass are both free and cover desktop, mobile, and browser extensions. I personally use Bitwarden, but Proton is well known for privacy and security. So it’s a very good choice.
If you are in to self-hosting, then Vaultwarden is worth looking into. It’s a lightweight, self-hosted implementation of the Bitwarden server and it keeps your password vault on your home server rather than that of a third party.
The trade-off of this is that there is far more setup work. If you already run other services at home like I do, this might not be a big deal. It all depends on the amount of work you are willing to put into the setup.
There are other options out there, I only covered the free ones. Whatever password manager you choose, make sure that you immediately import or manually re-import your existing passwords into it, turn on the browser extension so autofill actually gets used, and set a master password you can remember without writing it down.
Remember, a password manager only works if it replaces your old habits completely. A partial migration doesn’t count, it’s just another tool on the pile.
Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication the Right Way
Not all two-factor authentication is created equal and the method you choose does matter. In an ideal world as you are building out your minimalist security setup, you’d use the same type of multi-factor authentication for everything. Note I said ideal world. The real world doesn’t necessarily align with what is ideal.
SMS-based codes are probably the most common form of two-factor authentication. They are available for a lot of accounts but they are also the weakest option. Phone numbers can be ported to an attackers device through social engineering or through a technique called SIM swapping. If SMS is the only option a service offers then use it. If not, then skip it and go for a more secure option.
So what is that more secure option? Authenticator apps. One of the best ones out there is 2FAS. It’s free and it generates time-based codes on your device with no dependence on your phone number. It’s free and it works offline. There are plenty of options out there, so take your pick and use it for every account that offers multi-factor authentication.
Before I get into this next part, I do want to impart a word of warning about authenticator apps. They are amazing, but there are still a lot of sites and services that don’t support authenticator apps. It’s becoming more and more common, which is why I am recommending them. However, you should be prepared that you may have to go do some searching through the help on the various sites and services you use to learn how to set it up to work.
That has personally been my main barrier to entry for authenticator apps. So don’t get discouraged if it seems like a high bar to clear. Especially if you’ve already got SMS two-factor authentication setup.
Another thing you are likely to run into when looking into two-factor authentication are hardware security keys. These are physical devices, such as the YubiKey that you plug in or tap to log in. These are generally recommended as “the gold standard”.
I don’t use them.
For most people, they aren’t worth adding. They generally cost from $25-$60 each, you’ll want a backup key in case you lose the first one, and they are unreliable enough that it’s a common reason people abandon two-factor authentication entirely.
An authenticator app will close nearly the same gap in practice at zero cost and without any extra hardware that you can easily lose. Unless you are some high-value target like an executive, a journalist, or someone who has been personally targeted before, you probably don’t need a hardware key.
Before closing out on two-factor authentication, I do want to bring up a step that a lot of people skip. Save your backup codes! Almost every service that offers two-factor authentication generates a one-time recovery code when you turn it on. Don’t lose these or you will be in for a world of problems. Store these inside your password manager and not as a screenshot on your phone. If you lose your authenticator app without backup codes, you will lose access to the account entirely. Consider yourself warned.
The Complete Setup
Alright, it’s time to reveal the entire setup. Are you ready?
- A password manager that is used for every account.
- An authenticator app used for two-factor authentication everywhere it is offered.
That’s all there is. Just two tools. Everything else in this guide such as the backup codes and the yearly audit are things that you do with these two tools. They aren’t another thing to buy or install. Everything I recommended is free. Nothing requires a subscription. Yes, I do recommend a few browser extensions associated with these particular tools, but nothing beyond those is required.
It’s far better to have a few tools used consistently than a ton of tools used halfheartedly.
Maintaining This Setup
The main appeal of keeping things this small is that it needs very little ongoing attention. That doesn’t mean that it requires zero ongoing attention. Once a year, you should do the following things:
First: Check which passwords have been breached. Your password manager may have a tool that will tell you or there are various websites like haveibeenpwned that can help you assess if your password appears on a compromised password list.
Second, check which accounts still lack two-factor authentication. There are probably new accounts that you’ve signed up for during the past year that do not have it enabled yet.
Third, confirm your backup codes are current. If you’ve added any new accounts with two-factor authentication since your last audit, you want to make sure those recovery codes are saved.
This entire process takes less than an hour and only needs to be done about once per year. In comparison to the maintenance of a sprawling security toolkit with software updates, subscriptions, and settings scattered across a dozen apps, the time savings seem pretty good and can more than justify the minimalist approach.
Common Mistakes With The Minimalist Security Setup
Even with an incredibly minimalist security setup like this one, a few habits can easily break it.
First, storing your master password anywhere outside of your head will undermine the entire system. This means in another app, a document, or a sticky note. If someone finds that password, they have everything.
Relying on SMS for your password manager or your email also defeats the purpose. These two accounts unlock everything else. So they are the two that are the most worth putting into the authenticator app, even if you use SMS everywhere else.
Turning on two-factor authentication only for financial accounts and skipping it everywhere else leaves gaps in your security. Attackers will quite often target lower-value accounts first, then pivot to more valuable ones using the information they find there.
Finally, if you treat this only as a one time project rather than a maintained system, then you are setting yourself for failure. It still needs the yearly maintenance to remain effective.
The Third Tool: The Passkey
So there is one more tool in my minimalist security toolkit that I use quite frequently. It’s called a Passkey. Now I bring this one up because it’s a fairly new tool and it hasn’t gained a lot of widespread adoption yet. With the big companies behind it though, it’s quickly gaining traction and you’re going to be seeing more of it in the coming years.
Passkeys are often offered as a login option instead of a password. I won’t get into the ins and outs of it, but basically it uses a cryptographic key pair generated on your device so there is no password to leak and no code to type. If this sounds like techno jumble to you, don’t worry, you don’t need to understand it.
Just know that it exists and it’s a really cool and very strong technology. I use it when offered. The inconsistency on which services support this tool is why I don’t include it up front as part of the minimalist security setup. Fortunately, most major password managers including Bitwarden will store passkeys along side your passwords.
So the practical move is very simple. Keep the two-tool setup as your baseline and when a site offers a passkey, create it and let your password manager hold it. That way you end up upgrading on an account by account basis.
Final Thoughts
Digital minimalism is about keeping what earns its place and cutting out what does not. When you apply that to security, this means that using two tools completely is way better than using ten tools halfheartedly.
A password manager closes the password reuse problem while the authenticator app closes the password breach problem. Everything else is just operational polish rather than foundation. Build the two tool setup above and then spend an hour a year to maintain it. With that, you’ll have better protection than most maximalist security setups that take far more effort and gear.
Start today. Pick a password manager, migrate your accounts, then turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app. Start with your email. That is a complete minimalist security setup and it’s enough.