In a revealing interview, whistleblower Edward Snowden has revealed some of his thoughts on operational security, some of which is “applicable to everyday life”.

The former National Security Agency contractor said that this is important if ordinary people are keen “reclaim a level of privacy” that many argue has been lost in an age of mass surveillance.

Mr. Snowden told The Intercept, which is “dedicated to producing fearless adversarial journalism”, that security of this ilk isn’t an impossible task, nor is it counterproductive to the connected zeitgeist of the 21st century.

“You don’t need to live a paranoid life, off the grid, in hiding, in the woods in Montana."

“You don’t need to live a paranoid life, off the grid, in hiding, in the woods in Montana,” he explained.

“What we do need to protect are the facts of our activities, our beliefs, and our lives that could be used against us in manners that are contrary to our interests.”

Some of his recommendations include adopting two-factor authentication, which adds an additional layer of security, and investing in encryption across all forms of communication.

The latter, which is highly topical issue as of late, is one of the most effective ways in keeping data secure.

So much so that even the developers behind certain processes are unable to crack their own technology, much to the chagrin of governments.

Another top tip from the security expert is to use a password manager, which can go a long way in keeping people safe from cybercriminals.

“Your credentials may be revealed because some service you stopped using in 2007 gets hacked, and your password that you were using for that one site also works for your Gmail account,” Mr. Snowden elaborated.

“A password manager allows you to create unique passwords for every site that are unbreakable, but you don’t have the burden of memorizing them.”

Last month, the European Parliament declared that Mr. Snowden was a free man, absolving him of any crime that may have resulted in his extradition to the US where he is wanted for the theft of government property.