OnePhoenix

Newb question: what does it really mean when I click "Reject Nonessential Cookies"? Am I really being any more private by rejecting these? Just feels greasy like it's a workaround for websites to get my information anyway? Should I navigate away from any sites that suggest this cookie configuration?

I'm new to the cyber-security/privacy space. I am interested in teaching myself about it, as well as dabbling in OSINT and general linux-type-stuff too. ATM this is all a hobby so while it is not crucial to have everything air-tight, I would like to do my best to follow best practices.

That being said, I am currently using a Mac M1 so my VM capabilities are (AFAIK) limited to the OS's provided by the UTM virtual machine software. For those who are unaware, the OS's they provide can be found here:

https://mac.getutm.app/gallery/

From a security/privacy perspective, which of these OS's would you consider to be the most secure or, able to be the most secure with configuration? At first glance and with my limited knowledge, I want to say Kali, but I feel this may be cliché as it's what your stereotypical-hacker-type would use.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

N.B., ease of use/convenience is not a top priority for me, as I'm using this as a learning experience and I'm open to trying different things and making mistakes along the way.

Thanks!

***EDIT: Thank you to all who provided information. I learned a lot. I've decided to try a few different distros that work with UTM namely, Parrot OS (both home and security editions for different purposes), as well as Kali and Debian.

I used to use Protonmail, however the verification steps become tedious when creating unique emails for sign ups. I've switched to Tutanota despite it contravening their one account policy. What do you all use for one off emails (for sign ups etc )? Or do you prefer one of those 10 minute email sites?

Does it make sense to have separate emails for each individual financial account (banking, credit cards) or is that overkill? I'm just thinking that if a hacker got access to one email they'd have all account information?

I use GrapheneOS ony phone and a Mac with the security options as optimized as possible. For most of my emailing etc, I use Tuta and Proton. There are instances however, where having a Google account is beneficial (some apps for example won't download from Aurora store in anonymous mode).

Is it advisable/possible to create a dummy Google account with minimal ID/credentials? And if so, what are some best practices for doing so?

Or, do I resign myself to the fact that with more control over my data, I have to sacrifice more?

I feel like this may be a bit of a counterintuitive question considering Graphene's privacy features but, is there a way to remote erase or find my phone with GrapheneOS in the event the phone is lost?

I'm currently running Grapheme OS on a pixel. One thing that I've had trouble finding is a secure video chat option. I'm assuming that its because such a thing in a secure environment is hard to come by / impossible.

The only options I've found are things where you must self host like element etc. Is this the only way?

I realize there may be nuanced answers to this question that I may be overlooking as I'm still relatively new to online security/privacy so I apologize in advance if this is a moot question.