With just 15 demographic attributes, it’s possible to identify an individual with 99.98% accuracy(1). We wouldn’t tell a convicted burglar where we keep our spare key. Yet, we do not safeguard our private information from cybercriminals who will weaponize it against us.
Our entire online presence is tracked for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the purpose is to make life easier, such as your device remembering your log-in credentials so you don’t have to enter your password every time you frequent a website. Concern arises when companies buy this data to tailor their advertising.
However, this treasure-trove of intelligence, known as a digital footprint, can do monumental damage far worse than targeted advertising if it falls into the hands of a bad actor. Much like a real-world thief, internet criminals use information about you to carefully craft and personalize their attacks to make them more convincing and effective.
This digital shadow can have negative ramifications on your in-person reputation and seriously jeopardize your online privacy. Understanding how to manage your footprint and knowing that resources are available, such as those offered by Digital Forensics Corp., can improve your online safety and protect your digital data.
Understanding Your Digital Footprint
Your digital footprint is a trail of data consisting of all of your online activity. Any sites you visit, posts you make on social media, online purchases you make, and much more contribute to this shadow of online operations.
Some of this data is more obvious than others, while some is recorded without our knowledge. Digital footprints are broken up into two subcategories based on whether the data is willfully shared or taken indirectly from its owner.
Passive vs. Active Footprints
The two distinctions of digital footprints are passive and active footprint. Passive footprint is any personal data which is collected online either involuntarily or unknowingly. On the other hand, active footprint is made up of all the information we put out on the internet ourselves.
Examples of passive digital footprint include:
- Companies purchasing social media data to gain insight into a consumer’s likes
- Websites tracking how often you visit their page and the length of each visit
- Website cookies which are undisclosed to the user
Examples of active digital footprint include:
- Social media posts and comments
- Emails and other forms of communication
- Website cookies which are accepted by the user
Sources of Your Digital Footprint
With a limitless number of possible activities that internet users can participate in, there is consequently just as many factors that contribute to your online reputation. While not the only contributors, the following activities have the biggest implications on your digital footprint.
- Social media platforms: Roughly 64% of the world uses social media(2), making it an integral instrument for harvesting data. As discussed, this data can contribute to both your active and passive footprint.
- Search engine history: All of your internet inquiries can be used to help advertisers determine which products to push on you. Likewise, this information can help cybercriminals construct a compelling con.
- Online forums: The communities you are active in, conversations and threads in which you participate, and individuals you interact with can all have a positive or negative effect on your reputation.
- Public records: A lot of our private information is readily available online that’s not sold by companies or leaked in a data breach. Information including your name, birth, marriage record, property record, and criminal record are available for the public to see.
- Online reviews: These reviews not only share your opinions on products and services; they also provide insight to your transactional history and tendencies.
- Websites that track activity: Websites can download cookies that track your password and decrease loading times. However, they can also keep record of the time you spend on the page, how frequently you visit, and even the location of your cursor.
The Permanence of the Internet
While it is possible to have your data removed from the internet, it is a challenging and ongoing task. As we’ve stated, each online interaction you have contributes to your digital footprint, meaning you’d need to take action after every internet venture you have to keep your data cleared.
Additionally, you can have your personal information removed from data broker pages. However, this process can be exhausting, and your data may resurge on the site even if you manage to successfully opt out due to new data breaches or public record updates.
Even with all of this effort, there is still a chance that your data has been copied and stored offline and could be reposted or shared among cybercrime rings. Due to the eternal nature of the internet, it’s important to manage your digital footprint and limit the spread of your personal information online.
Assessing Your Current Digital Footprint
You should conduct regular reputation analysis by reviewing what personal information is available online. This includes both the data you release on your own accord and information which is made public by an outside party.
You can’t start protecting your data without knowing what data is publicly available. Routine assessment is essential to managing your digital footprint and increasing your online safety.
Search Engine Audits
Simply searching your name or other identifiable information on a search engine can show you all of your personal information which is available online. Additional information you may want to add to your search include the city you reside in, your place of employment, and educational institutes you’ve attended.
Social Media Analysis
View the terms of service and privacy policies of any social media platforms and consider them when determining whether you wish to use them. Making your accounts private can help limit the exposure of your data to unwanted viewers.
Additionally, you should regularly evaluate the content you post to determine the impact it could have on your reputation. You open the door to a variety of consequences, such as loss of career opportunities or exposure to online blackmail, by oversharing private or controversial content.
Public Records Checks
You can access and review the personal information available in your public records in numerous ways. You can search your name in the records section of official government websites. Many public libraries also keep local public records both online and on file.
Knowing what information is accessible to anybody can help you avoid cyber scams like online blackmail and extortion. For instance, if you receive a phishing email that contains specific information about you, knowing whether this data is publicly available online can help you see through their façade.
Data Broker Sites
The global data broker market was valued at $240.3 billion in 2021, and this is expected to grow to $462.4 billion by 2031(3). Brokers obtain your information through public records, purchasing it from other companies, and terms of service which hide disclosure of data.
This data can be misused legally and becomes even more dangerous if the broker suffers a data breach. In 2017, data broker Equifax experienced a data breach which compromised personal information of 147 million people(4).
It’s possible to have this data removed from data broker systems. However, this process often requires you to provide more personal information to prove your identity and can weeks to complete. There are data deletion services that speed things up, but these services cost money and typically only cover a portion of brokers.
Strategies for Managing Your Digital Footprint
With all of the online outlets that contain your personal information, it may seem like an impossible feat to control your online reputation. However, there are steps you can take to manage your digital footprint, protect your online data, and improve your overall online safety.
Privacy Settings and Controls:
You can review and change your privacy settings within the settings menu of whichever online platform you are using. Setting accounts to private and limiting who can see and interact with your profile can help reduce the chances of your data being used against you.
Content Removal and Deletion:
You should immediately remove any personal data which you’ve willingly posted to the internet and request removal of your data from brokers. This can be done by manual opting out of data broker websites are commissioning a removal service.
In 2014, the European Union recognized the right to be forgotten, a protection that allows individuals to request that certain personal data be removed from online search results. The law has been implemented in other countries but remains unrecognized by the United States.
Reputation Management:
A good general rule for deciding what to post on social media is weighing whether you’d want a potential employer or educational institute to see that content. While social media is often used to connect with family and friends, it’s advised to keep a positive and somewhat professional online presence to avoid building a negative reputation online.
Monitoring and Alerts:
Searching your name in people search sites lets you see what information about you comes up. You should also set up Google Alerts to be informed when any of your personal data is posted and appears in search results. There are also services that can help scan and scrub your data from the internet.
Protecting Personal Data:
You should utilize 2FA and other multi-form authentication systems on any platforms make them available. You should also regularly update passwords and use a unique one for each account. Consider a password manager to help you maintain good password security.
Only using secure URLs can help lower the risks of your data being extracted by criminals. Avoid giving out private data online that can be leveraged to blackmail you online. Be wary that cybercriminals use information available online to craft convincing phishing schemes.
Digital Forensics Corp.’s Role in Digital Footprint Management
Here at DFC, our team of cyber security experts have the capabilities to help you restore and retain your digital reputation. Our experts employ advanced digital forensics techniques to help you protect your data, develop an online safety strategy, and monitor for any peril to your privacy.
- Digital Footprint Analysis: We can assist you is examining the entire scope of your online presence. Our cutting-edge techniques allow us to review and secure your online accounts and determine the spread of your personal data.
- Reputation Management Services: We can help you remove your content that is posted online. Furthermore, we can have back-up downloads of your data deleted to remove the risk of reposting.
- Data Breach Response: We will work to examine every place your leaked data could have been exposed online, including the dark web and data broker sites.
- Online Threat Monitoring: After we’ve helped remedy your case, we can also provide ongoing threat monitoring and prevention assistance by identifying potential security vulnerabilities.
Your Reputation Is in Good Hands With DFC.
Maintaining a positive digital footprint is a life-long commitment for internet users. It is important to take a proactive approach by monitoring what information is publicized and making informed decisions when engaging in online activities.
This can be a difficult task to handle alone, but seeking the assistance of cyber security experts like the ones at DFC can set you up for success. We have experience in data management for thousands of clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual internet users.
Start preserving your reputation by taking control of your digital footprint today. Reach out to DFC any time of day for a free consultation with one of our specialists.
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DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL FORENSICS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
