Nearly all of your internet activities leave a digital footprint. Although it’s impossible to completely remove this trace, there are measures you can take to make it less visible. What follows is information on how to conceal your digital footprint.
Exactly what is a digital footprint?
Any information and actions you take while connected to the internet are combined to form what is called a digital footprint, an online footprint, or a digital shadow. This encompasses a wide range of data, including but not limited to your online movements, geolocation, and social media engagement. With all the data they contain, digital footprints aren’t without their pros and cons. One good way they help is by remembering things you’ve entered and showing you stuff that matches your interests, so your online experience becomes more tailored to you. It can also help you improve your standing in the digital world. On the flip side, the data they save is sensitive and personal, which means less privacy and more risk of cyberattacks if you aren’t cautious about what you disclose and how you safeguard it.
5 Ways to Keep Your Digital Footprints Safe
Here are five ways to keep your personal information safe online and lessen the impact you have on the internet.
1. Think Before Posting Anything On The Internet
Use caution when engaging with others on social media. Cybercriminals can learn more about you when you link personal information to your social media accounts, such as your phone number, location, or email address. The same goes for the posts and pages you like and follow. When signing up for new accounts, be wary of giving out sensitive information like credit card numbers in places other than social media. This includes online submission forms and fields. Keep in mind that when you use “Sign in with Google” or “Sign in with Facebook,” your data may migrate from those sites, making it easier for hackers to access your information.
2. Limit the number of online accounts
Delete any account or program you aren’t planning to use in the future. A lot of the information you provide to applications, social media, and other online accounts is accessible even when you’re not using them. A platform may still be monitoring your activities, even if it hasn’t sent you any notifications recently. Be careful when creating new accounts, and always remove or deactivate them completely, not simply when you no longer want to receive notifications or newsletters.
3. Stay-Up-To-Date
Always keep your operating system and software up-to-date. You can keep your devices protected with the latest software by turning on automatic updates if you can.
4. Use public Wi-Fi with caution
Although it’s convenient, hackers can easily gain access to public Wi-Fi networks because they aren’t necessarily the most secure. When utilizing a public network, it is advisable to think about utilizing a virtual private network, or VPN. By doing so, you can protect your information by masking your IP address and other internet footprints.
5. Verify your privacy settings and choose your preferences.
Be sure to check your privacy settings on a regular basis and adjust them as needed. You have the option to restrict which apps and websites can access your location, search history, contacts, and camera. Before signing up for any new service or downloading any new app, read the fine print of their privacy policy. Your privacy and security are crucial; thus, you should not blindly accept terms and agreements without understanding how a company gathers and utilizes your data.
Is your footprint ready to be secured?
Our staff can offer you the utmost security to protect your online footprint and all the sensitive information it includes, whether you’re looking to protect your employees, business, or personal data. Locate a TN Computer Medic near you to discover our security services and solutions that can protect you from hackers, data breaches, and other similar risks.