Digital Footprint

• Active digital footprint – created whenever you share information online by sending an email, publishing a blog, signing up for a newsletter, or posting something on social media.
• Passive digital footprint – the data collected by search engines when storing your search history, web servers logging your computer’s IP address when you visit a website, or smart phones apps.

The most common malicious use of your digital footprint is what’s known as a spear-phishing attack, which occurs when cybercriminals create a highly personalized email message designed to make the target believe the email is legitimately from you. This email will include malicious links to websites controlled by the attacker, and/or attachments that infect the target’s system with malware.

Let’s say you receive an email that looks like it’s from a representative at your child’s school asking for a few personal forms to be filled out immediately. Without thinking, you click on the attachment provided – which you think simply contains the forms you need to complete. Instead, the attachments infect your computer with malware. You then realize that the email wasn’t actually from your child’s school. Utilizing your digital footprint, the criminal did his homework. He knew you have children and where they attend school, and then used that information to send you a personalized email that would ultimately allow him to gain access to your computer.

1. Have more than one email address/account. Having a different email for social media, work, and even a separate account to pay your bills is helpful in containing a cyberattack if you are subjected to one.
2. Use different passwords. Don’t use the same passwords for different accounts. Store them in a verified password manager if you need.
3. Don’t overshare online. Every time you decide to post something that’s publicly available, evaluate what information you’re sharing about yourself. Even if you’re not actively engaged on Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other social media channels, you should be aware that others are likely contributing to your digital footprint by posting photographs or information about you on their social platforms.
4. Check and recheck. Understand your privacy controls for different social profiles and periodically check what they are set at. Create a “dummy” profile and use it to view your own account to view what others are able to see.
5. Turn off geolocation. It’s also important to limit the tracking of your geolocation data – especially when downloading new apps. If you don’t want or need an app to track where you’re going, be sure to turn that permission off in the app’s settings.