How To Protect Your Digital Footprint

You can protect your digital footprint by deleting any accounts you no longer use, adjusting your privacy settings, avoiding oversharing on social media and using a password manager. Your digital footprint is an online reflection of who you are. Every action you take online, from the websites you visit to the posts you share, contributes to this footprint.

Continue reading to learn how you can protect your digital footprint and maintain a clean online presence. 

Search for yourself and remove unnecessary information 

To protect your digital footprint, start by searching your name in a search engine like Google to put yourself in the shoes of others who may search for you online. This gives you a clear view of what’s associated with your name and what cybercriminals could use against you if you become a target. It also lets you see what personal information, like your phone number and home address, is publicly accessible. If you discover that your data is exposed, contact the websites hosting it and request that your information be removed to stay protected from security risks. For added caution, consider setting up a Google Alert with your name to track when new information about you surfaces.

Adjust your privacy settings

You should regularly review and adjust your privacy settings on your social media accounts, browsers, other websites and applications you use. This is especially important because many people don’t realize that the settings on their devices are automatically configured for the least amount of privacy. Ensure that you set your privacy settings to share the least amount of information possible. This includes making your social media accounts private, using incognito mode and not sharing your location with certain apps or browsers. 

Be mindful of what you share

Refrain from oversharing on social media because it can place your information at risk of being exploited by malicious individuals. Oversharing can also damage your reputation, as anything you post can be seen by a large audience, where it can be taken out of context and used against you. Always think before you share personal details, opinions or images that could leave you vulnerable. It’s a good practice to regularly review your social media accounts and delete posts that could negatively impact you. Protecting your digital footprint is all about being intentional with the information you share, ensuring that your online presence builds a positive reputation. 

Delete inactive accounts

The more online accounts you have, the larger your digital footprint will be and the more opportunities there are for your personal information to be exposed. Inactive accounts can become easy targets for cybercriminals, as they may store information like old passwords, financial details or security questions, which can be exploited if left unsecured. You can delete accounts you no longer use by gathering a list of the accounts you’ve created and going through each one. 

Restrict data shared with apps and websites

Whenever an app requests access to sensitive information – such as your photos, location, camera or contacts – or when a website asks for permission to track your activity or use optional cookies, it’s important to carefully consider whether you really need to grant those permissions. Every time you grant access, companies collect data to build a detailed profile of you, which is then often used to send personalized ads or even shared with third parties. 

Use a VPN 

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps protect your digital footprint by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address. Without a VPN, your IP address can be tracked, which can reveal your identity, location, browsing habits and online activities – especially on public WiFi. Using a VPN routes your traffic through a secure server, making it difficult for third parties to collect your data and trace your online actions back to you. 

Use a password manager 

A password manager helps you keep track of your login information while also storing it securely in an encrypted vault. It can help you keep your digital footprint clean because you’ll always know which new accounts you sign up for when they’re saved to your vault. This makes it easier to track which accounts you no longer use so you can take steps to delete or deactivate them. A password manager will also generate strong passwords for each of your new accounts – meaning you’ll never have to resort to reusing passwords or using weak ones. 

Maintain your digital footprint with Keeper

Now that you know how to protect your digital footprint, it’s important to regularly maintain it. Make it a habit to search your name periodically so you always know what personal information is available about you online. It’s also smart to invest in a password manager because it helps you keep track of the accounts you sign up for – making it easier to audit all your online accounts.

Don’t let your digital footprint cost you your reputation – let Keeper help you maintain a positive and secure online presence by safely managing your accounts and keeping your information protected.