Online Safety Is Crucial: What You Need to Know About Your Digital Footprint
According to the UK Fraud & Cyber Crime Report, over 80% of personal data leaks stem from the digital footprint people create by freely sharing information online.
What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is a trail of data you leave behind whenever you use the internet. It includes active footprints which is information you put online, this includes social media posts, comments and email sign ups, there is also another type of footprint called passive footprints which is information collected about you without direct interactions this includes browsing history and website cookies.
The risks of oversharing
Posting too much personal information and building a large digital footprint makes it easy for people to piece together your life and daily routines even something as simple as posting a picture of the view from your window or a picture with a coffee from your favourite cafe down the road can lead to people figuring out where you live and your routines.
Exposing these details publicly can lead to someone with bad intentions having knowledge of your home address and everyday routines this compromises your personal privacy and can sometimes lead to physical safety threats such as online harassment and stalking.
How to stay safe online
To protect your privacy and minimise your digital footprint you can take some simple precautions:
When you go on holiday hold off on posting the photos until you have returned
Private social media accounts so only trusted accepted followers can see your posts
When posting make sure you check the background of the images to ensure no recognisable landmarks or street signs.
Online safety is crucial in today’s world. By staying aware of your digital footprint and being selective about what you share, you can protect your privacy.
If your have been affected by this report here