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What Is A Digital Footprint And Why Is It Important?

Updated: Apr 11, 2024




Let’s face it, there is nothing private about your life online. Your digital footprint is a trail of data tied to your online identity and grows every time you access the internet. In fact,  everyone from your friends and family to employers, clients, and romantic partners can easily discover details about all aspects of your life. 


In addition, your digital footprint also provides critical information to hackers, scammers, and identity thieves. Every time you open an account or share information with a company online, your digital footprint grows, and so do your risks.


Everyone has two types of digital footprints: 

  1. Your active digital footprint is filled with information you deliberately share with websites or other users online. This includes your social media profiles and messages posted on online forums, as well as the data you provide any time you fill in an online form or sign up for a newsletter. 

  2. Your passive digital footprint is filled with information collected by websites without your consent or knowledge. This can include your online shopping history, how many times you’ve visited a website, and other pieces of data collected by website trackers.


Here’s why you should care about what’s in your digital footprint:

  • Information on the internet is relatively permanent. Once information appears online, it's almost impossible to remove it entirely. This permanence can cause a long-lasting impact, especially if it includes something controversial about your character. 

  • Scammers can easily find out more information about you. The details you share online can help cybercriminals build a detailed profile of your life, which can enable them to target you with convincing scams or even pose as you to defraud others.

  • Old content may be taken out of context. What you've shared in the past may not represent your current views but can still affect how others see you — including old comments, photos, or videos on social media.

  • Your digital footprint could include information about your private beliefs. Online behavior can reveal personal beliefs, such as political or religious affiliations, which might not be information you want to share publicly.

  • Your digital footprint is accessible to anyone with internet access. 


So let’s look at the positive side. Being mindful of what you share can protect your online reputation now and in the future.


A positive digital footprint can help you land jobs or build strong online connections. But not every aspect of your digital life should be available to anyone entering your name into a search engine. Controlling your digital footprint involves managing the information about you that is available online. 


Here are some ways to do that:

  • Privacy Settings: Adjust the privacy settings on social media platforms and other online accounts to control who can see your information.

  • Be Selective: Be mindful of what you share online, and think twice before posting personal information.

  • Regular Check-ups: Periodically review your online presence by searching for your name and assessing the information that comes up.

  • Protect Your Reputation: Delete online accounts that could damage your reputation.

  • Secure Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts and enable two-factor authentication when possible to prevent unauthorized access.

  • Limit Third-Party Access: Be cautious about granting permissions to third-party apps and websites that request access to your personal information.

  • Use a virtual private network (VPN). Unprotected internet connections are susceptible to eavesdropping, especially on public Wi-Fi. A secure VPN encrypts your IP address, so that you can enjoy online browsing, banking, or shopping without worrying.




 
 
 

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