Tips for managing your online digital 'footprint'

WXIN/WTTV -- At a time when hackers and scammers are constantly trying to find and exploit your personal and financial information, experts say it's a good idea to review how large your online digital "footprint" is.




Are you leaving too much data out there in the cyberverse, making you a target for hackers on the dark web? While there's really no way to go completely undetected while using the internet, the National Cybersecurity Alliance has some tips to help you tread more lightly across the online landscape.




First, ask "why" every time a website or app asks you to share personal details. Why do they want this information? Do they really need it to work with you?




Next, Google yourself. It can be surprising and maybe alarming to run a Google search of your name and see where it pops up, including A.I. platforms like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. 




It's also a good idea to search your email address on a website called Have I Been Pwned to see if your information has been leaked to the dark web. If the search brings up an online account of yours, it means that information has been leaked, and you should change your password right away.




The National Cybersecurity Alliance also recommends using a password manager to generate and maintain strong passwords for all your online accounts.




You should also avoid creating unnecessary accounts on websites that push you to do so, even for a one-time purchase.  Unless you plan to do regular business with the company, you should just check out as a "guest."




It's also a good idea to adjust your privacy settings on your Google, Apple, Microsoft and other online accounts by reviewing the privacy settings and adjusting the sharing preferences. The Cybersecurity Alliance recommends doing this once every three months. You can also use private or "incognito" browsing to avoid saving history and cookies.




In general, the Alliance urges you to be careful about what you post online. Even private posts and direct messages can leak, and it's a lot easier to prevent a data leak than to clean one up.



via: https://fox59.com/news/tips-for-managing-your-online-digital-footprint/