Some of the electronic trails include the use of social networks, history of sites visited, identification number, and purchases made in online stores among others —so one has to be careful about privacy and information shared online. In a world where most interaction is carried out through the Internet, are you worried about the digital footprint you create and how to manage a digital footprint check? If so, the solution is a digital footprint check for your digital risk assessment. It provides you with a digital footprint report to assess and adjust your online presence.
Digital Footprint
The tracks created when a person utilizes the Internet are called a digital footprint also known as an electronic footprint or digital shadow. This includes the details you post on social media, the emails you send out, and the places you go online. A person’s online activities and characteristics can be tracked using a digital footprint checker. When you use the Internet, you submit information called your profile. Your digital footprint checker grows in several ways for example, by posting content, subscribing to a newsletter, leaving a comment, etc.
There are two types of digital footprints:
- Active Digital Footprint: In this type of footprint, the user leaves personal data to be tracked. This behavior occurs when sharing blog posts, comments, and sometimes live chat.
- Passive Fingerprint: On the other hand, this type means that the user has no intention of sharing personal information. They are collected by cookies, browser behavior, location, etc.
Digital Footprint Checkers
Digital Footprint Checker is a tool for keeping track of and managing one’s online presence. Search the Internet for information about a person or company and identify and analyze the information in the database through a digital footprint report. Here are the main features of Digital Footprint Checker
1. Search and Analyze
It collects information about the user by searching different online platforms for digital footprint analysis such as social networks, blogs, forums, news sites, and other public databases. It analyzes the collected data to provide information about the user experience that is available to the public.
2. Privacy and Security
This allows users to be aware of information that is publicly available or potentially sensitive or personal by digital risk assessment. It provides instructions on how to store or delete this information to protect your personal information.
See also: Online game security: Protecting your digital identity and assets
3. Personal and Professional Uses
It can be used by people to keep an eye on their online presence and protect their privacy. It is utilized by professionals and businesses to safeguard their brands and adhere to data protection regulations.
4. Reputation Management
Digital footprint checker helps protect your online reputation by detecting unwanted or harmful content. This helps in digital KYC identity verification management.
5. Data insights
It provides information and analysis on the scope and impact of digital technologies by giving digital footprint report. The particular emphasis is on the type of data collected and its impact.
6. Alerts and notifications
It provides notifications of new posts or changes in user status. Real-time notifications notify customers of errors or updates.
Consequences of a Digital Footprint
- Data breach: Hackers can use old passwords purchased from the dark web to attack an organization to extract data.
- Fraud: Your public information can be used by criminals to commit a variety of offenses, including fraud. Someone could, for instance, submit an application on your behalf for a loan, credit card, or government benefit based on your data.
- Cybersecurity vulnerabilities: Attackers can use your device to attack you with a phishing campaign or steal your credentials to crack your passwords.
- Damaged reputation: Information that negatively identifies you can lead to reputational damage.
- Humiliation or threat: Attackers can use confidential information to humiliate others.
- Employer screening: A cybercrime that happened years ago could impact your job search.
Professional identity in the online environment is considered one of the crucial competencies when new-generation students enter the working world. That is our data identity. It is about the outline left by the data, and how that outline and the actual entity are dealt with. This involves understanding your active and passive fingerprints.
Use a digital footprint checker to assess your footprint, implement strategies to protect it, and take steps to create a positive digital footprint. By doing a digital footprint analysis, you not only protect your privacy, do a digital risk assessment, and also manage your digital identity in a way that reflects your values and goals.
See also: Navigating the digital maze: A guide to online safety and cybersecurity