How does one reduce their digital footprint?

SocialExodus

It's all well and good to see your digital footprint, but there's no advice on how to reduce it -- if that is even possible. Also, sometimes there are data breach notifications with no sites to be addressed. What's up with that?

Alexandru_BD

Hello @SocialExodus,

I'm glad you have asked this question here.

In this day and age, data has become more valuable than gold, as digital footprints are highly valuable to marketers, big tech companies, law enforcement and criminals. It is important to understand that your digital footprint is permanent but, at the same time, you can really do something to protect it.

Check out these Bitdefender blog articles for tips to help you reduce your digital footprint and find out how to prevent leaving digital footprints:

https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/6-tips-to-help-you-reduce-your-digital-footprint-and-why-it-matters/

https://www.bitdefender.com/cyberpedia/how-to-protect-your-digital-footprint/

In regards to data breach notifications, I will do my best to provide further clarification.

To find stolen data, we scan the dark corners of the web using various methods. Once the data is found, we use a proprietary system for identity resolution to discover the identity of the breached individual, so we can alert the person about the breach, even if the breach itself includes little or outdated information.

Most commonly, breaches include information about users’ emails, passwords, names and usernames, phone numbers, and physical addresses. Their exposed data creates a snowball effect that ultimately leads to the leak, sale, or trade of entire digital identities on the Dark Web.

Breaches are not necessary found on a specific website.

They are in a compilation of usernames, passwords, phone numbers, etc. found in archives or texts on the Dark Web, in general.

The Digital Identity Protection service raises awareness about your Digital Footprint (data exposed in Surface Web) and remediation steps for data breaches (data exposed in Dark Web). However, you would not be able to change the username for a specific website, but you will be informed that in that specific period, data about you has appeared in data lists on the dark web.

This means that you could become victim of a scam. As the purpose is to raise awareness of these breaches and the data involved can be various, there are no mitigation steps for the situation. If the breach was about a password, you could have changed it, but the breach can also involve other types of data, such as phone numers, address, etc. And if these are listed somewhere on the dark corners of the web, there is no possible way to retrieve or delete them from there, because you don't have control over that leaked information.

For more information about the Digital Identity Protection service and available features, you can check the following article:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/32463/

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

Flexx

Additionally, you can make use of ad blocker extension and anti tracker extension on the web browser through which you are surfing the web.

Make sure you have at least one or maximum two of the below stated extensions installed.

1) uBlock Origin: https://ublockorigin.com/

2) AdGuard AdBlocker: https://adguard.com/en/adguard-browser-extension/overview.html

3) UltraBlock: https://ultrablock.org/

4) Ghostery: https://www.ghostery.com/

5) Privacy Badger: https://privacybadger.org/

6) Disconnect: https://disconnect.me/disconnect

Since, I have a high end performing laptop, I use all the extension in my web browser, but if you have a low end performing laptop or pc, I would recommended only using two extension to make sure it does not affect your browsing speed. Additionally, you can visit the respective extension websites I stated above and read and then decide which one's you would like to install on your web browser.

Regards