Three Steps to Protecting Yourself Online By Understanding Your Digital Footprint
In today's digital age, every click, post, and purchase contributes to your digital footprint—a trail of data that paints a picture of who you are online. This footprint is not just confined to the virtual world; it impacts your reputation both online and offline, influencing how employers, schools, and even peers perceive you.
This trail of information can also provide easy-to-access details to cybercriminals, who are always on the lookout for data to exploit. This is why it’s crucial to be mindful of the information you share. Once something is posted online, you lose control over how it’s used or shared, potentially leading to unintended consequences.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the negative impacts of your digital footprint. Put these 3 essential steps into practice to keep control of your reputation online and offline:
Be Mindful of Social Media Sharing: Think twice before sharing personal information. What you post is often permanent and can be accessed by more people than you might expect.
Clean Up Old Accounts: If you have dormant online accounts, consider deleting them. Inactive accounts can be a security risk if hacked, exposing your personal information.
Use Strong Passwords: Protect your accounts with strong passwords that are at least 12 characters long, mixing letters, numbers, and symbols. This makes it harder for hackers to gain access to your data.
Understanding the two types of digital footprints can also help you manage your online presence more effectively:
Active Digital Footprint: This is created when you actively share information online, such as posting on social media, participating in forums, filling out forms, or accepting website cookies.
Passive Digital Footprint: This occurs when data is collected about you without your direct input, like websites tracking your visits or social media platforms logging your interactions through likes and shares.
By taking control of your digital footprint, you not only protect your personal information but also ensure that your online presence reflects who you truly are. Stay informed and proactive to keep your digital reputation intact. If you have questions about how to manage your money and other personal information online safely, please visit us at one of our branches, call us at 843.332.4506, or email marketing@spccu.org.