Kaspersky shares tips on how to combat doxing thru a guide

06/06/2021 10:11:56 AM

Kaspersky has recently shared its guide in sparing themselves from doxing, or an act of gathering private information for the sole purpose of either publishing them or creating harm with them.

Doxing occurs without us realizing it after doing activities like sharing and geotagging photos, uploading documents to the cloud, installing a new application, and even browsing online retail stores. To help us manage our personal data and protect ourselves from the danger of this cyberthreat, privacy experts of this global cybersecurity company have developed “Definitive Checklist: how to protect your data online,” a comprehensive checklist on how to handle one’s private data responsibly, without it becoming a headache.

Kaspersky’s research shows that looking after private data has finally become a mainstream concern, with half of the consumers claiming they would no longer use an online service provider following a data breach daily, and 57% of them expressing skepticism on security and privacy aspects being affected by “smart” and internet-connected devices.

Since we are still learning exactly how to build our relationships with technology, it is better to be mindful while trusting them with our personal data to avoid potential anxiety or burnout. For instance, an innocent photo of a teen with a newly issued ID may end up in the hands of financial scammers; an emotional message directed to friends that were seen and reported by a stranger may be deemed radical and offensive. Also, photos from the latest party you might attend might surface online without approval and your kid’s smartwatch might be broadcasting their live location 24/7. Doxing occurs because there are a lot of public channels (forums, social media, and application records) existing wherein user data gets exposed.

However, just like other cybercrime incidents such as data leaks and ransomware attacks, doxing can be prevented by prioritizing digital wellbeing. Specifically, digital citizens need to learn how to treat personal data online responsibly, in such a similar way to how we treat our finances and take care of physical belongings.

These problems should not hinder us from expressing ourselves online. That said, Kaspersky has developed a Definitive Checklist: how to protect your data online into three sections, addresses how to treat the data we do and do not control, such as browser activity and application tracking, and other people’s data that you may come across. By providing users with the right knowledge and tools to help navigate the internet safely, they can become empowered and experience less digital stress, to enjoy technology, worry-free.

“With our lives being so intertwined with the digital world, it is no wonder that we face online threats so regularly. Tools for self-expression can also be used against us, with doxing continuing to gain popularity as a way to punish and hurt people. Unfortunately, it is not possible to control everything that exists online about us, but it is definitely a good idea to take some steps towards it. To keep one’s data safe and alleviate the risks, we need to become mindful about who we share our data with and how, and to take certain precautions to keep control over it,” said Anna Larkina, a senior security expert at Kaspersky.

“Luckily, precautions are in part resolved by installing and managing the right privacy tools, such as password managers or privacy-enabling browser extensions. With this checklist, we hope to provide users with a simple, easy-to-grasp way of keeping their personal data safer – and helping their close ones do the same,” added Larkina.

“Data hygiene is a form of self-care. Accepting the reality that there is risk connecting with people, online or off, is a great first step towards a better digital security plan. When we raise the bar on our own digital privacy and security, we are also doing our part to care for others that we connect. The more we can humanize the digital aspects of our lives, the less daunting those first few steps can be towards raising the bar. This checklist is a great place to start”, said Daly Barnett, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Apart from this guide, Kasperksy also has a free online course where users like you can get to know more about doxing and you can protect yourselves from these cases. 

Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files