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Minimizing that data trail is a key part of protecting your digital privacy.
What is a digital footprint?
Your digital footprint is a digital record of everything you do on the internet.
Let’s start with your personal information.
Think of all the accounts you’ve created over the years.
Deleting the accounts before this happens minimizes the risk.
Most reputable sites and services also prevent previously activated accounts from being re-animated once you’ve pulled the plug.
Our online habits reveal just as much about us as our posts and sometimes more than we intend.
Regularly tidying up after your digital footprint removes sensitive information that could be scooped up by cybercriminals.
One of the quickest and simplest ways to tidy your digital footprint is by using apassword manager.
Check out ourbest password managerrankings to see which tools we recommend.
With that in mind, here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.
This will give you a clear picture of what’s publicly accessible.
Unfortunately, it’s just another compelling reason to make time for digital maintenance.
Think image caches, command line history, and recently opened files.
It even empties your trash for you.
It helps keep your system clean and efficient, and prevents you from leaving an identifiable data trail.
Unfortunately, companies and cybercriminals are eager to vacuum them up.
The key to protecting your privacy, security, and reputation is consistency.
This not only helps protect your privacy but also strengthens your overall security.
