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Doxing is one of those newer terms that have evolved with the information age. It comes from a combination of the words “dropping” and “documents” (or “docs” for short), meaning to release information about someone. Basically, it’s just another form of cyber crime.
Doxing is something that can affect anyone due to the ease of access to personal information. However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
- Scrub your social media accounts. That is, ensure that you do not include too much identifiable information, such as your home address, phone number, or date of birth.
- To opt out (or remove) your personal information from those sites that collect and publish personal information (such as BeenVerified, Intelius, Peoplefinders, Spokeo, Truthfinder, Whitepages, and more):
- First, create a new email address that you can use for opting out of these sites. (They will often require confirmation of your desire to opt out by sending an email to you. You do not want to provide your usual email address.) If a site requires a phone number to confirm removal, consider obtaining a temporary number (e.g., a prepaid phone).
- Once you have set up an “opt-out” email (and a temporary phone number if necessary), visit the sites linked below and follow the instructions to remove your information. Since these sites often repopulate their data from various sources, you should repeat this process periodically to ensure your information is not published.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we can assess your existing IT security and collaborate with your team to enhance it. We can also provide a complete source of services. At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things. Contact us today or sign up for a free consultation.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things.