We have heard – and even sensed from our own experience – that you can find everything, or almost everything, on the internet. This claim is not as far-fetched as it might seem. Thanks to technological advances and the digital transformation, on the virtual space It contains not only scientific information, books, audiovisual material, maps, online shops and so on, but also our own data, ranging from what identifies us to what we do online. This is known as fingerprint on the internet.
In this post, we’ll explain exactly what it is, the different types, why it’s important, and how to protect it to safeguard our privacy, security and online reputation.
Definition of a fingerprint
An online digital footprint is the the digital footprint left by a person, organisation or company following interaction with the resources and sites hosted on this platform. These traces or remnants are unique data records that provide an account of activity on platforms, applications or services (e.g. emails).
These logs are generated either passively or actively, and are collected by websites and internet service providers in order to ascertain the user behaviour, a key aspect of service personalisation and, of course, of the range of products and services on offer.
This sort of digital ‘shadow’ can also be used by hackers for committing cybercrimes such as identity theft. Hence the importance of browsing the internet using only trustworthy and secure websites.
Types of fingerprints
The online footprint It can be classified into two main categories: active traces and passive traces.
Active footprints
An ‘active footprint’ is defined as the trace of data thatis deliberately generated by the user. What actions lead to this type of digital footprint? It refers to any voluntary interaction on the internet, such as posting on social media, blogs and forums, as well as sending emails and filling in online forms. Among the most common types of content are photographs, videos and comments. Users have some control over their digital footprint and digital identity.
Passive traces
Passive traces, as the name suggests, are generated automatically without any direct intervention by the user. When using electronic devices and interacting with websites or apps, data traces are created relating to browsing history, the cookies, the IP address, geolocation and details of the device used to carry out online activities. In this case, digital footprints are not entirely under the users’ control.
The importance of fingerprints
The importance of one’s digital footprint on the internet is explained in the points set out below.
Little control over information
Control over one’s digital footprint on the internet is limited: the data found online are difficult to remove. Whilst users may have some control over what they do and do not share, in many cases information is copied, shared or stored on third-party servers without the data subject’s consent. Once something is published on the internet, there is a extremely high risk of losing complete control of that information.
Digital reputation
An online digital footprint is also linked to a person’s digital reputation. Companies, potential employers and other organisations often carry out searches online for to gather information about a person. A negative online reputation could seriously affect how a person is perceived. That is why it is important to be careful about what you post or share in order to achieve a positive digital footprint.
Cybersecurity
As far as cybersecurity is concerned, a digital footprint can be used by hackers or criminals seeking to commit identity theft or obtain sensitive user data by means of the phishing, spoofing or other methods. The aim is to deceive the victim and obtain bank details, identity details, amongst other things. For this reason, it is advisable to be careful about your online activity in order to protect your personal information.
Examples of digital footprints
The online footprint It can take various forms depending on the online activities a user engages in.
Online financial services
Digital banking, online banking or customer access also generate a significant digital footprint on the internet. Any interaction with the banking platforms or apps, as well as making purchases, payments, subscriptions and opening accounts (debit or credit), generate data. Although banks handle this information with the utmost care, it is well known that hackers carry out attacks to obtain customer data and leak it online (including identification details, addresses and passwords, amongst other things).
Online shopping
Yes, one way to increase your digital footprint on the internet is through online shopping. It’s worth noting that the e-commerce businesses (e-commerce) have various ways of gathering information from users, not only through purchase histories, but also via new product alerts, discount vouchers, account creation and, of course, by actively using their mobile apps if there are any.
Social media use and interaction
We have already mentioned the social media as one of the most important areas when it comes to the generation of the online footprint. What goes on inside them? Users share personal information in posts whilst interacting with other users through tags, for example.
Contrary to popular belief, deleting posts or interactions on social media does not guarantee that they have been permanently deleted. What happens? These service providers may retain data, and, in turn, other users copy, capture or reproduce such content. This explains why we need to be careful when using these platforms. As mentioned earlier, it is advisable to be mindful of what you post and share in order to protect your digital reputation.
Subscriptions
Newsletter subscriptions, services provided by streamingand other platforms also form part of one’s digital footprint on the internet. The data collected is used for various purposes, but the main one is to create personalised advertising and content recommendations. On occasion, users’ data may be sold to third parties. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the subscription privacy policy, as well as minimising the amount of information shared as much as possible.
How can you protect your digital footprint?
Given that the online footprint As this may have significant implications for privacy and security, it is crucial to take steps to protect it.
Update software
One of the first steps in protecting personal data and data relating to the use of apps and platforms is to keep software up to date, whether it be mobile phones, tablets or computers. Operating system developers regularly release security patches to fix vulnerabilities.
Creating secure passwords
Passwords must contain letters (lower-case and upper-case), numbers, full stops, special characters and be at least more than 8 characters long. Under no circumstances should personal data such as your date of birth, national identity number or other sensitive information be used. To keep your passwords secure, you can use digital password managers, which are known for being very secure.
Avoid public Wi-Fi networks
Public Wi-Fi networks pose a significant risk, as they can be easily intercepted by cybercriminals. It is recommended that you avoid using Wi-Fi networks of this type to access banking apps, send messages, log in to social media or other platforms where these are required private credentials.
Set up Google alerts
Did you know that Google Alerts? It is a tool that allows you to monitor your digital footprint on the internet. You can set up alerts using names, terms or data that you consider relevant, with the aim of receive alerts about what is published online. This enables immediate action to be taken if anything unusual is detected.
Act swiftly in the event of a data breach
Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, so it is essential to take immediate action to minimise the impact. What should you do, then? The first thing is change passwords, keep an eye out for communications from the organisations or institutions affected, and take other measures to protect the compromised information.
Use a VPN
If you want to take great care with your data, you can use a virtual private network (VPN). What is it for? Put simply, it encrypts the internet connection, making it more difficult for third parties to track the user’s web activity.
